Best Practices

March 2020

Cat® 797F Best

Practices to
Improve
Performance and
Drive Train
Durability

The Cat 797F is built to take the rigorous demands of mine

site applications and deliver long, reliable service life. These
machines are equipped with variable fan and brake cooling
systems that allow full retarding performance at a wide range
of engine speeds. Following the operational best practices
detailed in this document will increase machine durability and
machine performance. These best practices will allow the
machine to shift to an optimum gear so that it operates at a
lower engine RPM, resulting in improved fuel consumption and
component life. Here are seven key operating practices to
follow in order to optimize truck fleet availability and make
them ready for action at the start of every shift.

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 Cat® 797F Best Practices to Improve Performance and Drivetrain Durability

Select the Appropriate Gear

To maximize engine, torque converter, transmission and other
drive train component life, avoid operating at high engine
speeds, in the wrong gear or unnecessarily shifting gears
manually. Don’t manually shift at engine speeds above 1750
RPM and be sure to come to a complete stop when changing
between forward and reverse.

Configure Transmission ECM

Use Cat ET to set the Transmission Maximum Forward Gear
to 7F. Gear limiting to control machine speed results in
extended operation at high engine speeds.

Configure Machine Speed Limits

Set proper empty, loaded, retarding and TKPH/TMPH speed
limits. Allow the machine to shift to optimum gear so that it
operates at a lower engine RPM, resulting in improved fuel
consumption and component life. Ensure that machine speed
has been properly calibrated.

Prevent Gear Hunting

Select “D” when operating the machine and let the gear
change automatically. Avoid setting machine speed limits that
result in gear hunting. The transmission control system is
designed to limit gear hunting. Using the gear selector
occasionally when excessive gear hunting is occurring is also
acceptable. It is recommended to limit the amount of time
spent at high idle when limited to a specific gear.

Allow the Transmission to Up-Shift

When using increment buttons on the gear selector, monitor
engine speed and increase gear limit prior to engine speed
reaching 1750 RPM.

Prevent Engine Overspeed

The machine will automatically upshift to protect the engine
and drive train from catastrophic failures. For better durability,
it is recommended to control engine speed to less than 1950
RPM rather than relying on this emergency up-shift.

Engage the Automatic Retarder Control (ARC) Switch

Enable the ARC switch to allow constant downhill speed.
Ensure that the machine speed is below the target speed
setting for ARC, the throttle lock is in the OFF position, the
accelerator pedal is released, and the throttle pedal is not
applied during the descent.

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