Farmall Cub

Hello all. I have a 1960 cub and am using a 90 wt gear oil in the steering gear box. It continues to leak and I was wondering if there was an easier fix than taking off the axle and steering box. Any suggestions? If not, how hard is it to fix the problem given my minimal experience with repair projects and minimum of tools. Thanks for the help. Findoggy

Findoggy, If you are lucky it will be leaking out of the top where the steering wheel shaft enter the box at the bottom. Its not a big job to replace the shaft seal & gasket. Steering wheel has to come off first thing. Others or myself can guide you through it if need be.

There are a couple places it could be leaking. Another common area is the big gasket between the two halves of the steering gear housing. There are about 5 bolts holding them together from underneath. You could try tightening them. Do you have a manual or a parts book? These how-to's will show you where all the gaskets and seals are, and help you determine the source of any leaks.

I'm replacing that gasket, and a couple seals on my '67, should be good for another 40 years after that.

Oh,

It is amazing how little tools you do need to work on these. If you do need to take off the front it's not that hard. But, if you do a front split, you will have to drain the rad, and follow the directions for a front split. I've never tried it, but you should be able to remove the front axle, and then remove the bottom half of the steering box to replace that big round gasket.

Anybody ever do it?

EZ, I'm hoping I don't have to split the tractor...I don't have any jacks or stands or anything like that. I'll try tightening the five bolts you recommended. The only manual I have is the owners manual, no parts manuals. I'll check Rudi's site.
Johnbron, thanks for the suggestion you had regarding where the steering shaft goes into the housing. i have indeed seen air bubbles coming out from around the shaft and a trail of oil down the casting from there. What would changing the gasket and seals at that point entail? Thanks for your help gentlemen.
Findoggy

Findoggy:

do you have access to a welder? can u weld? If yes, then making tractor jacks is very simple. I am learning to weld and I made a set for Jethro. Took me all of 3 or 4 hours I guess to mark, drill all the holes then weld the plates for the pads on the cub and the floor pads for the jacks. I think it cost me about $20.00.

It sure makes splittin the tractor much easier!

Rudi,
No, I do not weld, but I have neighbors that do. If necessary I could approach them with plans for the jacks. Do you have the measurements, or a drawing of the plans you used to make your jacks? If so, would you be agreeable to my using them to manufacture my own jacks? I don't really know what they are supposed to look like and don't want to have them make something which won't work.

I bought a pair of adjustable jack-stands at Wal-Mart for $10. I couldnt build a pair that cheap.

Personally, I have never used a jack stand on any of 3 tractors I've worked on, including a '44A. I have used a couple small car jack stands on the axles if I'm removing a wheel, but I like to use big wooden blocks to hold things up by the torque tube. If I'm doing a front split, I use a come-along and a good sling hooked to the ceiling.

I don't have anything against jack-stands, I just don't have any. There are a couple on this site I've seen and liked, the best ones have locking wheels under them.

All this to simply say, if you're careful you can make do without.

I guess I'm the lucky 1 then.
I have never used jack stands on a tractor.
I have a over head 2 way I beam over head in the shop.
Just use the chain falls to do the lifting & holding.
I do have some 10x10 blocks of hard wood & some smaller blocking
but unless I have to leave it for a few days i don't use them.

Findoggy:

No problem, I can email the stuff to you probably tomorrow.

Thanks Rudi, much appreciated.