Farmall 140 Steering Play
Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 10:04 am
Boss (and anyone else who'd like to comment),
To bring everyone up to speed, I removed the axle and decided to tackle the steering slop in my 1968 Farmall 140. It wasn't very bad but the box was leaking (the only leak on the tractor) and I wanted it fixed right. The only noticible play was when you turned the steering wheel, the center pitman arm would move up and down. I called Boss and got his advice on what that could possibly be. He said more than likely the top bearing inside the housing is shot allowing the steering gear shaft to move up and down. I do agree with this theory, but after inspecting the inside of the housing where the bearing is located (I didn't remove it), it appears that the bearing moves freely like it should and doesn't have any slop in it....everything is there and tight in-place. It feels the same as a new one would. Unless there is something else that I should be looking for with that bearing, it appears fine. I also noticed that after getting the Lower Housing removed from the tractor the slop is there between the pitman arm on the bottom and the steering gear on the top. The shaft will move up and down about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. To me, it appears that the pitman arm wasn't put all the way back on the shaft when it was removed before......yes, I have concluded that the steering box has been broken into before due to the fact that the cotter pin on the castelation nut was just a peice of straight wire, and the Axle U-bolt wasn't fastened to the rear under the crank pulley becuase the P.O. figured out you can't access that nut to re-install it. There isn't some kind of spacer that is required is it that is possibly missing? I am attaching pictures, thus my reason for posting this and just not calling you. I have tried to get the pitman arm off the shaft with a hammer, and have not had any luck moving it. I also knocked on the shaft, but don't want to mushroom anything.
Thanks!
To bring everyone up to speed, I removed the axle and decided to tackle the steering slop in my 1968 Farmall 140. It wasn't very bad but the box was leaking (the only leak on the tractor) and I wanted it fixed right. The only noticible play was when you turned the steering wheel, the center pitman arm would move up and down. I called Boss and got his advice on what that could possibly be. He said more than likely the top bearing inside the housing is shot allowing the steering gear shaft to move up and down. I do agree with this theory, but after inspecting the inside of the housing where the bearing is located (I didn't remove it), it appears that the bearing moves freely like it should and doesn't have any slop in it....everything is there and tight in-place. It feels the same as a new one would. Unless there is something else that I should be looking for with that bearing, it appears fine. I also noticed that after getting the Lower Housing removed from the tractor the slop is there between the pitman arm on the bottom and the steering gear on the top. The shaft will move up and down about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. To me, it appears that the pitman arm wasn't put all the way back on the shaft when it was removed before......yes, I have concluded that the steering box has been broken into before due to the fact that the cotter pin on the castelation nut was just a peice of straight wire, and the Axle U-bolt wasn't fastened to the rear under the crank pulley becuase the P.O. figured out you can't access that nut to re-install it. There isn't some kind of spacer that is required is it that is possibly missing? I am attaching pictures, thus my reason for posting this and just not calling you. I have tried to get the pitman arm off the shaft with a hammer, and have not had any luck moving it. I also knocked on the shaft, but don't want to mushroom anything.
Thanks!