Removing steering gear housing base assy

[Clubless]

I’m in process of replacing steering worm wheel shaft oil seal and housing base gasket. I have front axle removed, but I'm not sure how to proceed with separating bottom steering assembly base from the upper assembly. I have reviewed service manual, but still not clear on what to do next.

When I remove the 5 bolts holding the two assemblies together will the assemblies separate?

If so, does the steering worm wheel and shaft come out with the bottom assembly?

The steering arm is keyed on the steering worm shaft. How do you remove the arm off the shaft?

Should I replace any other parts "while I'm here"

for your help
Gary

[Clubless]

Is this what I will see by just removing the 5 bolts?

[Glen]

Hi,
Yes, the pic above is how it looks when the base is removed. The wheel gear is with the base.
I would remove the upper shaft and small gear first.

Be sure the front end of the Cub is blocked up, or supported, securely.

Loosen the bolt in the arm, remove the nut, and the arm should come off.
Use a small puller on the arm, if needed.
Or the shaft might tap out. If the arm is stuck, be careful and don't damage the threads, put the nut on to protect the threads. Put a piece of metal over the nut, don't hammer directly on the shaft or nut.
The puller is safer for the threads.

You have to take the wheel gear and shaft out if the base, then you can get to the lower oil seal.
Inspect the shaft where it runs in the oil seal, and smooth it with fine sandpaper if needed.

If the bushings above and below the wheel gear are loose, you should replace them while it is apart.
TM Tractor has new bushings.

You can turn the wheel gear 1/2 turn around on the splines, after it is apart, and it will use gear teeth that are never used, unless someone turned it around before. Look closely at the teeth to be sure they were not used.

[Clubless]

Thanks Glen...another question.

I was able to remove the pivot pin with a wooden dowel, but it was a little stubborn. I understand when re-assembling getting the pivot pin lined-up to accept the clinch bolts can be difficult. The picture below shows how far the pin inserts freely into the axle, about 1/2 way. I would like to be able to insert fully (with minimal resistance) and be able to rotate.

Any advice?

Gary

[Clubless]

Glen,

Used front implement holes/bolts with 4x4 cribbing to support jack stands.

[bauerei]

Thanks for this thread. Although I have nothing to contribute, it is helpful, as I will be doing this soon. What is the rope attached to the steering shaft for?

Edit: I like your method of supporting the front end. Where did you put your jack?

[Glen]

Hi,
When putting the pivot pin in, I just look in through the ends of the holes with a light, and the pin seemed to go in.
You will need to adjust the height so the holes are aligned, so the pin will go in.
I think some people on here have said they use a pin a little smaller than the IH pin and put it in first, to hold the axle in place, then pull the smaller pin out, as you insert the IH pin.

While it is apart, put the pin in and check the wear in the bushings, there is a replaceable bushing at each end of the pivot, in the axle. TM Tractor has new bushings if needed.
The pin might need smoothing where it wears in the bushings.

For safety, I would put a stack of wood blocks under the engine oil pan, up to the pan. Might not be any problem, but the engine is a lot of weight hanging in front of the support.

[inairam]

Clean the pin with scotch brite and the hole with a bottle brush or small dowel with scotch bright wrapped around it. File the corners of both ends to aid assemble.

Grease the pin and as long as the pin is not bent it should go in. As glen said just check that the cut-outs or scallops are lined up with the holes for the bolts.

This is a rubber mallet job, not a steel hammer. Do not hit the pin with steel. It will mushroom and it will not fit in the hole. You will have to file it again.

[Urbish]

After you drive the pin in, look through one of the bolt holes with a light. If the pin is rotated so that the scallops don't line up, you will be able to see it. I've had to drive the pin back out a little ways, and apply a little torque to it with my fingers when tapping back in to get it to rotate slightly. The pin is in the right orientation when you can slip the bolts that clamp it into place by hand. If you have to pound them in, something isn't properly aligned and you run the risk of breaking off the cast iron clamp tabs.

[Clubless]

Bauerei,

I used the rope tied to each end of the axle to control the axle once I pushed the pivot pin out. It is not attached to the steering shaft. I used my floor jack placed under middle of axle to raise front wheels off ground and get my cribbing and jack stands in place. Then removed wheels to reduce weight of axle assembly.

Since you are going to be doing this soon, I'll pass along a couple of tidbits. Get yourself some hardwood dowel rod as near the diameter of the pivot pin as you can find (3/4" would work good). You will need to spread the ears that holds the pin in place with large screwdrivers, both front and back. As others have said on here, don't drive them in too far as you might break off one of the ears. I drove my in snug, then tried to drive pin out. It did not move, so I hammered the screwdrivers in a little more and tried again. Did this until pin started to move out to the back.

Once the pin cleared the front ear, I used my floor jack under the axle to keep the pivot pin in line with the front hole. You do not want to bind the pin in the back hole as it will make it harder to drive the pin all the way out.

Thanks to all who offered advice on re-assembly. I think I will be able to "dress" the pivot pin and axle hole to the point that I can insert and rotate prior to re-assembly.

However, I did a quick test "fit" by inserting pin in the front ear hole without any success. Seems like the ear hole is out of round. Is there anything I can do other than drive screwdriver in further and open the hole wider?


Thanks everyone!

[Dale Finch]

You might make sure that zerk fitting for the pivot pin is clear while you have it apart. Easier with it apart.

[bauerei]

Clubless, thanks for the photos and explanation.

[Clubless]

As Paul Harvey used to say, "Now for the rest of the story".

Picking up from where I left off...

I dressed the pivot pin with my bench grinder. There were some gouges from what appeared to be from use of vice grips on the shaft and I lightly ground on the beveled ends of the pivot pin. I also spread both ears on the bottom steering assembly by driving a screwdriver further in. After doing these 2 things, I could freely move the pivot pin in the axle assembly tube and in the steering assembly.

After waiting a week for a new steering worm shaft oil seal due to a self inflicted snafu when ordering, I was ready to start re-assembly. I drove out the old seal from the top of the assembly with a punch, installed the new oil seal, reassembled the steering worm wheel on the shaft and attached the steering arm.

At this point I was ready to reattach the bottom steering assembly to the upper bolster. I had planned on calling a buddy to help put things back together, but decided to see if I could do it by myself. So, I positioned my floor jack under the bolster and placed a short piece of 2x4 wood on the jack so I could better balance the bottom steering assembly on the jack. Then I placed a newly cut cork gasket and spread a thin coating of gasket sealant on both sides and placed the assembly on the jack. I was able to get the assembly up to the upper bolster supported by the jack and get the dowel pin aligned and then able to get the 2 front bolts finger tight (yes, I did clean up bolts and chase the threads). With the 2 bolts in place I was able to lower jack and place the remaining 3 bolts in and tighten everything up. Re-inserted steering wheel shaft into steering gear box and snugged up the 2 bolts, keeping in mind that over tightening can cause hard steering.

When I was at local hardware store picking up a couple grade 5 bolts for the bottom assembly that were missing, I picked up a piece of 7/8" and 3/4" hardwood dowel rods. The 7/8" dowel rod is the same size as the pivot pin and I was thinking I could use it to help guide pivot pin when reattaching the front axle.

With the success of using the jack to position the lower assembly, I decided to try doing the same thing with the front axle. To prepare for this attempt, I placed the pivot pin in the rear ear hole until it was flush with the opening and then inserted the 7/8" dowel rod into the front ear hole until it was flush with hole opening.

Again with the jack in position under the bolster, I balanced the front axle on the jack and jacked it up into position. Once I got axle tube between the 2 ears, I was able to push the dowel rod through the axle tube until it bumped the pivot pin. At this point, I used a small block of 2x4 wood and easily drove the pivot pin in forward, driving out the dowel rod to the front. When the pivot pin reached the front ear, the dowel rod was no longer of use. I removed the dowel rod and checked to see which way I needed to move axle to get pivot pin to line up with front ear. Once I determined this I was able to move and hold in position and drive pivot pin into the front ear. I had the small block of wood I was using to drive in the pivot pin resting on the screwdriver that was driven in the rear ear and the wood block was sort of wedged in place by the bottom assembly (should have taken a picture), that allowed me to hold axle in position with one hand and tap the pin in with the other hand.

A couple of things to note, I did keep a check on the slot/grooves in the pivot pin as I drove pin in so they would be in or close to correct position for the clamp bolts to go through. They were close but not in exact position needed, but I inserted a large round punch in the holes and moved the grooves to correct alignment. I did this while the jack was still supporting axle.

Also, when I removed the front axle there were 3 shims or washers on the pivot pin. One shim in the back and two in the front. I not sure if they are factory or not, but I put them back in which complicated things a little when putting pivot pin in.

I appreciate all the help from you guys here on the board. You're the best!

Gary

[Glen]

Hi,
Good that you have the steering gear together again.

The center pivot pin originally has 2 washers, one at each end of the pin.
Below are pages from the Cub parts manual showing them. They are number 12 on the left pic, and number 33 on the right pic.

http://www.farmallcub.info/manuals/cub_ ... 014-02.jpg

http://www.farmallcub.info/manuals/cub_ ... 014-03.jpg

If there was wear, someone might have put in another washer.

Check the 5 bolts that hold the bottom on the steering gear, if you reading this haven't. They can come loose from use.