[Farmall] Steering gear lube

[Mike Sloane]

I don't know what is right or wrong, but all the H/M type steering 
gearboxes I have seen, including the two I have owned, were filled with 
grease. That seems to be the generally accepted way of dealing with 
steering box leaking seals. The alternative is some serious major 
surgery, and a couple of bucks worth of grease seems to do the job just 
fine.

As far as the transmission, you may find that just draining enough out 
of the housing to remove the water that has collected there may be 
sufficient - 90 WT transmission oil really doesn't lose it lubricating 
qualities over time. If the tractor has been sitting a week or so, all 
the water will be on the bottom, so all you need to do is crack the 
bottom plugs enough to let the water (and the usual crud and filings) 
run out, then check the level and top it off, if necessary.

Just my (cheapskate's) opinion, and other may feel free do suggest more 
expensive alternatives. :-)

Mike

Dean Vinson wrote:
> I made some more progress today on getting the M caught up on maintenance.
> Went around with a grease gun and the operator's manual to be sure I found
> all the fittings, then took the cover plate off the steering gear housing.
> The manual says to put 90-wt oil in there but it had some heavy grease
> instead, which seemed like a good idea so I added a little on general
> principle and closed it back up.  So there's a lot of grease slopped around
> the worm and sector, but they're not literally bathed in it or in oil.  Is
> that the general practice?  I'm sure it'll be fine for the light use this
> tractor is going to get.  My main concerns are (a) to keep the worm and
> sector from unnecessarily getting more worn, and (b) to not have oil oozing
> down the steering bolster.
> 
> Item b seems like a definite possibility, too, if I put oil in there, since
> there's some noticeable play in the bolster when I turn the steering shaft
> and the worm gear starts to pull on the sector.  There's maybe 3/32ds of an
> inch of slop in the position of the sector gear, front to back along the
> axis of the tractor.  Looking at the parts book, I assume that means that
> either the "upper bolster pivot shaft thrust bearing" or the shaft itself
> are worn, or both.  So even if the oil seals were new there'll be a lot of
> movement in there anytime I use the tractor.  Unless Geoff Gauger
> spontaneously decides to come over to Ohio and rebuild this M, I suspect
> that worn bearing is going to stay exactly as it is for a very long time.
> :-)
> 
> Meanwhile, it's good to see that the worm and sector aren't in too bad
> shape, and to get some grease in all the various fittings.  While I had the
> grille off I took the opportunity to mostly straighten out some dents, so it
> doesn't look too bad either.  Before winter I still want to flush and refill
> the radiator, and drain and replace the transmission oil.  I'm not sure if
> the PTO works so I may have to investigate that while I've got the
> transmission drained.  Probably be one of those Saturday-afternoon projects
> that ends up taking about six times as long as I think it will.
> 
> Dean Vinson
> Dayton, Ohio
> www.vinsonfarm.net
> 
> 
> 
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> 

-- 
Mike Sloane
Allamuchy NJ
<mikesloane at verizon.net>
Website: <www.geocities.com/mikesloane>
Images: <www.fotki.com/mikesloane>

He who fights with monsters might take care lest he
thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into
an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.
-Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900)


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