new upper and lower steering bearings on L1500

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xmikew

Member

Equipment
L1500DT
Apr 15, 2017
226
1
16
Charleston
Hello,

Been slowly working on getting my L1500 steering and reverse gear replaced. Today I managed to get off the dash and the fuel tank and ready to get the steering off soon.

However, I ordered some more steering bearings on ebay and they came from Kumar Bros. not sure of the Quality there but when I got them, one of them already had a loose ball bearing in the package. I could pop it back in the frame, but what's the deal? That doesn't seem right? Won't it easily pop off in the steering?

I haven't gotten the steering apart yet so not sure if it's somehow held tight against the steering column to keep them from coming out?

Thanks!
 
X

xmikew

Member

Equipment
L1500DT
Apr 15, 2017
226
1
16
Charleston
Well, after many battles I finally got the steering box tore down. Everything looks good except for seals and bearings thankfully. I went ahead and ordered some new bearings from messicks because the ones I got from Kumar Bros didn't seem like high quality. Rather spend extra $30 than have to tear it down again.

Here's what I found left of the old bearings!





Now just waiting on parts before putting it all back together. Service Dept Vic teardown doc was very helpful! Along with some pickle forks and a BFH!
 

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Tooljunkie

Tooljunkie

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L1501,home built carry all, mini plow blade.
May 13, 2014
4,150
27
48
59
Lac Du Bonnet, Manitoba,Canada
So thats what i have to look forward to? Thats ooogly!!
Im thankful that as long as i have owned it, it has seen almost no rain.
 
X

xmikew

Member

Equipment
L1500DT
Apr 15, 2017
226
1
16
Charleston
Ugly for sure! You dont want to see the inside of the steering box, lots of rust and random dirt and shards of stuff. Surpised I didn't find a piece of a bud light can and a cigarette butt. Can't get the lower bearing race out yet.

A couple of questions when I was cleaning everything up.

1. The ball nut rattles? I can shake it and it sounds like there are ball bearings inside the ball nut, how can this be? What is rattling? It's not hollow. Spins on the shaft nicely after I scrubbed it a bit.

2. The oil seal where the pitman arm is attached. I can't seem to get it out. The parts list for the L175 just lists "oil seal" there but It looks like more than an oil seal. looks almost like another bearing race or something with the seal around it. Also there was a little spring going around the circumference of the pitman arm hole on the gear box side of the pitman arm hole. It just came out in several pieces. Smaller, longer and more coils than a ball point pen spring. I don't see it on the parts list for an 175. Odd.

Should I soak the steering box in some de-ruster to the inside spic and span or just washing it out should do the trick?

Thanks for any pointers,

- Mike
 
Tooljunkie

Tooljunkie

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L1501,home built carry all, mini plow blade.
May 13, 2014
4,150
27
48
59
Lac Du Bonnet, Manitoba,Canada
I had a steering box from a satoh apart a few years back it was full of water and guck too. Barings were bad as well as seals.
Couldnt get replacement bearings but managed to find sleeves to fit bearing to shaft. The top section of steering tube didnt shed water and thats where it got in. I use a top from a spray can to serve as an umbrella under steering wheel and it stayed dry after that.
Similar and different.
 
X

xmikew

Member

Equipment
L1500DT
Apr 15, 2017
226
1
16
Charleston
New pitman arm seal came. It came with the little spring.

New non-Kumar bros bearings came. Much higher quality especially the metal that holds the ball bearings. Worth the extra dollars.

Now if I can get the blasted lower race bearing free. Had a small pry bar on it and still won't turn loose!

Also just scrubbed inside rinsed with water and sprayed out with penetrating oil to prevent more rust. Cleaned up nicely!
 
Tooljunkie

Tooljunkie

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L1501,home built carry all, mini plow blade.
May 13, 2014
4,150
27
48
59
Lac Du Bonnet, Manitoba,Canada
xmikew said:
New pitman arm seal came. It came with the little spring.

New non-Kumar bros bearings came. Much higher quality especially the metal that holds the ball bearings. Worth the extra dollars.

Now if I can get the blasted lower race bearing free. Had a small pry bar on it and still won't turn loose!

Also just scrubbed inside rinsed with water and sprayed out with penetrating oil to prevent more rust. Cleaned up nicely!
Click to expand...
Thats a outer race stuck in a bore? Also a blind hole?
 
X

xmikew

Member

Equipment
L1500DT
Apr 15, 2017
226
1
16
Charleston
To the point of putting all the steering back together - Sooo.. looking at the l175 parts list, looks like I can remove the "key" on the steering shaft so I can get the new steering bearings on there... Any idea how to remove this key? been tugging on it but haven't gotten it off yet.. I assume it's just wedged in there?

Thanks for any assistance.
 
X

xmikew

Member

Equipment
L1500DT
Apr 15, 2017
226
1
16
Charleston
that key is a little half moon. Once I figured that out, by looking at the replacement part, I hammered it to break it loose, then put the vicescripts on it length wise and pried it up. I did end up packing the top bearing with grease, not sure if I should but it's above weep hole i think but below the oil/water seal so i don't think it's submerged in oil like the lower bearing.

According to WSM, to properly mesh the steering the middle valley in the ball nut meshes with the middle gear tooth of the sector shaft. So I did that which is a little tricky to make sure you're in the right spot without knocking the lower bearing cattywampus in the lower race. Hard to see you got everything lined up.

before I did that, i aligned the mark on the pitman arm with the marks on the sector shaft. i put a little gear oil on top of the ball nut to make testing the steering pleasant. Hopefully all this means my steering is all aligned properly? I get about 4.5 full turns to hard left/right. In the steering tear down, vic had added some marks for L and R but not sure what he was comparing those marks to.

Thanks!
 
X

xmikew

Member

Equipment
L1500DT
Apr 15, 2017
226
1
16
Charleston
So I didn't notice this when i was testing the steering, everything seemed tight but after I installed the steering box, the fuel tank, the dash, and then stuck the steering wheel half on, i noticed i had about a 25-30 degree play in the steering wheel before it wanted to engage the wheels.

What could that be? Is this the adjustment screw on the right side under the plug or did I do something wrong in the rebuild?

Thanks for any help,

- Mike
 
X

xmikew

Member

Equipment
L1500DT
Apr 15, 2017
226
1
16
Charleston
i turned the adjustment screw on right side of steering box under plug clockwise as much as it could go. It did remove a lot of the backlash in the gears but a couple of turns and it's back to being a bit sloppy.

Going to check parts list and make sure I didn't miss anything when putting it back together. Maybe the gears are just old and have a lot of backlash? not sure why the slop is there.

- Mike
 
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