Hey Vic!!! Yes, I'm new here but........

[sambo30]

I'm calling you out. (ducking and running.......peeking around corner to see if he's following me)

I'm in the middle stage (waiting for parts) on a steering box rebuild for a L245DT. That is a great video that you made for the first part...........but where is part two?

Ok, now that I have that out of the way.......Anybody got some helpful ideas on the following:

After looking at Newlands site on steering box rebuilds now I'm a little confused as to which part goes where. Plus the parts diagram is not exactly drawn to real life. It is missing the bushing that is inside the steering post plus.......I have ordered the oil seal cap for the top of the post, but is there or is there not another oil seal in the tube near the bottom? Like inserted right on top of the upper bearing and at the bottom of the post as it goes into the bearing shell area? I believe Robert (Orange Tractors) told me his 175 rebuild had one, but I can find no reference to it from anybody with parts to sell.

It's probably a good thing that only one of the expected packages showed up today and I have to wait till Monday. It gives me time to straighten my brain out. That is not as easy as it used to be.

 

[sambo30]

Part two:

Ok folks, after spending some time watching my bees, I think I may have straightened my brain out. Check these thoughts out and see if it makes sense.

Fact - the steering post (the shaft goes inside of this) on my tractor did not have a weep hole. The serial number is in the higher levels for any parts drawings but I am unsure of the mfg. year. I know that it is later rather than earlier.

Fact - None of the parts diagrams show or list a lower oil seal for the steering shaft. There is one listed for the sector gear and the upper oil seal cap for the post.

Thinking out loud here.............

There is a later design revision that eliminated the lower oil seal and the weep hole. The design is now totally dependent on the upper oil seal cap to keep water from entering the steering post. Therefore, I don't need to worry about the lower seal IF I maintain the integrity of the oil seal cap AND I build another building to house the tractor so that it is not rained and snowed upon. (This idea is in the works, but not at the top of the priority list. May have to re-think that one.)

So what do you guys think? Am I totally off-base?


I won't post a pic of the parts diagram as it's about 500K in size and that would be cumbersome for those of dial-up.

 

[sambo30]

L245DT Steering Box rebuild

Vic and others,

Thanks for the info. It seems that my tractor does indeed fit into that higher serial number group. There for a little bit, I thought I lost my mind but it is still in the box on my dresser where I keep it.

To re-cap in case others do a search for this topic:

I really only needed the two thrust bearings, a new bushing in the steering post, and a new oil cap. I did buy another steering shaft, but did not use it. It will go on the shelf for next time. My old shaft just needed a good cleaning and the ball joint a good washing out. I got the last part Monday evening (I'm on the end of the UPS run) and spent a couple of hours putting things back together. I ended up putting the wiring back together just as the sun was going down and took the initial test drive in the dark.

End result: I can steer!!!!! Extra, I got rid of the play in the steering system. Double extra, I got rid of the "death wobble" when in road speed.

Spent 3 hours in the seat yesterday catching up on the bush-hogging around the house. A lot of direction changes and everything seems to be fine.

As a side note, I spent about 3 hours going through all the old posts in the service forum looking for info on steering box repairs. There are some good gems buried down there.

Thanks again!