Hi folks, i was doing some work on my little b7200 and wanted to change the oil in the steering gear box, the manual states remove the plug but the plug is at the top of the steering box and removing it seems more like a filling it back up location, i just snaked some thin tubing down in there and used a big anomal syringe to suck out the old oil, i'm thinking it would get more old stuff out if it drained from a lower drain hole. anybody have any ideas about this? thankx
Maintenance on the steering box
- Thread starter 91redfrod
- Start date
I have had the steering box out of my B6200 to repair a broken ball nut, but I don't remember any drain. Since mine was already apart, I just rinsed it out with kerosene to get rid of any small metal chips and then refilled it when I got it back on the tractor. Unless you have had a mechanical failure in the steering box, I would just remove what you can and refill it.
While you are looking at it, you may want to adjust any excessive free play out of the steering box by pulling the rubber plug on the right side, losening the locking nut and adjusting the screw on the inside until the free play on the steering wheel is 1/2 to 3/4".
Here is a picture of my steering box on the bench. The adjustment is on the opposite side.
John in VA
While you are looking at it, you may want to adjust any excessive free play out of the steering box by pulling the rubber plug on the right side, losening the locking nut and adjusting the screw on the inside until the free play on the steering wheel is 1/2 to 3/4".
Here is a picture of my steering box on the bench. The adjustment is on the opposite side.
John in VA
kubotasam
Well-known member
Equipment
B2410, B7100dt, B7500,Woods BH750,Landpride 2660RFM, Tiller, B2781 Snowblower
Not sure about a B7200 but a B7100 has the drain on the right hand side (sitting on the tractor). It looks more like a bolt than a pipe thread plug like the fill location.
I just looked on the kubota parts web site. It does not show a drain plug for the B7200 like it does for a B7100. Maybe it does not have one. I have the steering box apart on one of my B7100 tractors right now. When I changed the oil it looked terrible, so I disassembled the box to check it. The top bearing cage had rusted and was separated.. It is a good thing I checked when I did. If you oil you took out looks contaminated I would remove the steering box and disassemble to thoroughly clean it. It is not to bad of a job. Vic has a good video showing steering box rebuild.
I just looked on the kubota parts web site. It does not show a drain plug for the B7200 like it does for a B7100. Maybe it does not have one. I have the steering box apart on one of my B7100 tractors right now. When I changed the oil it looked terrible, so I disassembled the box to check it. The top bearing cage had rusted and was separated.. It is a good thing I checked when I did. If you oil you took out looks contaminated I would remove the steering box and disassemble to thoroughly clean it. It is not to bad of a job. Vic has a good video showing steering box rebuild.
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I just went out today to move my B7200 back in the shop and it wont steer left- goes right fine and back to center bot wont go left- today is the first cold day we have had here in Maine- any ideas? 300zx, how much work is it to pull that steering box? I have adjusted the play earlier this summer but other then that have not done anything to it- its the only fluid I hav/e not changed on the machine since I bought it in august. What do they take, 80/90 wt.? thanks alot!! Ron in Maine
Ron, when I bought mine, it was already apart. I did put it back together and so here is the sequence. Remove the steering wheel, take the dash loose, lift it over the steering shaft and let it hang by the wires, remove the fuel tank, remove the drag link and then remove the steering box with the steering shaft in place. The rest you can do on the bench.
I think any heavy oil like 80 or 90 wt is good. It isn't harsh duty, just needs to be lubricated and not contaminated.
Here on the left is what the ball nut looked like when I got the pieces. There are 54 ball bearings that roll inside the ball nut, that is, between the ball nut and steering shaft. My guess is they are bound up for some reason.
Good luck and let us know what you find,
John in VA
Hey thank you for the reply- yeah I will post what I find. I will peel it out maybe tomorrow. I was looking at prices on some of the steering box parts- killer $$... hopefully it is nothing major. I Bought this used and seems like I have had to do alot to it- almost wish I just pulled the trigger on a new one but oh well. I guess if I throw enough parts at it I will get it squared away-
kubotasam
Well-known member
Equipment
B2410, B7100dt, B7500,Woods BH750,Landpride 2660RFM, Tiller, B2781 Snowblower
When you remove the pitman arm use a puller, not a pickle fork like used for separating ball joints. If the pitman arm is really stuck and you force it off with the pickle fork you can break the adjustment end of the sector shaft.
Good point! I would remove the top of the box and see what the problem is first. It may just be the ball nut. I repaired mine with a new shaft and ball nut without removing the pitman arm.
John in VA
Thats good info.... thank you- I will do that. I think I am going to toss it on the trailer and bring it to the garage that I work at. Was going to do it @ home but much easier where all my tools are. Thanks again will post what I find.
Well my suspicion was right. I opened up the steering box to find a chunk of ice- so I sucked out what I could and found bearing parts in the bottom of the box... So here we go, yanked it and now going to do a full rebuild on it. Probably does not need it, but I am here and dont want to be here again.... anyway I will post how it all goes. Pulling the box took me about 35-45 mins. Not a big deal at all. And the box looks easy to rebuild... I will try to post this pics of what I did, hopefully works. I have never posted pics here before. Thanks for all your help everyone- Ron in Maine
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Wow, ice in the steering box. Vic had always warned about keeping the weep hole at the bottom of the steering column open to prevent rusting out the top bearing, but I hadn't thought about ice in the box. The ice would clearly cause you to push the ball bearings out of the spit tubes on the back of the ball nut. The chunk out of the lower bearing race is also amazing. I wonder how that happened.
If you need help on the parts, let us know. I could not get the exact length for the steering shaft. I had to buy one that was about 3/4" longer than the original. There is a difference in the length for the HST versus manual transmission. If you need anymore info on the parts, let me know and I will tell the part numbers and where I got them.
This is just my opinion, but I would just replace the upper and lower bearings, seals and steering shaft/ball nut. I think the lower end of the steering box looks OK.
As Vic explained in earlier posts, the shims between the steering box and lid are very important. They set the load on the upper and lower bearings. Not enough shims, and they will bind. Too many will cause them to be too loose. I used the same number putting mine back together and it was binding. I did't have another shim and was in a hurry, so I cut a shim of some gasket material. That did the trick for me.
Here is an earlier post worth reading:
http://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8111
Good luck,
John in VA
If you need help on the parts, let us know. I could not get the exact length for the steering shaft. I had to buy one that was about 3/4" longer than the original. There is a difference in the length for the HST versus manual transmission. If you need anymore info on the parts, let me know and I will tell the part numbers and where I got them.
This is just my opinion, but I would just replace the upper and lower bearings, seals and steering shaft/ball nut. I think the lower end of the steering box looks OK.
As Vic explained in earlier posts, the shims between the steering box and lid are very important. They set the load on the upper and lower bearings. Not enough shims, and they will bind. Too many will cause them to be too loose. I used the same number putting mine back together and it was binding. I did't have another shim and was in a hurry, so I cut a shim of some gasket material. That did the trick for me.
Here is an earlier post worth reading:
http://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8111
Good luck,
John in VA
Thanks for the reply- I have been looking into parts on Messicks. I see the ball nut has been discontinued- It looks good too me, I think I will do my best and replace a couple of the balls that I recovered and put them back in the ball nut- It seems they have been discontinued so new is not an option. Other then that, it adds up to about 45 in bearings and seals. I dont think there is a prob with the steering shaft itself...
300zx- I do see now in those links that aftermarket sector shafts are available... but I think I may still run mine. Aftermarket parts make me nervous. I work on VW's for a living and I know I would take a good used oem part anyday over an inferior aftermarket pos.... thats my thought anyway....
Well, it is definitely worth a shot. I am retired, and have to admit, I will try something like what you are considering. If it doesn't work, I will just tear it down again. I couldn't do that on my steering box repair because I was missing 6 balls and 2 split tubes. The after market shaft and roller nut I got is working well.
If you do use the original roller nut, make sure you have all of the balls. I think I counted 54. That one split tube that is bent will have to be bent back smooth. The balls have to flow through it smoothly. Also, follow Vic's advice (in the previous referenced link) very closely on timing the roller nut to the output gear. If you don't, you will end up pushing the balls out of the split tube again. It took me a couple of shots to get the balls loaded right, but you will figure it out. The split pins keep them from rolling out of each end of the roller nut.
Again, good luck and let us know how it goes,
John in VA
If you do use the original roller nut, make sure you have all of the balls. I think I counted 54. That one split tube that is bent will have to be bent back smooth. The balls have to flow through it smoothly. Also, follow Vic's advice (in the previous referenced link) very closely on timing the roller nut to the output gear. If you don't, you will end up pushing the balls out of the split tube again. It took me a couple of shots to get the balls loaded right, but you will figure it out. The split pins keep them from rolling out of each end of the roller nut.
Again, good luck and let us know how it goes,
John in VA
I thought I would add to this post with my adventures:
Today was cold here, and I tried to move my b7100 but the steering wheel was locked. After turning it one way and the other, I ended up removing the steerng box and taking it inside to heat up.
It was filled with ice, that melted into water, but not before I destroyed the steering lock nut and the sector.
I think rain gets in and runs down the steering tube. There was a lot of water in there.
Check your steering box and drain it periodically. Used parts are unavailable and the cost to fix was $375.00 for parts.
Today was cold here, and I tried to move my b7100 but the steering wheel was locked. After turning it one way and the other, I ended up removing the steerng box and taking it inside to heat up.
It was filled with ice, that melted into water, but not before I destroyed the steering lock nut and the sector.
I think rain gets in and runs down the steering tube. There was a lot of water in there.
Check your steering box and drain it periodically. Used parts are unavailable and the cost to fix was $375.00 for parts.
I feel your pain!! I ended up ordering a new ball nut/shaft- I will post with the results on the whole thing. In the meantime I posted the tractor for sale. It was cool when I was 16 or 17 to screw with shit all the time, but I simply dont have time for it now. So, I am headed out to buy a new Kubota B3300SU maybe this weekend. First new anything I have ever owned. I will post pics of assembly of the box. I will make sure the new owner of my B7200 wont have to deal with any steering box problems... listed it for 6k and the phone wont stop ringing!! Thought it was on the high side, but I guess not.....
kubotasam
Well-known member
Equipment
B2410, B7100dt, B7500,Woods BH750,Landpride 2660RFM, Tiller, B2781 Snowblower
Here are some pictures I took of reloading the balls in the ball nut on my B7100. Things that make it easier are.
1. A clean tray to work in so no balls fall to the floor.
2. separate the balls into 2 equal piles and keep them together with magnets.
3. cut four 2" pieces of 3/16" dowel rod to put into the holes on the ball nut. this centers the shaft to help the balls go in correctly.
4. block the end of the shaft up so it goes through the ball nut straight.
5. gently turn the shaft back and forth as you push the balls into the hole with one of the dowels. If you feel resistance a ball has jumped out of its grove and you need to get it out and start over.
6. After you get one set of holes full put the remaining balls into the split tube. Gently cover with the other 1/2 of the split tube. Put some thick grease on the ends of the split tube assembly to keep the balls from falling out and gently put the split tube assenbly in place.
7. repeat steps 5 and 6 for the other set of balls.
1. A clean tray to work in so no balls fall to the floor.
2. separate the balls into 2 equal piles and keep them together with magnets.
3. cut four 2" pieces of 3/16" dowel rod to put into the holes on the ball nut. this centers the shaft to help the balls go in correctly.
4. block the end of the shaft up so it goes through the ball nut straight.
5. gently turn the shaft back and forth as you push the balls into the hole with one of the dowels. If you feel resistance a ball has jumped out of its grove and you need to get it out and start over.
6. After you get one set of holes full put the remaining balls into the split tube. Gently cover with the other 1/2 of the split tube. Put some thick grease on the ends of the split tube assembly to keep the balls from falling out and gently put the split tube assenbly in place.
7. repeat steps 5 and 6 for the other set of balls.
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kubotasam
Well-known member
Equipment
B2410, B7100dt, B7500,Woods BH750,Landpride 2660RFM, Tiller, B2781 Snowblower
More pictures
This was not very difficult. You just need to go slow and be very careful too make sure the balls do not drop out especially when you are first starting to load them. When re assembling the box pay close attention to Vic's advice in the video about centering the ball nut with the sector shaft. It took a few tries to get this done correctly.
This was not very difficult. You just need to go slow and be very careful too make sure the balls do not drop out especially when you are first starting to load them. When re assembling the box pay close attention to Vic's advice in the video about centering the ball nut with the sector shaft. It took a few tries to get this done correctly.
