OH NO...It didn't!!!!

[Kytim]

Yep it did!! I was going over to the town mayors home, my best bud, to do his drive. we had close to 5" of that cold fluffy stuff last night. since it was just up and over a block or two I was going to drive the Big Orange, my B7100.

I started the first pass on the asphalt drive and it came time to turn around. So I gave the steering wheel a crank and that's when I heard it. Tink!. Tink!. Tink!
I lost the steering. the wheel spun around like a child's top. I suppose the teeth on the gears were breaking.

There I was, drive partly done. couple blocks from home and no steering. I did manage to complete the drive by using the brakes to steer. If it had been a 2WD it wouldnt have been possible. the front wheels would have been flopping around like a fish outta water. but since they were pulling they tended to straighten out after braking.

Now down to business. How bad is it? How difficult is it? How much is it?
This is an early B7100 gear drive tractor. Are there other models that will interchange? anyone have a parts tractor? Please???

tim

 

[mud from mo]

I did a similar injury to my b8200. I broke the end off the steering shaft.(opposite end from the steering wheel)I welded it back together, it work for a while but broke again. Had to buy a new shaft, but broke nothing in the steering box. Good luck!

 

[Kytim]

If anyone has been following my travels through my gear box failure, it's finally apart. The steering wheel was a pain in the butt, well I survived that so its time for the next round.

I found that the weep hole was open, the upper bushing was half out of the column. The gear box had about an inch of water in it as the 'only' lube present. The sector shaft appears to be fine as I expected it would be as it is a heavier built shaft.

Now, all the bearings and races are JUNK! In fact only a small piece portion of the upper bearing cage was left. the steering shaft is missing a whole revolution of the spiral. So with it unusable and the now obsolete from Kubota who knows what i'll do. I'm unsure if the spiral nut is damaged or not. I would guess just replace it too.

My only conclusion is.....$$$

Kytim

 

[Bulldog]

You know what they say about hind sight. This must be a very common problem with this style steering box. It would pay everyone with this style steering to make draining their fluid to insure it stays clean and water free a regular part of their PM. This was the first repair job on my old B 7100. It was everything but broke when we bought it.

 

[Kubota Newbie]

Couldn't you take the shaft to a local machine shop and have'm weld up and re-machine the damaged portion of the shaft. Wouldn't exactly be cheap, I'd guess between 2 and 4 hours shop time. But then again the part is unavailable.

 

[Kytim]

At this point, unless i find a used ball nut assembly thats good, the only thing I know to do is contact a machine shop. I wouldn't mine welding it up myself but i lost my big shop space and my welders are in storage with my other big tools.

Anyone have other ideas? vic, anyone?

kytim

 

[Kytim]

At this point, unless i find a used ball nut assembly thats good, the only thing I know to do is contact a machine shop. I wouldn't mine welding it up myself but i lost my big shop space and my welders are in storage with my other big tools.

Anyone have other ideas? vic, anyone?

kytim

 

[jmann]

kytim,

Maybe you've tried, but this place sells a shaft+nut for 125 (link), and claims to fit a B7100. Halfway down that page they sell a "steering ball tube kit" which may be enough to get your nut working. Or maybe you can match up a Yanmar (link)? I'm assuming you've tried messicks.com, in case they still had any in stock?

I just rebuilt the steering on my L1500DT...you'd think it had power steering!

 

[Orange Tractors]

kytim,

Maybe you've tried, but this place sells a shaft+nut for 125 (link), and claims to fit a B7100. Halfway down that page they sell a "steering ball tube kit" which may be enough to get your nut working. Or maybe you can match up a Yanmar (link)? I'm assuming you've tried messicks.com, in case they still had any in stock?

I just rebuilt the steering on my L1500DT...you'd think it had power steering!

I wish I had found their website when I was rebuilding the steering box on my L175, I spent most of an afternoon reforming my "steering ball tubes." You can bet I wasn't calling them that while working on the dang things.

There is no way I am not taking the box apart just to replace them though.

Robert

 

[Piker]

When I bought my B7100 in early Dec. steering was fine except for some slop in the box which I took out with the adj. on the rt. side of the box. First cold snap, I couldn't turn the wheel - box frozen. Backed directly into my heated shop, removed drain plug & used a heat gun on the box. Amazing the amount of water that drained out (it had sat outdoors for a year before I bought it). Flushed several times with WD40 then refilled with 90wt. Then I drilled the steering column, 4" from steering wheel & 4" from the box. Tapped the holes & installed zerk fittings, then pumped full of grease until it oozed out under the wheel. Water tight! Did the same thing to my Ford 8N & my Massey Harris Pacer.

 

[dusty-t]

These guys have a b7100 parts machine.http://www.fastline.com/v100/farm-e...-WI/92999baf-3c4d-4286-b088-fbde4c0ccc06.aspx .Give it a try Dusty

 

[LRP]

there was a thread a while back where someone made a adapter plate
for a mixed marrige steering box. that could be another option when
caught between a rock and a hard place.
Louis