MF 180

[Phil Tibbetts]

This message is a reply to an archived post by Phil Tibbetts on July 19, 2010 at 14:52:47.
The original subject was "Re: MF 180".

Whoever tried to contact me regarding power steering box leak please try again leaving your email so I can get back to you.
 

[James Babcock]

Thanks Phil, that was me. I'll post my question here so maybe others can chime in. The power steering on my 180 ran out of fluid after sitting idle for 4 months. Refilled it and steering sorta worked but hard to turn steering wheel. Took off for the hay field and the steering totally quit. Could spin steering wheel easily with almost no response by wheels. There was a serious fluid leak coming out the bottom of the steering cylinder in front of radiator. Phil, I saw where you had posted a similar issue in 2010, and I was wondering if there were any things you had learned from that.

My guess is that the seal on the steering spindle is bad. My question is: both shop manuals I have show a plate on the front of the steering cylinder assy called the shim guide plate, but my cylinder is a solid casting with no guide plate on the front. I know I'll have to disassemble it anyway, but am curious what's going on. My serial # is 9A-91838, a 1970 model.

Thanks for any input. It will be a week or so before I get the big sockets out and start disassembly.
 

[Phil Tibbetts]

There is a seal on the bottom of the steering box. It is not too bad to replace but you need to remove the box to replace it. A manual would be a great help. The worst part for me was the plate on the bottom that the tie rods attach to.
 

[James Babcock]

Thanks, Phil. I have two manuals and both show a plate on the front of the steering box, but mine doesn't have that plate. I'll just take it apart and go from there. Thanks again for your time.
 

[Phil Tibbetts]

Mine was an early 180 (1965) and it seems I remember that they changed the later ones.