Ford 3000 Brake Failure

[Rocky3000]

Tractor is Ford 3000 3 cylinder 1966 Gas 4 Speed and have lost use of the brakes to the point it is no longer safe to drive it. I first noticed the screwdriver came back oily when trying to adjust the right brake. Thereafter I could push the brake pedals all the way down and still not control the tractor particularly on an incline. I removed the right rear tire and brake drum as shown in the images below. It is full of oil, likely coming from a bad seal in the right rear axle. I need advice on how to tear it down and what to replace.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

I changed out the seals in my 2000 from the same problem. It's quite a job to get the hub and bearing off the shaft. It will either have a shrink collar or locking nut to retain the bearing. I&T manual has good instructions. I made up a puller similar to the one shown in the manual. If it's a shrink collar you have to drill and split it and get new collars. Nut should be replaced but a dealer told me they can be reused if you're careful getting it off. Two seals in each side. Dealer sent me the wrong seals so I have a set that may fit yours. The bearings are greased packed but if the inner seal leaks fluid from the rear end can get through and dilute the grease.

 

[Hobo,NC]

I have made a few post on the subject, when YT upgraded I can not find the post. IMHO don't chance fudge'n up an axle buy a new nut it will start and spin right on like it spose to.... Life will be good.




The axle nut removing and torquing it back up is a challenge as well as separating the hub from the axle. Search this then decide if you are up to the task.

Up next the brake cross shaft seals are leaking, while doing a axle seal job it’s a good time to go get’em

 

[Rocky3000]

Mike and Hobo thank you both for your comments. I have the old brake shoes removed and currently trying to remove the right axle. I have it loose enough that I can wiggle it by hand but the actuator appears to be preventing complete removal. How would I remove the actuator or is there some trick to leaving it in place?

 

[Rocky3000]

According to this video the actuator has to be removed:

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

I don't remember having a problem with the actuator. Looks like turning it 90 degrees will let it slip out. Or maybe the inner end slips out of the socket. As I understood the manual I should have had nuts on the bearing but mine had the shrink rings. Those need A LOT of torch to reach the 750 degrees called for. If you have nuts one way is to lay a wheel/tire down and set the axle in it upright to apply torque.

 

[Rocky3000]

Turns out it's not difficult to remove the actuator; pull the pin out of the brake clevis and pull. It comes right out of the tractor. I noticed that the guys in the video did not replace the bearing; they just packed it with grease. I think we have to consider that that bearing has lasted for sixty years in my case (tractor came off the line in January 1966). Is anything that we can buy today going to be made as well? I can probably beat that nut up enough to get it off, but how am I going to torque down a new one? It's very tempting to clean it up, repack it with grease and call it a day (after I replace the defective seal). The problem is that video was shot in 2015 and we don't know what happened to that tractor in the interim.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

Yes, they only replaced the inner seal. Getting the axle out was the easy part. Since you had oil in he brakes it was leaking through because the grease was diluted. That's what mine did so I replaced both seals just to be sure.

 

[Hobo,NC]

Thread 'A tool I hadn't used in a while.'

Aug 27, 2023

36'' pipe wrench.
I'm replacing rear axle seals and brakes on my Ford 3000.
Had to buy a 2 3/4'' socket to get the bearing retainer nut off.
I strapped the tire to another tractor so I can get some leverage.
It's crude and laborious but working. And I'm glad I had the old Ridgid I could drag out of the dark recesses of my garage.
Note the wrench handle is bent. Two men and a boy - long before me - did that.

• Ultradog MN
• Replies: 15
• Forum: Tool Talk

Thread 'Ford 3000 HO-MADE axle tools'

Jul 21, 2018

I did my first rear brakes and axle seals on a 3000 last week. They are straight forward not a bad job if you have the tools to do it correctly. I found an original axle nut tool and brought it but it has never arrived I could not put it off any longer so made the tools to remove the axle nut and press the axle out of the hub. The axle nut was a bear to get off it came off thigh the hole way. Pressing the axle out of the hub was a piece of cake.

I am...

• Hobo,NC
• Replies: 7
• Forum: Ford

You have come to far to haftarse it go get that outter seal that is where the oil leaked past it and messed up yout brakes. One drop of oil/grease will ruin the job.

 

[Rocky3000]

The video is correct; removal of the inner seal is challenging. It is composed of two metal rings with a third thin ring inside of those (which is not initially obvious). The inner most ring is on top of the outer ring and therefore should be removed first. I broke the inner ring by using a small chisel and then pryed it out with a pair of vise grips using a wood block to pry against. The internal thin ring may also be broken with a small chisel and extracted with the vise grips. It is then easier to clamp the vise grips to the outer ring and pry it out but requires a little more force since that ring was not broken. I initially tried to drive the entire assembly up into the axle with a seal driver in order to break it loose but there is a lip on the inside of the axle casting which precludes this approach. It is really stuck in place after sixty years and there seems to be no other way to get it out short of mangling it. I am including images to hopefully help the next person who has to do this.

 

[Rocky3000]

Thread 'A tool I hadn't used in a while.'

Aug 27, 2023

36'' pipe wrench.
I'm replacing rear axle seals and brakes on my Ford 3000.
Had to buy a 2 3/4'' socket to get the bearing retainer nut off.
I strapped the tire to another tractor so I can get some leverage.
It's crude and laborious but working. And I'm glad I had the old Ridgid I could drag out of the dark recesses of my garage.
Note the wrench handle is bent. Two men and a boy - long before me - did that.

• Ultradog MN
• Replies: 15
• Forum: Tool Talk

Thread 'Ford 3000 HO-MADE axle tools'

Jul 21, 2018

I did my first rear brakes and axle seals on a 3000 last week. They are straight forward not a bad job if you have the tools to do it correctly. I found an original axle nut tool and brought it but it has never arrived I could not put it off any longer so made the tools to remove the axle nut and press the axle out of the hub. The axle nut was a bear to get off it came off thigh the hole way. Pressing the axle out of the hub was a piece of cake.

I am...

• Hobo,NC
• Replies: 7
• Forum: Ford

You have come to far to haftarse it go get that outter seal that is where the oil leaked past it and messed up yout brakes. One drop of oil/grease will ruin the job.

>One drop of oil/grease will ruin the job.
If I replace the inner seal how will oil get into the brake drum? It seems to me that the worst thing that could happen is that the sixty year old bearing could go bad later and have to be replaced.

 

[Hobo,NC]

>One drop of oil/grease will ruin the job.
If I replace the inner seal how will oil get into the brake drum? It seems to me that the worst thing that could happen is that the sixty year old bearing could go bad later and have to be replaced.

If you have no intension of doing a proper repair, why ask the question.

 

[Rocky3000]

> If you have no intension of doing a proper repair
I didn't say that. All I'm trying to do is make the best decision that I can based on what is currently known. What's your answer?

 

[Keith Williams]

> If you have no intension of doing a proper repair
I didn't say that. All I'm trying to do is make the best decision that I can based on what is currently known. What's your answer?

Hobo already gave you the answer.

Replace both seals.

If you can't do it, then find someone to do it for you.

If you only do it half way, you will regret it.

That outer seal let stuff out before, it will do it again.

Keith

BTW, Hobo, thank you for your willingness to help others!

 

[Rocky3000]

Hobo already gave you the answer.

Replace both seals.

If you can't do it, then find someone to do it for you.

If you only do it half way, you will regret it.

That outer seal let stuff out before, it will do it again.

Keith

BTW, Hobo, thank you for your willingness to help others!

I respectfully disagree. The outer seal is of absolutely no threat to my new brake shoe repair. The source of the oil is the rear end of the tractor coming out; not outside going in. I am replacing the inner seal which is an oil seal; the outer seal is a grease seal. According to what I read they are designed to different specs; an oil seal will keep back oil and grease while a grease seal will only keep back grease. A grease seal will not stop oil I don't care how many new ones you put in. Its main function is to keep outside dirt out of the wheel bearing; it will never stop oil coming from the rear end, so why bother replacing it. My main concern is the longevity of the wheel bearing, not oil getting on my new brake shoes. If I wind up tearing into the wheel bearing assembly it will be to replace the 60 yr. old bearing prophylactically; it isn't broke right now. I will repack it with bearing grease if I decide to keep it. I repeatedly hear advice on this forum to diagnose the problem and don't throw parts at it because a lot of the new stuff isn't as good as the old. I know that inner seal was bad and that's what I'm replacing along with worn out brake shoes. I'm also going to replace the shoes on the other side; to my knowledge there is no oil in the brake drum over there, but I will remove the inner seal and replace it since I know they can go bad and that seal may not be far behind its mate. I will face the same decision about whether to replace the bearing over there. Unfortunately there is no data about how long tractor rear wheel bearings last.

 

[Hobo,NC]

I respectfully disagree. The outer seal is of absolutely no threat to my new brake shoe repair. The source of the oil is the rear end of the tractor coming out; not outside going in. I am replacing the inner seal which is an oil seal; the outer seal is a grease seal. According to what I read they are designed to different specs; an oil seal will keep back oil and grease while a grease seal will only keep back grease. A grease seal will not stop oil I don't care how many new ones you put in. Its main function is to keep outside dirt out of the wheel bearing; it will never stop oil coming from the rear end, so why bother replacing it. My main concern is the longevity of the wheel bearing, not oil getting on my new brake shoes. If I wind up tearing into the wheel bearing assembly it will be to replace the 60 yr. old bearing prophylactically; it isn't broke right now. I will repack it with bearing grease if I decide to keep it. I repeatedly hear advice on this forum to diagnose the problem and don't throw parts at it because a lot of the new stuff isn't as good as the old. I know that inner seal was bad and that's what I'm replacing along with worn out brake shoes. I'm also going to replace the shoes on the other side; to my knowledge there is no oil in the brake drum over there, but I will remove the inner seal and replace it since I know they can go bad and that seal may not be far behind its mate. I will face the same decision about whether to replace the bearing over there. Unfortunately there is no data about how long tractor rear wheel bearings last.

Unfortunately there is no data about how long tractor rear wheel bearings last.

Its been proven what will kill it and thats the road you plan to take. My gut was leaning to you had already made the decision, it’s not my tractor, time nor money. I fix my tractor as good as new and most of the time better, 60 years from now they can do as they wish.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

I'm with Hobo on this but it's your tractor so do as you please.

 

[Rocky3000]

I'm with Hobo on this but it's your tractor so do as you please.

Did you replace the wheel bearing along with the seals?

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

Did you replace the wheel bearing along with the seals?

No, the bearing had some slight brinelling but otherwise OK. I replaced the seals on both sides just to be sure. The bearing is on there pretty good. I don't recommend banging the end of the shaft on the floor as suggested. The inner ends of the shaft are heat treated and finished flat. Those ends and the outboard shims control the end play in the bearings. They actually butt together with some small clearance. Plus, that procedure risks chipping the bearing. I fabbed a puller similar to the one shown in the I&T manual but I had machine shop access at the time and it was still a struggle to get it off.

 

[Rocky3000]

Unfortunately there is no data about how long tractor rear wheel bearings last.

Its been proven what will kill it and thats the road you plan to take. My gut was leaning to you had already made the decision, it’s not my tractor, time nor money. I fix my tractor as good as new and most of the time better, 60 years from now they can do as they wish.

Hobo, where did you get the red axle holder seen in the photo that you posted?