202 Workbull steering

[Inno]

Last fall I replaced the steering shaft unit complete with recirculating ball assembly because the old one has spewed all it's balls out of a broken channel. Just prior to it losing all steering control it would occasionally "jump" and almost felt like a gear jumping a tooth as you would turn the wheel.
Well just recently while spreading some gravel with the FEL, I noticed this feeling again in the steering. What I am wondering is if it might be because the power steering has been removed from this tractor before I got it and there is simply too much torque required to steer it with a bucket full of gravel and the recirculating ball assembly is failing because of that. I know there are some of these tractors that did not have power steering from the factory, I wonder if their steering components are any different.
I took the backhoe off today so I could fit it in my shop and I will probably tear into it tomorrow so see what if any damage is done.
I am trying to get my hands on a parts tractor that has a complete power steering system but the owners are slow getting back to me. Hopefully I don't wreck the parts I just put in in the meantime.

Any thoughts?

 

[Scott Eakers]

I have a 204 workbull that has power steering that I cannot get the steering wheel to turn the wheels. I have unhooked the steering cyclinders and it still will not move. How hard was it to tear into the steering box. I hate to guess im gonna have to.

 

[Inno]

Well it's not too difficult to get into the steering box itself but first you have to remove the dash which is a bit of work. There are a few bolts that are difficult to get to under the dash but once you have the steering wheel and dash off it's just a matter of unbolting the cover where the steering shaft goes.