310E case steering issue

[Young Crawler guy]

Ok guys, heres what I have, I have old 310E diesel dozer, just put new brakes pads in it and now when i steer with it, going forwards as your sitting in the dozer it doesnt want to steer to the left good but will the right and going reverse its just the opposite, the right wont steer good but the left will. As I was pulling it out of the barn it was fine, moved it a few hundred feet and it started doing that. Case told me to use 85-140 gear lube in the trans. when its not turning good it makes the damn dozer shake, whats going on with it?

 

[george md]

Wrong gear oil, get that out before you ruin the
new bands ,all the controlled differential trans
call for # 90 GL-1 ( straight mineral oil ) same
thing that the old road ranger transmissions used.
The additives in the GL-5 will ruin the lining
on your bands.

george

 

[Young Crawler guy]

is that whats making it do that and well its been in there less then 8 hours did it destroy the linings?

 

[george md]

i would thak them out and wash in a good solvent.

george

 

[JDemaris]

Those Case people you spoke too don't know what the heck they're talking about. I just has the same run-around at a Ford tractor dealer. That when I was trying to find oil for my Case 310G.

As George MD stated, you need GL-1 90W gear oil. Also, non-degergent 30W or 40W motor oil is basically the same thing. That transmission is made by Clark and also used in Oliver-Cletracs. Originally called for pure 40W mineral oil, back when it was first offered. Keep in mind the engine oil rating #s are not the same as transmission #s. 30-40W engine oil equals 80-90W transmission oil (same viscosity).

Main issue is that those Clark brake bands will plug and slip if there are EP (extreme-pressure) additives in oil e.g. phosphorus and zinc.

If you have a Tractor Supply Store nearby, they sell the oil as "Ford transmission oil 90W." Old Fords and Fergusons also need that oil, but for different reasons. EP additives also corrode yellow metals like brass and copper.

 

[Young Crawler guy]

What kinda solovent should I was them in, just went out there and drianed it out, would the oil make it steer bad like that?

 

[Young Crawler guy]

Wow, so the oil can make it do that on the steering, that crazy! I just went out there started to drain it out. What kinda solovent if any will get them back to normal?

 

[JDemaris]

I have no way of knowing if the oil IS your problem, or it's something else. You didn't give any history on the crawler. That being said, you DID put the wrong oil in it. I did that once in my Oliver Cletrac. I put GL-5 (modern gear oil) in it. Right away I noticed the steering got lousy on both sides. I ran it a few days before I got around to draining it and then putting the the correct oil in. I didn't do any flushing at all. After running it awhile, the steering came back and was fine. That was 10 years ago and it still works fine.

If the oil is the problem, you've now got small metal particles (zinc/phosphorus) stuck in the brake-band linings that now need to work themselves out.

 

[Young Crawler guy]

I bought this thing and it wasnt running, had to put a new pump in it, drove around in the barn, it was fine. Found out the one brake band was broken, bought a new one, got the other relined, thats all I can tell ya about it. Right after I got it running, the one band that I had to replace was nearly broken, so it steered some, but not much, the other side was right on the money. Put the new brake in and got the other relined and installed, put the wrong oil in it and here I am. Didnt have it out for 3 mins before it started acting goofy. It acts like it is grabbing then letting loose then grabbing again. It goes forward and backwards perfectly and quietly, pulls good so I'm confident my drive train is solid, just acts goofy when I turn. Stupid question but could alot of it be my brake bands need to brake in? I sprayed out the rear end with some kerosene here tonight and sprayed the bands with some brake cleaner then sprayed them again in kero. Wanted to get as much of that wrong oil out as I could. So what does it sound like to ya? I'm stumped but I"ve never worked on a crawler before, i'm lost!

 

[JDemaris]

Sounds like you might have some differential trouble, but seems you would of seen that when you had it apart. The machine operates with differential-steering. When you are going straight ahead, the differential isn't really doing anything. It kicks in when you hit either of the brakes. Something may be loose, or you've got a loose brake drum, etc. ??

Nice thing about Case 310s, Oliver-Cletrac, and Terratracs is - you can see just about everything in that differential once you pull that big back cover off.

To be honest though, I've never had new brake-bands in any of my differential-steered crawlers (I've got four of them), so can't comment much on how some new bands might act. Putting in the wrong oil makes the brakes not grab - consistently. Not an "on" and "off" sort of thing. Not unless your new bands are made out of some new type of material I've never seen.

 

[Young Crawler guy]

Well I bought the thing, not running, got it running, one brake was good the other was weak, the one side worked great forwards and backwards though, then the one side the brake band snaped, bought a new one for it and ended up needing to get the other side relined. The side that snaped before it snapped would turn, just not that tight but it was all quiet, thats whats making no sense. All I've changed is the oil and the bands, thats why I'm confused, it worked great before. I half way wonder if the bands dont need to brake in some. I drained out that wrong oil, going to get some good stuff tomorrow, sprayed out the housing with kerosene and sprayed the bands and all that with brake fluid to help get all that wrong stuff out. I just dont know how the differental would be the problem, the brake drums were a lil loose but nothing major, nothing is hanging or clanging and well like I said it use to sound good and steer good, still runs quiet, and well I would half way think that if the differental was messing up it would act bad in all directions, or on both sides on one said, not criss crossed like it is.