John Deere model 60 lubricant?

[PoppinJohnny53]

What's the proper way to service the front main steering bearing on a JD 60 with Rollamatic. I took it apart to change the cork seal and it looked like old gear oil, but there is a grease fitting on the casting. The service manual is vague.

 

[jd2cylman]

(quoted from post at 15:25:04 04/11/20) What's the proper way to service the front main steering bearing on a JD 60 with Rollamatic. I took it apart to change the cork seal and it looked like old gear oil, but there is a grease fitting on the casting. The service manual is vague.

Grease the fitting. It's discussed in the owner's manual. Power Steering? If so, the cork seal is just a dust seal. If you have oil mixing with the grease, the bottom seal of the P/S cylinder is leaking, and will require a complete tear down, as that o-ring and back-up washer are the first thing in an empty housing.

 

[PoppinJohnny53]

It doesn't have power steering. I guess I'm confused because the grease fitting is in the vertical steering shaft housing and it seems like it wouldn't actually grease the bearing. Plus in my service manual it talks about filling the housing up to the steering gear with "hypoid" lubricate. AKA gear oil I assume. This seems like over time the cork seal on the bottom would eventually just become oil soaked and leak after time. Hence the reason I'm replacing it all now during my restoration. If this is just the nature of the beast i'll roll with it. Thanks

 

[PJH]

In the manual steering gearbox, there is a large o-ring for the vertical steering shaft. It's down in the tube just far enough to escape notice. That o-ring in my old JD 50 was as hard as a piece of wood and the shaft had worn it flat. I couldn't keep gear oil in the gearbox until I changed that o-ring.

 

[PoppinJohnny53]

I'm gonna have to look at my parts catalogue again when I get home. I must have overlooked that oring. So just for clarification the large ball bearing at the base of the vertical steering shaft should be grease only and the steering box should only hold a small amount of "hypoid" gear oil? This is starting to make more sense now as to why the oil had drained to the bottom and leached out the cork packing.

 

[PJH]

Yes - the gear oil is supposed to stay up in the top with the gears. Maybe a quart of lube, I'm guessing. After you remove the worm housing, there is one bolt in the end of the spindle shaft that holds the steering gear on the spline. There is a tin cover above the bolt that will give you access to it. After loosening the steering gear, the spindle shaft has to come at least part way out in order to remove it and to service the bushing and o-ring. If I remember right, the o-ring is a few inches down in the housing - below the bushing. There is a shim pack under the worm housing and another shim pack under the worm bearing housing. They adjust the slop in the steering wheel. There are also washers above and below the steering gear to adjust the end play of the vertical spindle. Also - I think you can rotate the steering gear 180 degrees to give you a "new" gear. There are some stops on the steering gear that must be positioned correctly, but it's easy to figure out.

 

[PJH]

I'm sorry - after re-reading your post I see that you are already down to the cork washer in the bottom of the housing. You already know how to get it apart, ha.

 

[PoppinJohnny53]

No worries, Thank you for your insight. I just looked back in my parts catalog and ordered a new o ring. The old one was def flattened and brittle.