TO-20 Tractor (steering)

[Tim in VA]

I was going to put seals in my steering box. Do I need to mark the steering arms or gears with a punch? Do they make a gasket for the steering box and if so where can I find one? There is not a sparex located near me. What kind of fluid goes back in it and how much? How hard of a job is this going to be? Any advice?

 

[Anonymous-0]

Buy a service manual.

I think your steering box is the same as my TEA20? If so, no disassembly needed. Grind off the centering marks on the steering drop arms and you will be able to remove the old seals and install the new seals.

From memory, the drop arms are in the correct position when they both point directly to the foot pegs.

The oil is engine oil, fill to the level of the filling plug in the steering box.

You may need a ball joint removing tool to remove the steering rods/drag link ball joints.

Total job time, around one hour. Difficulty ... well, I was able to do it!

I quickly checked this site for new seals but can't see them. Think I had a problem sourcing them as well? From memory, John (UK) gave me the dimensions and I identified them that way.

Asking about the position of the drop arms leads me to believe you may already have the top half casting off the steering box? If so, check the steering shaft top bearing - there is a very big chance it is rusted and pitted. Looks like the bearings are available from this site - and at a lot better price than I paid in Australia!!!!!
Steering shaft bearing

 

[Mark from the Fort]

If it just leaking, try filling with John Deere "corn head grease" this is the closest thing to an oil, yet has enough "body" to not leak out of small openings--i.e. worn seals.
I have put this into my gear boxes on my bush hog, rototiller, and steering box on my TO30. with not leaks.
If you have a lot of movement of the steering arm, you should replace bushings then. Mark

 

[Anonymous-0]

Mark raises a good point.

If the steering arm bushes are worn you are wasting your time on new seals.

Much bigger job to replace both bushes and seals!

 

[John (UK)]

Sparex don't supply parts direct anyway, they only supply through tractor dealers, but they don't do that gasket you refer to nor does anyone else that I can find in USA, I know that we can get them here in UK. There is no need to mark the arms at all, they should both be slightly behind the footrests when they are in the straight ahead position. You can use grease in the steering box instead of oil, bushes and seals are available if you want them. To get the steering joints off, slacken or remove the nuts and strike the steering lever or drop arm etc. with a copper mallet and that will shock the joint out of the taper, you wont damage the arms.if it doesn't jump out then hit it harder. It should be the same oil as you use in the engine that is in the steering box. The top bearing on the steering column needs checking and adjusting and greasing, these parts are available too. Have you looked on this site for any parts you need? go to top of page and click on Harry Ferguson and then go to parts for the model you need.

 

[GrampaJack]

Tim, just a week ago I started looking for new seals and was unable to find them. The guys on this site (where I buy most of my parts) even checked other sources and failed. I plan to pull the steering wheel and check and repack the shaft bearings and fill the thing with grease. If everything is in good condition it just isn't worth my time and effort to pull the thing apart just to change a leaking seal. Best regards Jack