Charlie_Iliff
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2001
- Messages
- 1,896
- Location
- Arnold, MD
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT1845, John Deere 2240, John Deere 950, John Deere 755, Jacobsen Turf Cat II
After a bunch of snow plowing, my PT1845 developed a rusty-hinge type creak when turning. I hadn't been particularly religious about lube intervals, so when the noise started I greased everything, oiled all the ball joints, etc. , with no change in the creaking. Terry, at Power Trac immediately suspected the ball end(s) on the steering cylinders, as did Sedgewood, but I had sprayed oil on them with no effect, and had even taken the cylinders loose and articulated the machine by hand to verify that the noise wasn't in the center joint.
After a couple more oil applications, and a bunch of inconclusive diagnostic hydraulic tests, including sticking the bucket in a snow pile and sliding the front back and forth with the steering, the noise went away.
My current working theory is that Terry and Sedgewood were right all along. It occurred to me in the middle of the night that if the ball joint were filled with water, oil would float on the outside and not change anything. It took some loading and turning to get a little oil actually inside.
If that theory is correct, it may make sense periodically to wash the ball joints with WD 40 to displace water, and then apply copious amounts of the lubricant of your [Power Trac's] choice.
Terry advised much more frequent lube than the book recommends. For the tilt mechanism, particularly, he says to give it a shot before use. That often isn't really necessary, but only takes 30 seconds. He has one in the shop now which bound up and bent.
The center articulation joint is particularly high load and constant use. That one also only takes a few seconds to hit with a gun, and may save pretty costly damage.
<font color="red"> Lube Rule: If some's good, more's better. </font>
After a couple more oil applications, and a bunch of inconclusive diagnostic hydraulic tests, including sticking the bucket in a snow pile and sliding the front back and forth with the steering, the noise went away.
My current working theory is that Terry and Sedgewood were right all along. It occurred to me in the middle of the night that if the ball joint were filled with water, oil would float on the outside and not change anything. It took some loading and turning to get a little oil actually inside.
If that theory is correct, it may make sense periodically to wash the ball joints with WD 40 to displace water, and then apply copious amounts of the lubricant of your [Power Trac's] choice.
Terry advised much more frequent lube than the book recommends. For the tilt mechanism, particularly, he says to give it a shot before use. That often isn't really necessary, but only takes 30 seconds. He has one in the shop now which bound up and bent.
The center articulation joint is particularly high load and constant use. That one also only takes a few seconds to hit with a gun, and may save pretty costly damage.
<font color="red"> Lube Rule: If some's good, more's better. </font>
