More on leaking axle seals and vents
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Spudland_Dave
Veteran Member
I think NMU sait it in another post....unlike your Ford rear, this axle has lube all the way to the ends, and critical components to lube out there too...not just a bearing like your Ford....
Me, I'm sticking to the 7.4 qts of HyGard, LoVis in a SEALED Axle...
Countless farmers in my neck of the woods and all over the USA have "farm engineered" many things...often with great success, but often with great failures too. We run NH Ambra oil in the NH's, HyTran in the IH's, and HyGard in the Deeres...50+ years of success, no failures related to those lubricants.
dfkrug
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I agree, and that's why I am encouraging you to continue this experiment.
I think too many folks mysticize the back-room alchemy that goes on in
the design of a tractor, its subassemblies, or other product. The reality is
that the design engineers and the manufacturing engineers make trade-offs
just like in the "real world". These trade-offs may over-emphasize some
factors over others: cost, ease of manufacture, ease of maintenance,
longevity, etc. Like your comment that maybe the assembly line can
get away with one less fluid to dispense. These trade-offs are not the
same ones that you, the owner, would prefer.
I am not saying that I know "better" than the JD engineers, but I have been
a design engineer before and I know that we made numerous less-than-
ideal trade-offs to get a product made that was competitive and timely.
Re filling the front axles, I am SO glad my Kioti has fill port on both sides,
because draining and filling is not easy. It takes a long time for the oil
to properly settle at the correct level on each side. The sight glass does
not work as well as a dipstick however.
I kind of want to continue the experiment myself so I guess you twisted my arm enough for me to continue.... I have access to the neighbor's drill press all next week too so now is as good a time as any.
I went out and looked at the other side of the axle. It looks to me that there isn't enough room to get a drill in the same spot without removing the axle entirely.
So if I'm removing the axle, don't you think I should just drill and tap the top of it instead of having two side vents?
Also, the repair manual says the drive housing cover has to come off before the four bolts are removed to separate it from the axle housing. But you said just to remove the four bolts and pull the axle shaft. Are you forgetting a step or are they making it more difficult than necessary? Then again, if I'm tapping the top of it, I'm only removing the diff cover.
dfkrug
Super Member
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- 05 Kioti CK30HST w/ Prairie Dog backhoe, XN08 mini-X
Can't you get a drill in there if you tilt the axle all the way to the stop?
You could put a single vent on the pumpkin, but that requires that lots
more things get removed.
I am not sure what that means, "the drive housing cover has to come
off before the four bolts are removed to separate it from the
axle housing."
Hard to say for sure but it would be the only way that could happen. There is a hydraulic line running on that side that is in the way (the muffler is there too but thats easy to remove).
1) Which do you think is better? One vent at the top or two vents on the sides? I think one vent at the top of the pumpkin is best but maybe I'm not seeing something. As long as I'm doing this I'd rather do it right.
2) I really doubt I can drill even the tilted axle. So removing it is likely the only choice either way. Removing the diff cover and putting a towel on the diff looks no more difficult than taking the wheel end off and axle shaft out. You don't agree?
According to the tech manual you have to split the wheel end in half by pulling bevel gears and some shaft and then separate it at the square end via the four bolts. Does that make sense? I can post the page out of the manual when I get back.....
dfkrug
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I think a pumpkin vent, done well, will be more protected, so on the the
balance, it would be slightly better, IMO.
Taking the 4 bolts out of the kingpin housing (JD calls it a spindle housing)
is very easy and you may not even have to remove the tie rod end. Just
swing it out of the way. The axle shaft has splines on both ends, but no
retainers.
Here is a photo of the pumpkin, still attached to the front subframe. Getting
a drill in there would require dropping the whole axle, or at least the rear
saddle, to get the cover off the back.
Note that your vent, if drilled into the left axle housing, does not have to be
as far inboard as the one on the right. Just get as close as you can, with
the axle fully tilted down and to the left. I will bet the material is a
machineable cast steel, no problem to drill, esp with a cobalt bit.
I went back and looked at it. I see what you mean. Since you are not
taking the hub and bevel gears out, you don't have to do most of that.
Attachments
I'm gonna pull the axle and drill the top of the pumpkin. Its only slightly more work and I'm gonna be happier with the end result.
So when I remove the spindle housing from the axle housing, I need only remove the four bolts and hope the steering cooperates? And for the installation, can I use the Ultra Black RTV I already have or is the JD TY6304 sealant special in some way?
My only real concern is the power steering lines. Is all the fluid going to start draining when I unplug them or just the little bit in the ends? I hate making a mess so it'd be nice to know what to expect.
I was going to start on this tomorrow but as of Saturday we have an underground leak in the pipe from the well to the house. Yippee! I dug out two cubic yards and five feet deep today and didn't get to the line. So tomorrow a backhoe is being delivered to finish the job. Clearly I need to get this done first so bear with me on the axle...
So when I remove the spindle housing from the axle housing, I need only remove the four bolts and hope the steering cooperates? And for the installation, can I use the Ultra Black RTV I already have or is the JD TY6304 sealant special in some way?
My only real concern is the power steering lines. Is all the fluid going to start draining when I unplug them or just the little bit in the ends? I hate making a mess so it'd be nice to know what to expect.
I was going to start on this tomorrow but as of Saturday we have an underground leak in the pipe from the well to the house. Yippee! I dug out two cubic yards and five feet deep today and didn't get to the line. So tomorrow a backhoe is being delivered to finish the job. Clearly I need to get this done first so bear with me on the axle...