Oil & Fuel Grease in front bevel gears?

[Soundguy]

good luck.

soundguy

 

[Ilikeurtractor]

good luck.

soundguy

Thanks. Here's a pic of the tractor with my oldest son. I have since changed the seat (old was ripped). I think it's in pretty decent shape other than what I'm recently finding. The electrical was a bit screwy - the oil and temp lights were swapped which was strange. I got the front and rear lights working, fixed the horn and turn signals (of all things). I'm adding a winch and weights to the front. It came with a 48" box blade and 36" "rotary mower" which I guess is a brush hog. I'll only be using it once a year to mow a 2/3 acre empty lot I have in another town nearby. I bought a used Craftsman riding mower at first to do it for $500, and don't get me wrong, those riding mowers work great for mowing the grass on flat land, but they seem pretty useless for anything else with their "one wheel drive" and hydrostatic transmission which seemed to strain under any load. I tried using it to pull a little 4'x8' trailer and the trailer is a bit much for it - I later found out the trailer weighs 1200 lbs. empty and the Craftsman only about 500 lbs. so I can't complain about it too much. Also in the winter the Craftsman was hopeless in any kind of snow for pulling the trailer (or even just moving itself around) although I'm sure the biggest problem with this Iseki will be trying to get it started in the winter. I'm hoping to find a block heater for it before then.

 

[lens12]

Rather than mix oil & grease, one can use a JD corn head grease. Really it is a real thick oil that looks like grease. When it gets warm it will flow, while grease will be slumg to the side.

 

[Soundguy]

It's -NOT- an oil...it's an NLGI 0# grease, as I mentioned in my previous post. To be specific, it's an EP 0# non-soap polyurea based lubricating grease.


http://finalube.com/Product_Data_Files/Fina_Branded_PDF_Files/corn_head_grease_no_0.pdf


soundguy

 

[Ilikeurtractor]

Well got the other side apart and it's pretty much a repeat of the left side except there wasn't any grease in the right side (and subsequently no lube at all since nothing drained out the first time I tried it). The bearing on the other end of the wheel shaft is pretty loose and will need to be replaced as well. The gears look ok but this time it's the larger spur gear that has some slight pitting and the pinion looks fine. Looks like this side had the original seal in it as it looks more like what is in the service manual. Still no lock ring on the end of the pinion shaft so I guess that means someone was in it doing maintenance in the past and left it out.

I'm beginning to think there is a problem with axial loading on these failed wheel bearings since it happened to both sides. Although the bearings are deep groove single row, I wonder if they are sufficient for the axial loads they see? I keep thinking back when I bought the tractor and the owner was showing it to me - he would get on it and "pop the clutch" while the wheels were turned lifting the front off the ground and then it would slam down on the front and begin to turn. That's got to cause some high axial shock loads on the front wheel bearings It may explain why the bearing cages were pushed out towards the sides as well. I'd like to go back in with double row angular contact bearings to help handle axial loads for just the wheel side bearings, but I see where that takes the bearing width from 16mm to almost 24mm and the modifications required to accommodate that probably aren't worth it at this point. I guess I'll have to inspect them often after I get new ones in and see how they are holding up after some use.

 

[Soundguy]

imho.. original design should be sufficient.. if instaleld correctly and lubed.

soundguy

 

[Ilikeurtractor]

imho.. original design should be sufficient.. if instaleld correctly and lubed.

soundguy

I agree. It doesn't seem like too many others are experiencing the same problem. It may have been a one-time event that caused the damage, i.e. fell off a trailer or the like. The bearings are supposedly rated for around 2400 lbs. each under static radial conditions if they are similar to the original. I can't find what the rated axial/thrust load is but some sources say 25-50% of radial for deep groove ball bearings so that could be as little as 600 lbs which doesn't seem like a lot. I was able to find bearings and seals locally. The seals are not OEM which was expected but should work. I'll be paying close attention to them in service.

 

[Soundguy]

yep.. I've had to match seals with ID, OD, and thickness before. as long as lip design is the same.. it's usually fine.

as to the bearing failure.. yep.. could have been incorrect instalation, or a shock load as you mention, or could have been cheap bearings. I've bought some steering thrust bearings that had a different angle that original.. setting the preload on them would cause the cages to crack... go figure... might have had a loader on it at some point and wore the smack out of the bearings AND shock loaded it.

soundguy

 

[Rod in Forfar]

Last winter when I changed the fluids in the G174 I discovered grease fittings at the top of the front gear cases you describe. So I pumped more gun grease into them.

Something howls in cold weather, but the tractor has run well for about eighty hours of mowing this spring, most in 4WD.

Its electric heater seems to be epoxied to the rear portion of the oil pan.

Starting problems last summer stemmed from the starter coming loose internally so that the dealer could see it flex when working. A rebuild fixed it.

Remember not to leave the key on. It kills the battery.

 

[Soundguy]

i'd be adding some 85/140 gear oil or 0# / 00# grease to that front case.. howling means a bearing is complaining..

gun grease will sling and form a cavity lettingthe bearings and gears run dry.

soundguy