BX 2200 Steering Problem

[Will_C]

I was doing some spring cleaning today with the tractor (throwing stones from the lawn into the FEL, raking ditches with a landscape rake, etc.) I stopped for a drink, shut the tractor down, and started it 5 minutes later. I had virtually no steering. Two or three complete turns of the steering wheel would crank the wheels about 10 degrees.

I suspected a blown hose, and climbed off the tractor to check. Nothing. I raised and lowered the FEL and the 3pt hitch. They worked fine. The transmission worked fine.
I tried raising and lowering the rpms and the steering did not respond. I made sure that the 3pt hitch control was in neutral, and the FEL was stationary.

I loaded the tractor onto the trailer (I was working at my Mother's) and returned home. When I unloaded the BX, I had steering!! I took the tractor into the garage and did a complete inspection of the underside-no leaks, not one drop of UDT.

I then raked my gravel drive for 30 minutes.The steering worked fine. Some of the steering was gentle turns, some under a load (pulling a rake full of stone dust, in 4wd, etc.)

I am at a loss. Any ideas what shut the steering down?
Thanks,
Will

 

[radioman]

I'm am no expert, but maybe a stuck open valve on power steering ?

 

[BlackJackJay]

Your steering cylinder is going bad,will probably have to rebuild or replace it.

 

[BigD23]

Will.... Just out of curiosity, how many hours on your Bota?

Don

 

[SPYDERLK]

Your steering cylinder is going bad,will probably have to rebuild or replace it.

I was doing some spring cleaning today with the tractor (throwing stones from the lawn into the FEL, raking ditches with a landscape rake, etc.) I stopped for a drink, shut the tractor down, and started it 5 minutes later. I had virtually no steering. Two or three complete turns of the steering wheel would crank the wheels about 10 degrees.

I suspected a blown hose, and climbed off the tractor to check. Nothing. I raised and lowered the FEL and the 3pt hitch. They worked fine. The transmission worked fine.
I tried raising and lowering the rpms and the steering did not respond. I made sure that the 3pt hitch control was in neutral, and the FEL was stationary.

I loaded the tractor onto the trailer (I was working at my Mother's) and returned home. When I unloaded the BX, I had steering!! I took the tractor into the garage and did a complete inspection of the underside-no leaks, not one drop of UDT.

I then raked my gravel drive for 30 minutes.The steering worked fine. Some of the steering was gentle turns, some under a load (pulling a rake full of stone dust, in 4wd, etc.)

I am at a loss. Any ideas what shut the steering down?
Thanks,
Will

BlackJackJay has it. There is an O-ring on the piston of your steering cyl that wears as you use it. Finally it starts bypassing and will only seal when you apply pressure to it. Try steering quickly when it happens next. If that restores control that is almost definitely it. The BX1500 got so bad before I replaced the oring that I would keep control by constantly flipping the steeringwheel left/rt about 30degrees to keep pressure on the oring. Now, after a few hundred more hours its starting to happen again. All that goes bad is the o-ring, but they make you buy the whole kit. If you find the specs on the oring please post it.
larry

 

[milkman]

Had the crazy steering thing happen to me, not bad to replace the O-rings in the steering cylinder. There are 5 O-rings in the kit and the hard one to find is the one in the center of the rod, under the piston. Here's the post. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/87375-steering-wanders.html

 

[rdsaustintx]

+3 The O-ring in the steering cylinder gets hard, finds a little flat spot and lets fluid bypass.

Feels wicked when the steering wheel just starts freewheelin, huh?

 

[Will_C]

Well, that is what I thought. The BX has 1245 hours on it. I had two friends that had the cylinder go bad with only a few hundred hours on their tractors. Thanks for the help.
Will

 

[SPYDERLK]

Had the crazy steering thing happen to me, not bad to replace the O-rings in the steering cylinder. [[[There are 5 O-rings in the kit and the hard one to find is the one in the center of the rod, under the piston.]]] Here's the post. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/87375-steering-wanders.html

Only one oring goes bad. Its the one that seals the piston sliding back and forth within the bore of the cyl. Anyone know the size of that oring?? It seems I neglected to record the size when I changed mine. Buying a whole, rather expensive, kit to replace one bad 10cent part is not something Im going to do. I want to have the correct sized ring ready when I take it apart.
larry