Standard steering greasing

Anonymous Poster · May 7, 2002

Does anyone know how to grease the steering box? It says in my manual to grease it... I dont see a plug on it anywhere and it does not say how to grease it.... Dan

roger_scotty · May 8, 2002

Glen, that's a great question. I don't think I've ever seen instructions for lubing the steering box either. I figure when you know it needs lube, but the makers are silent, then you get to decide for yourself how to do it.

On my YM165D - similar to a 1300D, thru 1500D - , the steering box looks to be held downt by bolts at each corner. The extra bolt that is centered just forward of the steering wheel shaft is actually a filler plug. I fill mine with 90 weight. If it runs out of the pitman arm shaft then it needs a new seal. Lube in the box is important because rain water can run down the steering wheel tube, infiltrate the steering box, and rust out the steering box bearings. When we were the old club at Yahoo we had a rash of steering boxes that needed new bearings. So it might be a good idea to withdraw the existing fluid and replace it.

Anonymous Poster · May 8, 2002

Interesting Roger, You use 90w in your steering box.. It says in my manual to use grease but does not say how the get the grease inside. Does it say in your manual to use the 90w? If 90w would work in my box I would use it. Do you have to remove the dash and firewall and housing to get to the steering box in your tractor? Thanks Dan

roger_scotty · May 8, 2002

I forget what I had to remove; its not a job I do a lot. I do remember that the four hold down bolts were loose, and the steering sure got a lot better after I tightened them down. And also that those were about the hardest bolts to get a wrench on that I ever did see. There must be instructions somewhere on what lube to use, but I don't know them. Yes, I use the 90wt because it was easier to get it into the hole with a big syringe and a plastic tube. My own opinion is that oil is always a better lubricant than grease - if the oil can be made to stay put. I only use grease when the joint is difficult to seal against leakage. I wouldn't have a problem with either one in a steering box. Better yet might be a mixture of the two....that is a mixture I use a lot on low speed gear boxes when the seals are questionable.

Anonymous Poster · May 8, 2002

Roger I will check mine and see if I have the same comfiguration on my box as you do on yours. I will try to get some 90W in there and fill it full to the fill plug and see if it come's out the pitman arm. I do have some liquid greese # EP 000 that you can pour or squirt in. It would be nice if they would tell in the service manual what kind of grease or oil to use. I am sure anything is better than nothing. So it there is a fill plug there might be a drain plug too. I Will look for that! If there is I will remove it and see if anything comes out! Thanks Roger!

normde2001 · May 8, 2002

Dan, you didn't say which tractor you have, but my YM2000 uses 90# gear oil, however the fill/check plug is directly under the fuel tank. Looks like it has to be removed to check the lube.

Anonymous Poster · May 8, 2002

Norm, I have a ym2202D, Great tractor!

wrinkled · May 9, 2002

Hello

I've got a YM-2000 with a leaky steering box. Can someone confim that it is not rebuildable, and has to be replaced as a whole unit?

Dave

pennwalk · May 10, 2002

I checked the 186 Yanmar service manual and the 186 steering box is rebuildable. I don't know about parts availability on your tractor. In addition the manual specifies refilling with multi purpose grease which probably wouldn't leak out of the old seals.

Chris

normde2001 · May 10, 2002

I have a YM240 parts manual for my YM2000, which everyone says is identicle except for PTO gears and throttle linkage. It gives a parts breakdown for the steering box, so I would assume it is rebuildable. One of these dealers could tell you for sure and assist with parts.

roger_scotty · May 11, 2002

Dave, I thought all those were rebuildable. What makes you think that yours is not?

wrinkled · May 11, 2002

Seems to me there was a post on the old board about the steering box not being re-buildable. The shaft on my YM-2000 that has the pitman arm on it wobbles, so that leads me to believe its more than just an o-ring or seal that is causing the problem.

If it is capable of being fixed, that would be sweet. I've priced used steering boxes.... and "They ain't Cheap!"

Dave

roger_scotty · May 11, 2002

I haven't looked into them except to look in a few old parts books. In those it looks as though the pitman shaft is supported on either end with a bushing, and the steering wheel shaft in ball bearings. Unfortunately the pitman bushings are not listed separately. The listing is for the steering box body or cover with a bush in it.
Maybe someone who kinows this job from having done it will jump in here with the answers. ll
Still, the worst case would be that a simple brass bushing would have to be made to size. It isn't a critical job, so should be a simple task at the local machine shop.

Anonymous Poster · May 11, 2002

Hi,
Listen guys. Just take out the fill plug and tap a 90 degree zerk i.e. a grease fitting. Pump the sucker a few times every time you tinker it. End of problem.

wrinkled · May 11, 2002

You would be amazed at how quickly the grease runs out when it is heated by the engine. I tried that...

Dave

lens12 · May 13, 2002

The YM2000 gear box is rebuildable. The YM2000 parts book doesn't show that the parts are available, but i can supply you with the correct parts. Contact me at sheaftractor@coiinc.com

vongiese · May 13, 2002

I checked my steering box today and it's fill of grease! A 90 degree and an extension with zerk is a great idea.
My steering is little sloppy, but when I take the slope out with the adjuter screw - there's too much drag...probably needs some tlc.

lens12 · May 13, 2002

You may need new bearings. If they go bad , you may end up breaking the ball/nut assembly

roger_scotty · May 13, 2002

The cutter shaft on my bush hog mower used to leak oil and grease at the rate of a gearbox full every few hours of cutting. When I looked at the seal it looked good and it had me stumped for awhile. Then I added an air vent to the previously unvented gear box and it doesn't leak one bit anymore....

Thinking about the zerk and grease idea got me to thinking about venting gearboxes. If you go the zerk route, you might want to think about adding a vent to the box as well. It could be as simple as a hole drilled in the steering box top somewhere away from the rain. Most greaseable joints have some way to relieve the pressure. Otherwise you could push out the seals on the steering and pitman shaft.

I think if you add a vent and a zerk to that steering box you would have a system that the original Yanmar engineers would approve of.