Steering bx 1860

[frustratedbxuser]

I have a bx 1860. Poor or no steering. If I top up fluid the steering improves substantially but eventually all steering suffers badly. Top it up again, steering not so bad. Etc. No leaks from I can see. Is it more likely the hand pump or steering piston. Please HELP!

 

[Eagle1]

If you are adding hydraulic fluid constantly you have a leak.... it don't evaporate.
You can download a service manual at
https://www.kubotabooks.com/AutoInd...Owners Manuals/&file=BX1860 BX2360 BX2660.pdf

 

[frustratedbxuser]

Right. That also means it's not likely a cylinder or hand pump, right? I'm being told that it is.

 

[Eagle1]

Could be a leak anywhere, or maybe the priority valve is not prioritizing steering first. Never worked on 1860 with that setup, when steering been wonky on my 2200 it been hoses, tie rod and cylinder mounts. Only cylinder I replaced was MY stupid with a welder.

 

[Eagle1]

If you think a BX 2200 factory service manual would let drop me a PM.

 

[dodge man]

I had a seal go bad in my steering cylinder when I had a BX2350. Mine wasn’t loosing fluid though. What do you mean by hand pump?

 

[frustratedbxuser]

I had a seal go bad in my steering cylinder when I had a BX2350. Mine wasn’t loosing fluid though. What do you mean by hand pump?

Steering pump. Below the steering wheel.

 

[oldnslo]

Does the 3 point or loader work when steering stops working?
Does the steering wheel turn hard when steering is not working?

 

[frustratedbxuser]

Does the 3 point or loader work when steering stops working?
Does the steering wheel turn hard when steering is not working?

All other functions work. PTO and 3 point. The mower deck does seem to lower itself over time though. Any ideas?

 

[oldnslo]

The BX has a single pump with a priority flow control for feeding the steering circuit. If this priority valve malfunctions it may not supply oil to the steering circuit. I do not remember what the test procedure was for this failure though.

I also do not recall if the steering flow was also used as charge pump flow for the hydrostatic tranny.

I believe another possible failure point is the steering cylinder seals. If these get bad they can allow the oil to bypass the cylinder piston.

 

[dougtrr2]

I had a steering issue with my BX24. Like you I was told it could be either the steering cylinder by the wheels or the pump/valve?? on the end of the steering column. Not really an easy way to isolate the problem to one or the other. I took the gamble on just replacing the steering cylinder. It was much cheaper and easier to install. That fixed my problem.

The parts guy was nice enough to point out that the steering cylinder is help in place with snap rings and sometimes the issue is just that the snap ring has came unseated.


Doug in SW IA

 

[dodge man]

You can get a rebuild kit for the steering cylinder from Kubota. There is a seal in the middle that separates the right and left sides. It’s not easy to fix but not hard. With my BX the symptoms were dead steering. You would turn the steering wheel slowly and nothing would happen then when you turned it quicker it would work.