jml755
Silver Member
The steering on the TC35 at the barn where I work part-time failed on Friday. The wheel would spin freely with no resistance at all. Removed the column and power steering motor and found the end of the steering shaft to be stripped (rounded off). Called the dealer, over $150 for steering column and over $500 for the motor. Ouch. Naturally, neither is in stock. Plus, the tractor was halfway out of the barn with a NH manure spreader on it, blocking the barn aisle AND the driveway next to the barn. All this with a horse show coming up on the weekend, meaning a repair was in order.
I noticed the female receiver on the motor was pretty much a 12-point socket of 5/8 size or so. I got a 5/8" nut and ground down each face until it was a slip but snug fit. Then I cut the stripped end of the shaft off (about 1/2") and welded the nut onto it, centering it and squaring it up best I could to avoid any "wobble" which might bind up the works. Put it back together and when I snugged the column down to the motor, the wheel would not turn freely. Took it all back apart and just had to grind off some weld that was sticking above the motor-to-column mating surface. 2nd try worked perfect, no binding. Biggest PITA was removing/reattaching the 4 fluid lines. Luckily, I have a 11/16" flare wrench which fit perfectly. 18mm was a little sloppy. Even though most everything is metric on it, the fittings appear to be English. If I had to do it again, I would leave the motor in place on the tractor as the female receiver is readily accessible with the column off and it would cut the majority of the PITA out of the job.
Buttoned everything up, topped off the fluid and steering worked great, didn't even need to bleed it. Only small problem is that it wouldn't go into 1st & 2nd gear. The shift linkage bracket is attached to the steering column and I just needed to loosen the bolts and adjust it to get the shifting to work.
Also noticed that the nut holding the wheel to the shaft was rusted and there was rust on the bottom end of the shaft, probably corroding it to the point of failure. I suspect that water got under the wheel center cap and dripped down the column. (The tractor is stored outside). I plan to fill the cavity under the cap with grease to keep the water out. The tractor is an '03 model, so if you've got a similar one, it might be a good idea to do a little preventative maintenance.
I noticed the female receiver on the motor was pretty much a 12-point socket of 5/8 size or so. I got a 5/8" nut and ground down each face until it was a slip but snug fit. Then I cut the stripped end of the shaft off (about 1/2") and welded the nut onto it, centering it and squaring it up best I could to avoid any "wobble" which might bind up the works. Put it back together and when I snugged the column down to the motor, the wheel would not turn freely. Took it all back apart and just had to grind off some weld that was sticking above the motor-to-column mating surface. 2nd try worked perfect, no binding. Biggest PITA was removing/reattaching the 4 fluid lines. Luckily, I have a 11/16" flare wrench which fit perfectly. 18mm was a little sloppy. Even though most everything is metric on it, the fittings appear to be English. If I had to do it again, I would leave the motor in place on the tractor as the female receiver is readily accessible with the column off and it would cut the majority of the PITA out of the job.
Buttoned everything up, topped off the fluid and steering worked great, didn't even need to bleed it. Only small problem is that it wouldn't go into 1st & 2nd gear. The shift linkage bracket is attached to the steering column and I just needed to loosen the bolts and adjust it to get the shifting to work.
Also noticed that the nut holding the wheel to the shaft was rusted and there was rust on the bottom end of the shaft, probably corroding it to the point of failure. I suspect that water got under the wheel center cap and dripped down the column. (The tractor is stored outside). I plan to fill the cavity under the cap with grease to keep the water out. The tractor is an '03 model, so if you've got a similar one, it might be a good idea to do a little preventative maintenance.
