3212V Put Up A Fight

[Roy]

The steering sector gear on my 3212V was worn enough at the corners of the flats on the steering arm shaft to put more slack in the steering than I liked so I figured I would take an hour or two and fix it. Wrong!!!!!!!! Took the steering arm and sector gear out. Welded the corners of the gear up and hand filed them to fit the shaft flats. That' right. Hand filed because I couldn't get the gear fixtured tightly enough to hold in the milling machine vice. Gear kept moving so I couldn't just use a 1/2" end mill to clean up the slot. Finally got the gear to fit the shaft by hand filing along with trial and error test fitting. Put the gear and arm on the tractor only to find I had shifted the slot in the gear enough to make the steering bind between the pinion and sector gears. Somewhere in the process I dropped the nut for the sector gear inside the tractor frame tunnel. The nut must have vaporized. Haven't been able to find it yet. Hope it doesn't jam something up the next time I use the tractor. To adjust the steering gears the steering shaft u-joint has to be disassembled so the screwdriver slot on the eccentric bushing can be reached. Took it all apart, adjusted the gear clearance, and reassembled. Did I mention all this is nearly impossible to reach with the dash tower and battery/gas tank support structure in place? My arms look like I ran through a thorn patch a half mile long. Tractor put up a heck of a fight but I finally won. Took nearly 5 hours instead of the planned 1 or 2 hours. Hope others have an easier time with their next project. Oh, sorry about no pictures. I was too greasy and frustrated to think about the camera.

[GWGAllisfan]

Wow I can't imagine trying to work on th steering gear with the dash tower in place. Of course I may have to on my B-212 since so far I haven't had any luck at pulling the steering wheel, even with a new bearing puller kit. Soaking the steering shaft in penetrant lubricant right now, hoping it will wick down and let it come loose.

[oldone]

Oh! I know what you mean. the last 30min. job I done took me 2 days

[wilm169]

I think you should blame Rod, He told you to do it that way.:D:D:O

[Roy]

"I think you should blame Rod, He told you to do it that way." Great idea. I like it. ^ Rod, as Levi suggested, it is all your fault!!!!!!! :(!C:(:D

[HubbardRA]

At least I got you off your rear "to do it". All those machines, and you took my advice and did it by hand, who would have thunk it? :D

[firefoxz1]

Good. Hope it was worth the fight:D. I also lost a small bolt in the framework myself not to be found yet. I had a magnet down around the engine and it too must have vaporizedC.

[JimDk]

GWGAllisFan, You should be able to take the bolt out out of the steering yolk and pull the whole shaft up to the dash bushing. The yolk will come thru the hole in the gas tank/battery support. This will allow you to remove the dash tower without pulling the wheel. I have done this on B-110s. It should work for your B-212, unless there is clip or pin under the dash bushing. Good luck, Jim

[tracktor312]

I was told by a member here the best way to remove the steering wheel is to put pressure on it and use an air hammer on the shaft worked great for me.

[MPH]

Congradulations on your victory Roy, good thing you have lots of time.