Farmall 130 excessive steering play.

Jobe Piemme · Nov 16, 2008

I recently purchased a Farmall 130 and there is about a full turn of play in the steering. Both front wheel bearings are shot, but the play is prior to any tie-rod movement. I thought it would be a worn worm gear or sector, but both looked fine when I evaluated them.

I disconnected the tie-rods from the steering arm and noticed that if I turn the steering arm until it comes in contact with the gear housing base (fully cocked right or left), the steering wheel could still turn roughly a full rotation. How could this be if the worm and sector are fine, could it be one of the woodruff keys are bad? There is also a little bit of play in the steering arm, perhaps a bad bearing. If I need to disassemble the gear housing and base, how do I remove the steering arm? I tried today, but wasn"t very succesful. I removed the bottom nut but the arm wouldn"t come off the sector shaft.

Any help would be beneficial. thanks!

Anonymous-0 · Nov 16, 2008

I would remove the wholw steering sector for a complete overhaul. The arm you are talking about can be a problem to remove but with the whole sector removed it can make it easier to remove as the bottom section wont come apart until the arm is removed. I would replace all bearings and seals and bushings. The woodruff key is probably worn bad also. Parts will run about 50.00.

Hugh MacKay · Nov 17, 2008

Jobe: Gene is right, anly way to approach this is drop the front axle, then bottom half of the steering box. You have two Woodruff keys on that vertical shaft, and I've seen them bad enough to give 1.5 turns free travel on the steering wheel.

Jobe Piemme · Nov 17, 2008

Thanks for the help, I will do a total overhaul.

Question: is the steering arm a press fit? Would a pickle fork work for removing it?

Thanks.

Hugh MacKay · Nov 17, 2008

Jobe: The pickle fork should do it, the shaft and steering control arm are tapered. I find usually a big screwdriver will do it.

20 years ago I had my SA apart, found the keyways on the shaft for the internal gear damaged. Gear was V'd a bit as well. Looking at it from a point of view shaft and gear were toast, I took an oversize woodruff key ground it the shape of my keyways. I welded it in the shaft, then did a bit more grinding on portion of key going into gear. Then I installed the gear on shaft, using a hydraulic press. I put it all together, it's still going and I have close to zero free travel on steering wheel. It's tighter than both my 130 or 140. In fact I make a practice of trying steering wheels at shows, never found one tighter than my SA.

Farmall 130 excessive steering play.

Jobe Piemme

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Anonymous-0

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Hugh MacKay

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Jobe Piemme

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Hugh MacKay

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