M Brake shaft bearing play

Anonymous-0 · Nov 24, 2011

Replaced a leaking seal, on a brake shaft, on the 1948 M. Still leaked, so going back in to install two seals, but finding lots of up and down play in the shaft that the drum is mounted on. How much is acceptable? Is replacing the bearing a big job? Never been into the M gear case, before. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

biggerred · Nov 24, 2011

If your talking about the bull pinion,,yea it's a big job. If memory serves me right, there are two ways to go about it. Pull off the rear deck, pull out the axle far enough to clear the bull gear, remove the gear, which will then allow you to remore the bull pinion carrier (where the bearings are). Some folks say you can pull out the PTO and do all that from the hole where the PTO goes into. Good for them. I have never been able to stick my arm in there and move that 1 million pound bull gear (thats what it feels like before you get done) and line it back up on the axle splines. My hand and fingers are worth more to me than the added effort to remove the deck. I use my cherry picker with no problem. Just watch the shift rails when you put the deck back down. They run in groves in the gears, and those groves are easy to miss.

Tom Fleming · Nov 25, 2011

Absolute best way is to take the deck off, and that is for lots of reasons. Not sure how hard you work this tractor, but if that bearing is worn out, there is a good chance that other things inside are fairly worn also.

If it were mine, and I wanted to put her back into shape, I would remove the deck, really more tedious of a job, than a complex or difficult one.

IMHO.

John M · Nov 25, 2011

Youre talking about the behind the brake covers right? Yes, it a pretty big job. You have to remove the top cover, then take out BOTH bull gear, then you can pull the drums and the bearing housing. DO not try to take those housing out without pulling those bull gears, and they are a bear to get back on the axles through the PTO opening.

sflem849 · Nov 25, 2011

When I did my H those big bull gears were a pain with the top off. I can't imagine trying to line them up in a blind hole while somebody else turns the axle for you.

pete 23 · Nov 25, 2011

I did a lot of them from the rear with out taking cover off. It isn't a lot harder to align that bull gear to axle from the rear than it is with cover off. Of course, cover off you can clean things up a lot better and check a lot more things. Another thing to remember, that ball bearing on the shaft may be fine and the up and down movement you get is from the inside end of the shaft which is supported only by the gear in the differential. If that is the case a new bearing will not help you. You probably have a groove worn in the brake drum causing the leak or seal is not in straight or partially collapsed. It doesn't take much to mess up a seal. I never use two seals but do place the seal at a depth where it will be riding on a good unworn part of the brake drum.

M Brake shaft bearing play

Anonymous-0

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biggerred

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Tom Fleming

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John M

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sflem849

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pete 23

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