Farmall M Steering Reconditioning

I have purchased all the parts I need to recondition the steering on my 1939 Farmall M. Now that I have all the parts, the time has come to do the work. As I have never done this before can anyone advise me of potential pitfalls when carrying out this job? Are there any tricks and/or difficulties in removing and replacing the upper and lower sleeves in the steering bolster? Is there a particular method I should use to remove and replace the oil seal? Any help appreciated. Thanks.
SadFarmall

It's a relatively straight-forward job. A few tips from my experience:

- An engine hoist, or a tractor with a front loader will make the rest of the job MUCH easier/safer.

- Jack the front end then support the tractor with timber cribbing or similar beneath the clutch housing so the front wheels are off the ground. Be sure to block the rear wheels both front and back, and set the brakes!

- Remove the lower bolster/wheel assembly. Note one of the 4 bolts (the right front) has an extended head. It sets the left/right steering stop. When reinstalling the front wheels this bolt must replaced in the same location with the pivot shaft in the "straight ahead" position.

- The pivot shaft gear is on a tapered spline. To remove take out the cotter pin then loosen the nut on top of the gear 2-3 turns. A few good licks from a large hammer/sledge should pop the gear and let the pivot shaft drop. Protect the nut with a scrap of soft metal while hammering. And remember the pivot shaft is HEAVY - watch your toes!

- The old bushings are best removed by splitting with a cold chisel then collapsing so they can be pulled out.

- New bushings should go in easily with a bit of light tapping. Be sure to align the lube hole in the lower bushing with the grease fitting on the fixed bolster. Or remove the grease fitting and drill through the bushing wall after it's in place.

- The shaft seal can be a stinker to install. I turned a "tool" from a wood dowel scrap to position and knock the seal into place.

- Even with a new seal the steering box is likely to have a slow oil leak on account of shaft wear in the seal area. Better idea is to pack the box solid with good quality grease - it'll lube the worm gears just fine and it won't leak past the seal.

Hope this helps!