Leaking Power Steering column
 

Need help. My steering column is leaking on the 1864 out of the top it appears. Wtf do I go from here??

Buy a new klubit kaditt @ a blowes or tracter sloppy.:biggrin2:
or take it apart and feed it Oh rings an seels from piggly wiggley's

I’ll take it off your hands:biggrin2:
I’ll offer $100. That’s 50 more than my usual starting price for haggling :biggrin2:

To get back on topic, I have no idea!

Rebuild it. Not a bad job and cheapest priced kit is available from Messick's. Get the column/box spotlessly clean, mark the orientation of the segments of the box and carefully tear it down. No big secrets or special tooling. Just take note of the placement of all the small parts as you diss-assemble it. I've done two and it's about a one hour job once it's clean and on the bench.

I'm trying to track down a leak from my ps box that just appeared, not sure if it's the same as a 2182 or not, but here was a link to someone replacing the seals on a similar unit that may tell you what your getting into. http://www.mytractorforum.com/12-joh...sion-pics.html

Hey, since it sounds like you've done this before, and I'm going to have to do it on my 2182 soon, is there any reason it would start leaking besides a bad o-ring? Mine started after using it this winter with a plow for the first time, and obviously using the lift cylinder more with the plow then with the mower. Is there anything else that could cause the leak I should look into? Or, just age and blown o-ring, replace all the o-rings and probably be good for another 20 years?

Most likely age related. Using the lift should have no effect on the steering although they are both fed from the hydro pump. It does take a little more hydraulic force to turn the wheels with the weight of the plow, but that isn't usually the cause for a leak. Take note as to exactly where the leak is. Wash column and valve (box at bottom of column) down as clean as possible then run it a little, steering both full right and full left. Look for signs of fresh oil and determine the source. It could be leaking at a line fitting and would be a simple fix without need to remove and rebuild the valve. Note that the fittings screwed in the bottom of the steering valve have o rings on them and the jam nuts must be tight. If the column is leaking oil up under the steering joint as Rescue11's is or between the segments of the valve, then a rebuild is needed.

Yeah, the entire bottom and up the sides is coated with oil, so it's not a fitting. It's coming from somewhere close to the top of the unit where the steering wheel is. I don't see it coming our of the tube, but out of the stack of plates, just really up high towards the top piece.

Sounds like the upper shaft seal. Time for a rebuild.

Spoke with Jmech shortly after posting. Basically had me convinced to rebuild the column, and rebuild it myself before I checked back here. Thank you for the information Diesel Doctor. I purchased the seal kit from Messicks as you suggested.

Wasn't planning on this, yet have been dreading the day this would come. However, I am slowly getting anxious to do the re-build. If it gets screwed up it looks like I already have a buyer:biggrin2:

Keith and I tore the sad clown down and removed the steering orbital. Like others have done I'll probably post pix of the tear down.