My Hydro Seal Saga

Ambush · #1 01-13-2023, 12:16 AM

Earlier in the winter I figured I should split the 149 to replace the cork gasket and fix up the trunnion controller and clean up some other stuff. The hydro was not leaking and was working fine, but I figured I might as well have at look inside and replace the four seals. The guts were in very good shape and I should have quit right there.

I pulled one trunnion seal and the rear seal and headed down to my old work place which is a hydraulic shop. At first I just asked Colin to order a seal kit for a Sundstrand 15U. After a couple of weeks of inquiring it came to light that the long list of previous owners had sold that little line to a new company and they were of no help at all. The trunnion seals are a very odd size and configuration and all they had on hand for the drive shaft were low pressure grease seals.

Rather than waste their time, I headed over to the JD dealer with a part number for the trunnion seals in a early '70's 112. My part number was obsolete, but no problem they have the update and ordered the two seals. a week later they came in and the size was not even in the ballpark! Apparently they don't sell the old one anymore, but they don't tell you that, they just send the the later model that they have in stock. Got my money back there but not my time.

Ok, I'll order the four seals from CC Canada and pay the price and shipping, at least they will be right. I finally got them today, took them out of the IH bags. I was a little suspicious when I saw the seals all in CR packages, just like the packages that low pressure grease seals come in.

What the #*!@!!! Grease seals!!

I just paid $85 for friggin grease seals that I could get for free from work!! So the only thing worth a hoot in the whole order was two spiral pins!

I briefly contemplated sending them back and eating the shipping and start over, but this tractor has been taking up space for half the winter and I have other projects to get too. So I installed the seals and put the whole unit back in the tractor and I'll just hope it doesn't blow a seal.

But I do think that is a pretty scummy thing to do. Take a $2 seal and put in an International bag with their part number and sell it for ten times what it's worth instead of just sourcing the correct seal. Or just say No Longer Available.

R Bedell · #2 01-13-2023, 06:50 AM

I am in the HVAC/R business and I see that all the time. Where a Manufacturer goes to a Vendor to have something made, put in their package, put their part number on it, and double, at the minimum, to 5 times their costs.

I just did a Condensate Coil replacement on a Restaurant Type of Cooler. The OEM wanted $335.00 for a piece of 1/4" OD Copper Tubing. I made the coil for $36.00 worth of copper.

Don't know about Canada (other than what I hear on the alleged news) but here in the States, things are NOT getting any better, anytime soon.

Ambush · #3 01-13-2023, 10:45 AM

Roland, it's as bad or worse here. I'm not concerned about the price as much as the quality. I can buy the proper drive shaft seals and change them without splitting the tractor. The trunnions seals are just such an odd dimension. If they leak and I have to pull the hydro, I'll machine the housing to a larger, readily available size or resize the seal area of the trunnion stub shaft. Or I'm sure I can find a quad-ring that will fit and cost $1.19. Just makes me mad.

darkminion_17 · #4 01-13-2023, 05:21 PM

Older Simplicity 7016 hydros use the same seal as a cub cadet.1652234,1652203,

Ambush · #5 01-13-2023, 06:27 PM

Thanks for those numbers. Have you ordered that number and gotten the correct oil seals?

darkminion_17 · #6 01-13-2023, 06:36 PM

I sell A lot of NOS simplicity parts on ebay and compared them to the cub seals I have and they had the same numbers on them. I do not know what Simplicity sells now but these were green sealer on the metal and rubber.
I no longer have any more of the simplicity ones. These are the ones I have, but are not for sale as I keep spares in case I need them

Ambush · #7 01-13-2023, 08:06 PM

Would you mind posting a close up pic of the inside?

The trunnion seal I took out was a good quality, full enclosure inside.

darkminion_17 · #8 01-14-2023, 09:54 AM

One is the input shaft the other the trunnion.

ol'George · #9 01-14-2023, 10:27 AM

I have had good luck using Deere provided seals in the hydros.(none are leaking yet)
While they are very proud of their parts as is reflected in their prices, they are convenient for me being 6 miles down the road and being a huge ag dealer, they have most of my needs in stock.
Not a lot of places have parts in stock for 60-70 year old farm machinery/tractors.
My Case/ IH dealer is 25 miles away and usually has to order the older/unpopular stuff.
Case/IH are also proud of their parts.

What pisses me off is Deere likes to promote their Genuine Deer parts as being superior, (like bearings) but when they hand you the box, it says
"MADE IN CHINA" as it does on the actual parts.
Ya,
China makes things to Deer specifications but it still rubs me wrong.
But that is the world we live in, and we did it to ourselves by purchasing the least expensive alternatives.

Ambush · #10 01-14-2023, 10:49 AM

Thanks, dm-17. Yes, those are proper oil seals with the full rubber enclosure, lip to OD of the metal frame. If those had been in the bag, I would have whined a bit to my wife about the price then put them in knowing I was done for another 20 years. You are wise to horde those.

Having installed thousands of seals in thousands of hydraulic components, I don't have much faith in these "OEM" parts.