'53 SC wide:tips? changing heavy nose/axle support casting

DennisT

Member
I'm starting to plan for a Spring task I dread. My 1953 Case SC wide front had a crack in the nose casting when I got it, (likely due to the Wagner Loader it's worn for decades). The break is right where the crank hole is and just above where the tractor's, "snout," splits to clasp the front axle pivot pin. (Hope that made sense) Previous owner home-made a U-clamp to go around that portion and held it together by a bolt through the hand crank hole. I bought a replacement casting in good shape. I'll bet the danged thing weighs 300 pounds; looks like it is the support for radiator and everything forward of the engine block, which is what it bolts to. I'm trying to figure out how to support the tractor under the front of the engine pan without blocking under the pan, (tin), itself. I have a roll-around engine crane, but no overhead hoist. Plan to re-bush the axle pivot while I'm in there. Will need to have it machined out and a bushing custom made. Can't remember if that axle hole is 90-degrees from vertical or it someone said there is a 5-degree angle to it. Anyway, the whole thing looks like a back-breaker job for my 72 years. Any of you that have done this and have tips, I'd appreciate hearing any comments. I want to write up a plan of attack this winter and dig into the old girl this Spring. Not looking forward to it. Merry Christmas, Dennis in E WA
 
Dennis, I'm in the process of replacing my narrow front with an AWF. I took everything that was bolted to the front casting off including the front wheels/hubs and the nose weight and supported the rest of the tractor back at the bell housing with a floor jack. You can use your hoist to remove the front end. The bushing in the front axle is at a 5 degree angle. Had to bore mine as well. Contact Christopher Mikesell on this forum for the bushing and pin. If your front crank seal is leaking, now is the time to do it. You can't get the crank pulley off with the front end bolted on.
 
Thank you. This is a good start. So it is 5-degrees. Tilted which way???????????????
The hole in my axle is worn crooked; I don't know if it wore beyond the present bushing's thickness. I have a pin from a spare axle that looks almost new. I have a machinist friend, so I hope he can do that work.
I thought I would have to support the tractor farther ahead than the bell housing. But I guess the rear end/trans/dif/etc., is enough weight to keep the back end down. That's good news too.
Maybe it's not as bad as I think. Also, thanks for the tip on the front crank seal. When in there, I suspect it would be obvious if it's leaking. With my luck, it will be nice and dry, then begin leaking 6 months after I get it back together.
Dennis
 
Yes, I also supported the tractor with cribbing and wedges under the flat spot on the bottom of the bell housing. This is what the manual says to do in the case of a split at the bell housing, and there is plenty of weight in the assembled rear end to keep the engine up when removing the front end. I first removed the radiator (there was no front counterweight installed when I got my tractor) and used a bobcat with forks to support the front end, with the forks under the front axle and radius rod(s). I didn't remove the front wheels and hubs, and I set the entire front assembly aside with the gooseneck casting resting on a stack of old tires, and the front wheels on the ground. This was just to allow me to get the engine out for rebuild, and to get access to the front end of the PTO shaft (live PTO) in the bell housing; in order to replace the broken rear cover and to repair the PTO. After this (and much, much more) work was done, I remounted the AWF onto the reassembled tractor.
I then disassembled the AWF piece-by-piece with blocks under the back side of the front gooseneck casting. This strategy allowed me to manipulate each component by hand without a lift. During the entire process, the tractor was outside on soft ground, so I didn't have many options.
If I had to remove a front counterweight, I would definitely do it before removing the front gooseneck. You can expect that it will be very rusted in place, and this will allow you to use the tractor's weight to your advantage. When I went to a local tractor enthusiast's shop to buy a counterweight for my tractor, we first tried to remove one from a front gooseneck that was laying on the ground. I worked at it for over 45 minutes with a sledgehammer, punch, and large pry bars with NO results. Then he realized that he had another one behind the barn that was already out of the front bolster, and that is the one that is now in my tractor. With the weight already in the tractor, there are two good removal options, first, you can jack up on the weight from below by passing a large steel rod through the hand crank hole (not the front hole, the rear one that us underneath the weight). This seems like the best option to me. Case also provided a hole/slot for a hook in the top of the weight which you can use to lift it out. However, given that the weight is not a structural casting, I would be hesitant to try to lift the entire front of the tractor by this point, which is what you will be doing when the weight is rusted in place.
 
You would expect that the front axle pivot pin hole would be oriented 90 deg. to the front face of the center section of the axle. But it actually needs to be inclined "back" 5 degrees to prevent the radius rod(s) from causing the pin to bind inside the new tight bushing, and to make the steering geometry work as designed. By "back" I mean that when viewing the tractor upright from the side, the axis of the hole needs to be at a 95 deg. angle up from the front face of the center section of the axle.
Also, I hope that your new front casting also came from a tractor with an AWF. If not, then you will need to bore it out to match the old one. All of the goose necks were machined from the same castings, but the AWF castings are not machined the same as the others.
Additionally, I can supply bushing stock and finished bushings (made to the case prints; these will still need to be bored out after installation, but are ready to be pressed into a mostly undamaged hole) which are made from the correct material. This is a hard leaded bushing bronze which will not gall and seize if it is not lubricated and/or subjected to heavy loads.
 
CM: Whew. Thank you. First, I have NO front weight inside the nose. So that's easier. With a loader, the PO probably didn't need one. I am going to, first, take off the Wagner loader and sit it aside. Will sell it if I can find someone who can use it. I see NO reason to put it back on considering I think it was a detriment to the health of the front end in the first place. But that may bring up the question, do I need a front weight now? I'd prefer not to. I intend to use the tractor for, perhaps, a rear-mount mower of some kind, (don't know what to get), or just a back blade. Otherwise she'll be for play. Light duty. We're on level ground, by the way.
Dennis
 
CM: Whew. Thank you. First, I have NO front weight inside the nose. So that's easier. With a loader, the PO probably didn't need one. I am going to, first, take off the Wagner loader and sit it aside. Will sell it if I can find someone who can use it. I see NO reason to put it back on considering I think it was a detriment to the health of the front end in the first place. But that may bring up the question, do I need a front weight now? I'd prefer not to. I intend to use the tractor for, perhaps, a rear-mount mower of some kind, (don't know what to get), or just a back blade. Otherwise she'll be for play. Light duty. We're on level ground, by the way.
Dennis
 
CM: "I hope that your new front casting also came from a tractor with an AWF." Ouch. I have no idea what tractor my replacement nose casting came from except it was from an SC. This is not good news unless I get lucky. I plan to put the tractor inside my old building, pull the sheet metal, radiator and then all the axle parts. Once that is done, I guess I'll try to figure out how to tell if I have the right replacement nose piece. I can't imagine how someone would be able to wrestle that nose piece around to do any machining on it!!
 
(quoted from post at 06:50:12 12/15/15) CM: Whew. Thank you. First, I have NO front weight inside the nose. So that's easier. With a loader, the PO probably didn't need one. I am going to, first, take off the Wagner loader and sit it aside. Will sell it if I can find someone who can use it. I see NO reason to put it back on considering I think it was a detriment to the health of the front end in the first place. But that may bring up the question, do I need a front weight now? I'd prefer not to. I intend to use the tractor for, perhaps, a rear-mount mower of some kind, (don't know what to get), or just a back blade. Otherwise she'll be for play. Light duty. We're on level ground, by the way.
Dennis

I have no front weight in on my 52 eagle hitch single front wheel. You should have no issues with a mower. If you use a back blade for light scraping there should be no issue because theres no down pressure its unlikly you will build enough dirt with this blade on hard soil like roads to lift the front end. However if your thinking about pulling heaps of soft dirt do it in reverse by pushing it and that will keep the front end down. You'll be suprised by the amount of dirt it will push.. I found out the hard way in soft soil,But I had a super rhino that was just to heavy not a good match for the tractor. The super Rhino is extremely heavy you can barely keep the front end down just lifting it. In short with a Relatively light blade you can rotate backward you should have no issues.
Good luck with it Byron
 


Christopher Mikesell has been a constant Source of viable done that information for me, and I really cant thank him enough.
Thanks again Christopher
Byron
 
Heres a few pics of my single wheel front casting hope it helps.



31116.jpg
31117.jpg
31118.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 06:50:12 12/15/15) CM: Whew. Thank you. First, I have NO front weight inside the nose. So that's easier. With a loader, the PO probably didn't need one. I am going to, first, take off the Wagner loader and sit it aside. Will sell it if I can find someone who can use it. I see NO reason to put it back on considering I think it was a detriment to the health of the front end in the first place. But that may bring up the question, do I need a front weight now? I'd prefer not to. I intend to use the tractor for, perhaps, a rear-mount mower of some kind, (don't know what to get), or just a back blade. Otherwise she'll be for play. Light duty. We're on level ground, by the way.
Dennis

Were you located I might be interested in the front end loader.
Thanks Byron
 
other than worn parts,, I cant understand what the big deal of dread to change out front ends is all about ,,..??? my great uncles changed out front ends every year on a DC to work the fields,..when my son and his buddy were in the 8th grade .. they swapt out one of my DCs with a dc 4 axle under bolted to the DC and left the goose neck on just for fun to have 4 wheels on the front ,,. should a took pixs ,,. it actually steered with the dc 4 front end ,and the goosenek just glided ,,.
 
01: Thank you for your input. 20 years ago this upcoming chore would not bother me. Now, at 72, with a bad back, no others to assist and two thirds of every day tending a wife in poor health, every job is a big job. The time will come when I will have to give these things up. But I like old tractors, can use them to make my life a bit easier and I'm resisting the inevitable. I'm also enjoying what I can of it, when I can. So, enough whining on my part, my post is to help me use my time efficiently next Spring. This forum is a wonderful place for help and I truly appreciate all of you. My post here this week has already made things easier. So I'll continue to explore this dialogue. Your point is well taken, 01, some things look big until one deals with a given project one step at a time. Thanks, Dennis
 
Bhunt: thank you very much for the good photos and comments. Good stuff. I appreciate you taking the time to do that.
Dennis in E WA
 
yes , beg your pardon ....age has a way of putiing limitations on us for sure ,..I too , have a wife that is recoverin from back surgery ,,. I can hardly type with this worn out old keybd ,.. lol .. I can tell that you are wanting to get all your dux in a row and wanna easily get the sox to glide rite on their feet by careful planning ,, good strategy ,,,as others mentioned the bell housing is best way to support the sc ,.. as far as the tricycle front ,,. do not attempt ALONE unless you have 2 foot strutz in the cultivator brakets ,, you will note that my post mentions 2 people working together when they swapt out frontends ,.,. in all honesty with your good plans and willingness to continue dialogue,, a solo attempt will be successful and should be safe ,, and something to be proud of ,,.. good luck
 
(quoted from post at 01:36:35 12/16/15) Bhunt: I'm about 80 miles WNW of Spokane, Washington state.
Dennis

Thats a bit far for me Dennis Im in Arizona. Sure like to find one some day.
Thanks Byron
 

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