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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

Seized tractor top links

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Charles in Aus.

09-10-2015 15:29:11




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Billy NY had some interesting and practical things to say about the abuse of tractor top links by some owners .
I have at least five that I bought as scrap as they were all seized , including two rare Ferguson adjustables with hand rings . Every single one had the deep gouge marks from Stillson wrenches all over them . I have managed to free all of them with various methods although I did have to resort to slitting the thread and re welding on one of them .
My experience is that heat, or at least too much of it is the worst thing you can try as a first response . The left over grease inside just cooks and hardens then acts like concrete within the threads . The best results have been with prolonged soaking with ATF and Acetone poured into one end or through a hole drilled into the side . Takes about a week but this softens the residual grease . I then try to get a little movement either backwards or forwards , from either end .
Once any movement is felt I usually smack the outsides of the threaded outer case with a hammer , this tends to compress any grease and dirt , loosens any corrosion and lets the ATF solution creep in a little further next time it is put in .
Surprisingly it is usually the right hand thread rather than the left hand end that is hardest to shift .

Once a few turns have been achieved time to soak further is usually all you need .
The only one to refuse to move this way was a Genuine Ferguson FE35 Grey and Gold top link .For this I used a thin kerf cutting blade to carefully cut a slot along the length of the outer tube just over the threads of the seized end . Once cut I simply used a few heavy screwdrivers to prise the sides apart . This slight movement was what it needed to finally move .
To restore it I placed brazing wire in the slot and arc welded over it . The heat from the arc melted the wire and formed around the threads , the end turned freely after this .
Two years on this link has seen heavy service on a mole plough with no hint of failure .

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robert major

09-10-2015 21:00:43




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 Re: Seized tractor top links in reply to Charles in Aus., 09-10-2015 15:29:11  
Hi The brazing repair sounds interesting, I have never got that far for a repair on a top link. the seized ones here i get without stretched threads I heat to a dull cherry red and I always cool them right down after with water, before trying moving the threads, Hot threads will heat seize in a heart beat as you unscrew them. usually as I add the cold water the burned grease soot or rust starts coming out as the water hits it. i did a disc shaft for a customer like that. He couldn't believe the rust that came out and the collar just about fell off. Before he beat on it with a hammer for 10 mins and it never moved. The odd time i might heat and cool twice before the threads or what ever lets go. Heats my method of choice it can save loads of time and get you an answer pretty quick, as to if you need new parts or not if done right. It was shown to me many years ago by an old blacksmith I worked for, I use that method many times in a year Failure rate is very low, and if it don't work i just reheat and hit the torch lever if the things got to come apart for the repair. Regards Robert

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Steve@Advance

09-10-2015 17:49:28




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 Re: Seized tractor top links in reply to Charles in Aus., 09-10-2015 15:29:11  
"To restore it I placed brazing wire in the slot and arc welded over it . The heat from the arc melted the wire and formed around the threads , the end turned freely after this."

Very interesting! Can you elaborate? When you slit it, how deep did you go? And when welding it up, did you weld it with the threaded rod in?

Thanks!



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