What I found today

I made some more progress on the 300 today. I put the TA housing on an old copier cart on casters that I had saved and put in the shed with the idea that it would come in handy someday. The pilot bearing had indeed fallen apart as was foretold by various wise sages on this forum. I found one roller by the seasonal disconnect lever, so it must have hopped through the round hole in the front of the transmission housing. The other bearings I have seen so far are all in remarkably good shape, it looks to me like they were put in new by the previous mechanic. I have one axle out now and I found that the outer bearing had been installed with the shield on the inside (toward the center of the tractor), which is backwards of how I thought it was supposed to be, so I plan to turn it around before reassembly. I took one brake apart and found it is in very good shape and the seal looks new. I was going to think about putting H axles in it since I do not want the extra length but I found that the H axles have 16 splines and the 300 have only 14 splines, so that idea goes out the window. Tomorrow I hope to finish the teardown. I am wondering about what is the best liquid to clean the inside of the castings. I was thinking about diesel fuel and an old paint brush but if there is a better way I would like to find out. I also am wondering what to use when I am setting the mesh and backlash on the ring and pinion. My I&T manual says to use "Prussian blue or red lead" and I am wondering if there is some other material that is in use now. Thank you all very much for your patience with my many questions.
Zach

the axle bearing was installed correctly.

You have really done a lot of work there Zach. I'm impressed.

Glenn F.

> My I&T manual says to use "Prussian blue or red
> lead" and I am wondering if there is some other
> material that is in use now.

I just use Magic Marker where prussian blue is called for.

The use of any bearing that is substantially tight, clean and (after looking with a magnifying glass) has no marks in balls or races. will be OK.
Kero, or diesel (cheaper) is fine. Using air to blow out small crevices and openings is also reasonable. Red Lead is not optional today, but Prussian Blue is both fine and available. The pattern should be uniform across the ring gear tooth flank, while the backlash is in spec.
Jim

Well and old trick i have used on setting up and ring and pinion is heavy black grease . NOW KEEP IN MIND HERE that the BOOK gives set up for NEW not used and always use a set , not this part from one and the other from another and try and get the shims from the donor tractor . also do not try for FACTORY SET ON BACKLASH . IF you have a good centered drive and a decent coast and you can not throw a cat thru on the backlash your good to go . And one tiny little tidbit , when your putting things back together take a heavy rubber band and wrap it tight around the input bearing as this keeps the rollers tight and less chance of knocking them out when you put the T/A housing on and also use guide studs . Don't worry about removal of the rubber band as it will dissolve over time .

when i worked in a gm garage in the 80's the diff marking compound was yellow.

Good progress!

Diesel is great for cleaning in there. I use a one gallon pump sprayer and a couple of 5 gallon buckets under the front and rear to catch the drainage. Get a big funnel and make a "filter" out of a paper shop towel and then refill the sprayer from the 5 gallon buckets. Save the dirty diesel and over time the metal bits settle out and then you can use it again when you clean out the next one.

The marking compound for the gear pattern is just thick colored grease that wipes away and reveals the contact area. I think a small tube of artist type oil paint would work. It doesn't take very much.

The shield does go to the inside. Helps keep the grease from migrating away from the bearing when you're plowing with one wheel in the furrow.

I would pull each axle housing off separately for cleaning as a lot of trash can hide up in there. I like to use Permatex Ultra-black silicone for sealing in lieu of gaskets.

If you want yo use the H axles you will have to use the H bull gears as wel. You will also have to make a sleeve to go on the axle on the inside where it goes through the inner bearing,the H axle is a little smaller there.a lot of work to shorten axles easier to cut yours off.

Thanks, I have decided I will just leave the axles as they are for now. At some later point I may cut them off, but I will first have to figure out a way to do it neatly.
Zach

Thanks, I will pull the axle housing on the left first because it needs a gasket and I will clean it out inside. I didn't realize how the bearing shield was supposed to work. Some of the H and Super H axles I have pulled have had the bearing the other way, but I was not putting them back together so I didn't have to think much about it.
Zach

Thanks, the tip about the rubber band is a great idea. I would not have guessed that I could do that and leave it in there. When you say "coast" I am not sure what that means in this case, but I do understand what you are saying about the used parts being worn. The book says that the gears are supposed to mesh only near the toe of the tooth when they are not under load, but I think from what you are saying that that would no longer be true of a used set? Thank you very much.
Zach

Thank you very much. I had not thought about air but I will definitely use it. The bearings seem to have retainers that hide the balls themselves but I do see how to check the races. I am wondering if the pattern should be uniform from the root to the crown of the tooth or from heel to toe? Would I ask for Prussian Blue at an auto parts store or somewhere else? Thanks for the help.
Zach

Thank you both, I didn't realize that marker would work. I will try to get Prussian Blue if it can be had locally.
Zach

Thanks, I appreciate the help.
Zach

Prussian Blue is made by Permatex and comes in small tubes...if you want a tube, I've got an extra, send me your address and I'll mail it to you....I got about four tubes of it by writing to Permatex and inquiring, they sent them to me free of charge...let me know. Hugh, 318-465-0797

Note that Magic Marker doesn"t transfer the way real machinist"s prussian blue does: it just wears away at the contact points. This is good enough for most purposes but if you are doing scraping you may want to get the real thing or at least find something that behaves similarly.

The Prussian Blue is called that as far as I know everywhere. The pattern should be centered in the height and length of the teeth (drive and driven).
The straight bevel gear will have a pattern that is longer along the tooth than the spiral bevel shown.
Put drag on the ring gear by applying the brakes while turning the pinion. There is no adjustment for perpendicularity as the case is the case. Also there is no up and down alignment for the same reason. Adjustments are pinion rearward (in), or toward the trans (out), and backlash ring gear into mesh or out of mesh farther. Good luck, Jim
section 19.2 of the following link

a portable bandsaw cuts axels off very nicely, or if they are off use a regular metal band saw.

Thank you, that was very informative. My I&T manual didn't tell me to put the brakes on, so that will be a good thing to know too. I will try a couple of local auto parts stores tomorrow to see if they have Prussian Blue.
Zach

I agree with throwing a cat through the back lash gap. What ever they were run at before, leave it no matter how much back lash. If you could take any donor parts out your self that would really help on setting them gears back the way they were.

Crisco and blue food coloring mixed work well. Wipe it off though. Jim

Before you remove the ring gear or pinion measure the backlash with a dial indicator. After you replace the bearings re-set to same spec.

Sure seems a shame to cut 'em off though. Make a wider
shed door. How many H & 300 owners wanting duals wish
they had the long axels. Once they're lopped off.......


Glenn F.

Thank you for your kind offer. I went to our local independent parts store/industrial supply place and while the didn't have Prussian Blue on the shelf they were able to order it and it will be in tomorrow. The nicest part is that it only cost $4 for the tube.
Zach