640 Steering

Doug (OH) · Jun 1, 2014

I'm baaack. Hope you all had a great spring. So today I set out to do some mowing with my '55 640 and the steering fails. Turn to left, wheels pretty much stayed straight ahead. Turn to right, free spinning steering wheel till it caught, then could turn right almost normally. Upon limping back to home base, the steering pretty much locked up at straight ahead, and now cannot be turned in any direction. Upon further inspection I noticed that the steering shaft was sticking up about an inch or so above the column. Just wondering what kind of fun am I looking at here? Thanks a bunch in advance. Doug

cbrown9064 · Jun 2, 2014

You need to remove the steering box and take apart. Getting it off is the fun part, the box itself is dead simple. I&T FO-20 talks about it, and so does the factory reprint service manual.

No need to remove hood, but you need to remove the bolts holding it to the wrap around the steering column and need to remove the dash.

Any way once you remove the box from the tractor, and have on bench, you will see the problemo. Bet the top bearing let go some time ago from lack of lube and the big needle bearings got in the "works" and broke some teeth.

Bottom line, the boxes are dead simple to repair. Get it off the tractor and post back.
Chris

souNdguy · Jun 2, 2014

for sure sounds like the top thrust bearing let go, that's why you can get rise.

rollers probably fell into the sector gears. if you are lucky they just lodged in the gearing locking it, vs busting teeth.

bottom thrust bearing, iff loose, mah have been mashed too on subsequent steering attempts.

at a minmum, i's put in both thrust beairngs, and the upper column bearing if needed. should do seals.. etc. but at leas the thrust brearings. MINIMUM. then grease her up with 0 or 00 ep grease and then adjsut sector backlash and go.

mind the shim stack and thrust bearing preload.

Doug (OH) · Jun 2, 2014

Thanks Soundguy. I'll do just that and check back! Up here in Ohio, we finally are getting corn and bean planting wrapped up. Late due to lots of rain week after week. How are things looking your way?
Doug

Doug (OH) · Jun 2, 2014

Thanks Chris! I remember hearing some time ago that there's some kind of filler hole for grease on the box and if you don't get the filler tube just right, you still missed where it needs to be lubed. I checked it out once but had a hard time finding it. Any help is welcomed!
Doug

souNdguy · Jun 3, 2014

alternates from too haot and dry to rain in the afternoons preventing you from getting any outside-farm-work done when you get off work.

640 Steering

Doug (OH)

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cbrown9064

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souNdguy

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Doug (OH)

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Doug (OH)

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souNdguy

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