Power Steering Cylinder Repair, Kama 554

[3RRL]

With all this talk of getting my steering to work better, I was going to remove the power steering cylinder and dis-assemble it to check for nicks or whatever to see if I could find anything obviously wrong with it and repair it if needed. I noticed that the bolts holding the mount to the front axle had come loose. In order to get to those bolts on the top, I needed to remove the pivot pin to get to the last one. You can barely get a wrench on it and you can't get a socket on it because the pin that holds the cylinder on and the Zerk get in the way.
Here is the cylinder, the mounting bracket on the axle housing and a close up.



These pictures show a good view of the pin that holds the cylinder in the bracket and the little bolt that holds the pin in place. I removed the little bolt and slid the pin up to get it out. Guess what? The pin's shoulder hits the casting above it. In order to get the pin out, I'll somehow have to cut off part of the shoulder and also part of the pin. When the pin is lifted up and against the casting, it is still engaged to the cylinder clevis, so I'm NOT sure how much of the pin and shoulder will need to be cut off. Needless to say, doing all that upside down and under the tractor will not be easy. What can I get in there to cut with?



Then if I ever did get the pin out, I was going to turn the bracket upside down so the pin would go in from the bottom, but you can see the bracket is not symmetrical! If I want to have the pin go in from the bottom, I'll have to drill and tap the bracket. Plus the pivot will not be in the same place. Needless to say, I probably won't do that anyway.



I decided to wait until I have more time. I have the filter on order, so I'll wait to do the whole thing when that gets here. If you're following my Log Home and Barn Thread, you'll see I have plenty of other stuff to do. Even trying to tighten those bolts was a pain.
How did those Chinese assemble this thing in the first place?
Rob-

[bradblazer]

Hey Rob,
You parked in the wrong spot!
If you put the left front wheel in a dip or even just lift the front end with the loader the axle should pivot enough to get in there and get the pin out. I looked at mine and it should work.

If that's not enough it's not all that hard to unbolt the axle pivot and drop the whole thing.

If you still want to put the pin in from the bottom for future access can you tap a new hole for the keeper screw in the bottom of the bracket?

Brad

[3RRL]

Wouldn't you know it, I finally get a flat clean spot to work on and now I need a friggen dip!
That is a good suggestion and I'll park one front wheel on some 8 x 8's. That should give me a little more access. I don't know if you've experienced it or not, but a lot of the castings have the bolt holes so close to projections that you can get a wrench on the bolt sometimes ... at least not perfectly. They don't machine counter bore for clearance so you can get a socket on there. I found that on some of the bolts for the hydraulic housings and trans too.
I mentioned I could drill and tap the opposite side of the bracket, but I may just cut that pin. Don't know yet.
Thanks,
Rob-

[GuglioLS]

Howdy Rob,

What a predicament the way that thing is bolted together. The instruments I work on have no easier access to the hardware holding them together. I suppose you know the old saying - "The engineer who designed this should be shot"? LOL. I suppose in China they might just do that (shoot the engineer) or at the very least reduce his ration of rice. I think engineers who design this sort of stuff should be made to assemble, then service their designs in the field with basic hand tools, then send them back to the drawing board to fix what they screw up.

You really think the cylinder has anything to do with the steering issues? I place my bets on weak pressure coming from the steering pump.

Larry

[bradblazer]

These are a piece of cake compared to the ones holding the 3ph box in place lol.

I see now where you mentioned drilling and tapping. You confused me by following that with "Plus the pivot will not be in the same place." If you only change the pin insertion direction you should be fine.

You can replace the HHCS mounting bolts with SHCS. I know it is a PITA just getting the replacements. I'm guessing size but check these out at www.mcmaster.com p/n 91760A510. Self locking w/ nylon patch

I don't think the problem is unique to Chinese tractors. That backhoe valve I was working on has some big thin hex heads that you can't get a thin-walled socket on with the spool spring caps in place and the open end wrench just barely gets in there.
On the Belarus access to the bolt circles that secure the rear axle housings ranges from poor to impossible to get at. They kept working loose until I figured out the dowel pins had either disengaged or disappeared. I made new pins and keepers and so far it's holding. Another stupid Russian feature - to access the hydraulic filter I have to remove the seat, remove an access panel under it, remove half the bolts for the floorpan/fender assembly and jack that up, and access is still a pain. It's all spelled out in the owner's manual.

On my new-to-me 2007 Mazda 3, there is a plastic pan held on by about 7 screws that has to be removed to CHANGE THE OIL. Plus it sits too low to think about getting under it without ramps. No way is it worth it to me to change the oil myself. Once was enough.

I guess Marketing got with the Designers and bullied the Engineers out of the room.


Brad

[3RRL]

Larry,
I don't think it's the cylinder really.
But it could be or part of the problem. Mostly I'm thinking it's a piece of crap floating around.
Anyway, when I was in the barn smoking a cigarette and relaxing after just moving and wrestling with 50 tons or boulders, I was looking at the Kama parked in there. I was on cruise control when I noticed the loose bolts on the bracket. WTF now?? I figured before tightening them back up, well, ...it looked easy to take it apart and check for crap inside it or maybe sheared "O"rings etc. lol ... WRONG!!! ;D
That's all I was gonna do. Screw that now. I'll wait until I have more time to work on it proper.

Brad,
These are a piece of cake compared to the ones holding the 3ph box in place lol.
Yeah, you got that right. Remember my thread on all that hydraulic box repair work I did? I know first hand about those and others too. That is what I was getting at in one of the follow up posts.
lol ... Perhaps one of my "NO wall on one side" thin sockets will work for some of that stuff? ;D

[baknblack]

Hey rob, it might be easier to just unbolt the whole front end to get to the cylinder.

When I had to replace my differential I had the front end down in about 30 min.

[3RRL]

Thank you,
I will consider all the options once i get to doing it...whatever it takes.
Rob-

[captinjack]

Hey Rob. Can you remove the four bolts and remove the entire stay to the front axle rather than driving out the pin? The axle oil will probably drain out, but you could capture it in a clean pan and reuse if desired.

[psj12]

Rob, did you ever get around to the rebuild on the steer cylinder?

I talked with ARTRAC about a rebuild kit and he said he had none in stock and that his mechanics had never figured out how to get a stiff plastic seal on the piston.

He did have complete cylinders but I am afraid of the same QC problems that might be present in the existing unit. I have had fluid bypassing in mine since day one.

I asked him to try and get a kit in his next conex due in Dec.

[affordable]

Can you send me a pic of your cylinder, I have alot of different kits and may have one that will work.Also a size of your cylinder rod


[e-mail]


Tommy
Affordable Tractor Sales Co
"Your Jinma Parts Superstore"
www.affordabletractorsalesco.com

[bradblazer]

Parry,
Are you talking about the way you have to keep turning the steering wheel when in a constant radius turn, especially when roading?
I was looking at steering valves at Surplus Center and noticed this description : "Non load reaction - Steering cylinder ports are blocked in neutral, locking the axle position when the operator releases the steering wheel."
So I thought hmm, I wonder if that will work on the Kama? Sure enough, if I take pressure off the steering wheel it will spring back and straighten slightly but then hold position much better than if I keep pressure on the wheel.

Works for me anyhow,
Brad

[psj12]

Yes I am talking about the need to constantly turn the steering wheel in one direction to maintain a straight line. I have not tried your method but rarely seem to be in a situation where I can release pressure on the steering. Any roading is done on crowned country roads and only a portion of my property is flat.

I am not in a position to measure or photograph the cylinder until next spring. I am in the land of taxes (Maryland) and the tractor is in OK.

[bradblazer]

The steering technigue I was trying to describe works for a constant radius curve or a crowned road. Just over-correct slightly then let the steering wheel spring to where it would go if you released it and the wheels will be locked in position. It will not spring all the way to center like a car. If you don't do that, it's like the steering valve is in a slow float mode and the wheels will slowly track torwards where the terrain and/or wheel castor dictates.

Conversely, since the effect is coming from the steering box that means the steering cylinder is probably fine.

[3RRL]

Oct 20, 2009 10:24:57 GMT -5 psj12 said:

Rob, did you ever get around to the rebuild on the steer cylinder?

I talked with ARTRAC about a rebuild kit and he said he had none in stock and that his mechanics had never figured out how to get a stiff plastic seal on the piston.

He did have complete cylinders but I am afraid of the same QC problems that might be present in the existing unit. I have had fluid bypassing in mine since day one.

I asked him to try and get a kit in his next conex due in Dec.

Hi Parry,
No, I never did rebuild the cylinder.
Without a clue why, the steering works perfectly like power steering should. Then once in a while it will not react ... like no power steering. I drained the hydraulic fluid and changed the filter just recently, but I still get an occasional "no power steering" attack. I used AW32 to refill. Since it is very infrequent, I've decided I can live with it for now.
Rob-