On the website are some instructions to tighten the steering system up....here's another old post. .....Walt Kleinbrahm, Bob wrote: > I stumbled upon something that I haven't heard mentioned on the list > before. I had been trying to tighten up my sloppy steering gear > meshing on my stripped down E-20 tractor. Followed all the > recomedations on the list, including grinding down the base of > steering shaft pinion gear holder. Placing extra shims on fan gear > shaft, etc. Non of these were giving me much satisfaction when > turning the wheel with the potential for slop still being there. I > was doing all this with the front side covers off of the tractor as I > am in the process of rebuilding it after a frame weld job. I took > this opportuinity to replace the rivots that hold the side panels on > with rivot/nuts. Rivot/nuts are very interesting in that they require > you to drill out the original rivots from the tractor and then replace > them with the 2 piece rivot/nut assembly. Basically you use a special > tool which compresses the rivot/nut assembly in the new drilled out > hole. This allows you to use regular screw type bolts to attach > panels to the tractor. It makes it easy to remove components like the > side panels and fenders, etc and then simply screw them back on. > Anyway, in the process of putting the panels back on I noticed that > you really had to pull the front of the tractor into the main upright > housing of tractor to get the rivot/nut holes to align properly. This > pulling together of the steering housing and the front of the tractor > has tightened up the gears so much that I ended up removing the shim from the fan gear assembly. > > I would guess that some of you have front panels that the rivots have > deteriated to the point that they are no longer pulling the front and > middle of tractor tightly together. I obtained my rivot/nut kit from > J.C. Whitney catalog and it has been a great tool for working on these > great tractors. > > Bob Kleinbrahm > From: elec-trak-bounces cosmos phy tufts edu [mailto:elec-trak-bounces cosmos phy tufts edu] On Behalf Of RJ Kanary Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2008 4:34 PM To: e s Cc: Elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu Subject: Re: (ET) My 'new' E12S Let me know what your ambition level is and I'll coach you through the remedies for Large Frame Tractor Steering Woes. RJ e s wrote: Well, finally got an Elec-trak after some months of looking. Got it home over the weekend and promptly fried the fwd/rev relay. Ahh well, Harold is sending a new one. The steering has enough play between the pinion and sector gear that it can skip if you try to turn it while not rolling. I think I can adjust the column a little to tighten it up, and perhaps ad a washer behind the sector gear, but are there any other tricks? i think there must be wear in the casting at the base of the steering column that allows this. Otherwise, once it gets brakes[also on the way] it should be fine. Keith |