Rockshaft Freeing

[dr1zsk1]

I am working on freeing up a Rockshaft on a 420 Crawler. I have turned it over. Put an air valve on the drain plug, filled it with PB Blaster with 120# of air in it. Hopefully it will free up. I have a porta-power pushing on the shaft. I would appreciate any suggestions.

I saw one by Lavoy about filling it with penetrating solvent, and one with water and I think if this doesn't work it will be my next step.

I have access to a huge ole Rosebud and can put the fire to it if I need to. How much of the case from the ends actually have contact with the rockshaft itself?


[/img]

[Lavoy]

Drain it, fill it with water, and or throw it in a deep mud puddle, and leave it there for a week or so. Most if not all penetrants are a waste of time for something truly rust frozen. Water is by far the best rust penetrant there is.
Lavoy

[JD440ICD2006]

I have an idea. You could ship it to me (I will pay one way shipping), and I will get it loose.
Seriously, I would enjoy having the problem of owning one of those that is stuck.
Good luck!

[Pat]

Had the same problem. Took Lavoys' advice, filled it with water, and in less than a week, it turned with a crescent wrench.

[DukeofDeere]

Leave it upside down.
Fill it with diesel fuel, fuel oil, or paint thinner.
Add a grease zerk to the drain plug opening....
Pump grease in till you have fuel coming from the ends of the rockshaft.
Turn it by hand.
Maybe....

Duke

[JD440ICD2006]

Heavy marketing budgets coupled with fancy ads and claims will never admit to us that WATER, as Lavoy has taught us, is the best (and cheapest) rust desolver.
Next time you get your favorite can, study a few things. The shape, the graphics and claims on the label, the smell (they add smells based on reseacrh), the color (they add colors based on research), etc.
One that I thought for years worked pretty well actually contains efervesence (bubbles). After it was pointed out to me, you can see bubbles that disappear after you spray it. It makes it "APPEAR" to be soaking right in as they claim. All it is doing is standing higher until the bubbles go away.
Water, I should be canning it and putting a fancy label on them. The claims, unlike the high priced stuff, would be true!

[Paul Buhler]

Water is called the universal solvent. One reason explained below:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index ... 834AADFXvm

Google "water, universal solvent" for other explanations.

Lavoy reminded me of this fact a few years ago too. Paul

[dr1zsk1]

Okay - tried the universal solvent with about 800 degrees of warmth. It worked. It broke free. Left the air chuck hooked up while moved it with a porta power and a sledge. It eventually started to move. Left it over night with PB Blaster and by morning it was leaking out both ends.



Now I have another problem.



Severe pitting where the seal goes. Do I have any suggestions?

[gus]

There are machine shops that do flame spraying. They cut down the damaged area and flame spray/build up the area then remachine to original demensions. My buddy used to do a lot of it then sold that part of his business.

He used to build up Cat and combine pulleys but also did shafts. The new area will outlast the original as the material is hard.

I wouldn't dso it on an original but I just drilled and tapped the 3 pt I made and put grease fittings into the bearing area. That would only be a last resort on an original.

[JD440ICD2006]

Is there fluid inside that seal? I thought the 3 point for the crawler was a dry rockshaft other than lube for it to turn.
What is the seal sealing?

[dr1zsk1]

The rockshaft has a filler plug on the back about 1/2 way up the body of the casting, it holds 90 wt trans oil. There is no way for the grease to get up to the top of the rockshaft itself except for a very slight wicking. The shaft is smooth so it doesn't have any way of "picking up" the oil. That would seem to the a major issue as well as the rust was pretty bad on this one.

I'm considering having it cut down to round and then using a different seal, the problem is it probably needs more cutting than you could compensate for and be able to get the new seal over the the existing splines.

I don't think there is anything really critical about it.

I could drill and tap for a couple of grease zerts at each end and pump it full of grease, a factory seal would help hold that back at least.

I don't know -- I would sure appreciate suggestions!!

If Shinnery is around He's near me maybe we can come up with something. I lost his number though.

[shinnery]

Have you checked the bearing shops on Treadaway in Abilene if there is a speedysleeve that diameter? Several grease zerts sounds like a good idea also. It would just take a little longer when you grease it.
Bryce


Ps just checked my profile, I thought my ph. number would be there but it is not try 32five 53seven 256four.

[Lavoy]

Put a grease zerk in the oil fill hole, and pump the housing full of grease. There is no need to put any additional zerks in.
Lavoy

[Paul Buhler]

I was wondering if this area could be filled with epoxy steel and filed/sanded down to round? The seal would ride on the now smoother surface and hold in most of the grease and not tear the seal. This "fix" is not as good as the others suggested, but might work, be inexpensive, and quick. Best of all its easily reversible if a better fix becomes available. Just a thought. Paul

[andregrondin]

I was wondering if this area could be filled with epoxy steel and filed/sanded down to round? The seal would ride on the now smoother surface and hold in most of the grease and not tear the seal. This "fix" is not as good as the others suggested, but might work, be inexpensive, and quick. Best of all its easily reversible if a better fix becomes available. Just a thought. Paul

Smell Like JB-WELD fixer-upper but I like the idea !!!!
that is a good one Paul !