Sealing the Propeller Shaft Ball Joint

NorCalOrange

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B2150HST, Brush Hog, FEL, Post Hole Digger
Mar 24, 2019
74
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Newcastle, Ca.
The propeller shaft ball joint is not completely sealed when assembled and installed. The four rails/channels that the four ball bearings ride in are open and can allow dirt and debris inside. Or, can allow grease to escape. The ball joint on my tractor was completely dry and void of any grease but did contain a very hard residue buildup that looked like old baked grease with debris mixed in.


I have a couple ideas of how to seal the joint. One is to make a type of boot similar to what a cv joint has. Since the ball joint does not rotate off axis very much, maybe wrapping a piece of an inner tube loosely around the joint and attaching it with clamps. Or, simply apply RTV silicone, I already have some Permatex Ultra Copper RTV, on the exterior of the four channels and c clip. If the yoke and c clip are clean, the silicone should adhere. Not sure for how long though.


Any other ideas or suggestions? Waste of time?
 

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D2Cat

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Somehow it made it for 25 years, I'd leave it alone. Don't need to over think it! When you idea comes loose it could possibly cause additional problems in there.
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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The propeller shaft ball joint is not completely sealed when assembled and installed.
There are millions of these exact joints on tractors, some models even have 2 of them, they have been using the same exact joint for 40+ years, none of them are sealed, if it was an issue Kubota would have re engineered them long ago, leave it alone!
 

SidecarFlip

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There are millions of these exact joints on tractors, some models even have 2 of them, they have been using the same exact joint for 40+ years, none of them are sealed, if it was an issue Kubota would have re engineered them long ago, leave it alone!
You an't no fun.....:eek:
 

NorCalOrange

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B2150HST, Brush Hog, FEL, Post Hole Digger
Mar 24, 2019
74
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Newcastle, Ca.
For some reason the one D2Cat installed in 2015 is very different. The washer and one seal are both shaped different to fit into the ball bearing channels. And it has a Zerk fitting. Maybe D2Cat added the zerk.

Kubota sent me a pic of a ball joint they have in stock and the washer and seals OD are round.

You guys certainly have lots of experience. It just seemed to make sense to seal completely as it is no different then a cv joint or u joint and those are sealed.


Update:

Out of curiosity I searched for propeller shaft boot. The later model BX24 has a similar ball joint design with ball bearings and has a boot to cover it. However, a couple threads mentioned changing the boot every 400 hours and failing sooner.
 

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North Idaho Wolfman

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I don't know why you're bent on reengineering the wheel???? :confused:

But well good luck to ya. ;)
 
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B6000ME

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Jul 23, 2018
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When I replaced the propeller shaft on my B6100 due to the bad pilot bearing, I bought all the new parts for the joint at the rear. Upon disassembly I discovered that none of the parts had any issues or major wear in a tractor with over 2000 hours and over 40 years old. I did put the new parts in, but I kept the old ones for spare parts as well.
 

NorCalOrange

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B2150HST, Brush Hog, FEL, Post Hole Digger
Mar 24, 2019
74
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Newcastle, Ca.
I don't know why you're bent on reengineering the wheel???? :confused:

But well good luck to ya. ;)
I repeat, as you can see in the pic of D2Cats bearing I posted above, it has been "reengineered". Dont know if Kubota did it or ? Also, Kubota correctly covers the propeller shaft bearing with a boot on later model BX and possibly others.

The luck needed is that the replacement bearing lasts longer then 600 hours ;)



When I replaced the propeller shaft on my B6100 due to the bad pilot bearing, I bought all the new parts for the joint at the rear. Upon disassembly I discovered that none of the parts had any issues or major wear in a tractor with over 2000 hours and over 40 years old. I did put the new parts in, but I kept the old ones for spare parts as well.
Others fail with less then 1000 hours. Threads about this on other tractor forums also. Mine had less then 650 hours. Notice no grease in ball joint.
 

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North Idaho Wolfman

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Sandpoint, ID
I repeat, as you can see in the pic of D2Cats bearing I posted above, it has been "reengineered". Dont know if Kubota did it or ? Also, Kubota correctly covers the propeller shaft bearing with a boot on later model BX and possibly others.

The luck needed is that the replacement bearing lasts longer then 600 hours ;)





Others fail with less then 1000 hours. Threads about this on other tractor forums also. Mine had less then 650 hours. Notice no grease in ball joint.
The newer models require the joint to be covered because the HST unit, right behind the joint, has a fan on it, so water/ debris will get blown directly into the joint, yours does not have that fan or that issue.

I have a 40+ year old B7100 here with more hours and abuse than you can ever imagine and that joint has zero wear, and no it does not have the fancy 4 little tabs on the washer either, just a round washer.

Why yours wore out so quickly is anyone's guess, but I highly doubt you'll use it enough to wear it out again!

Hey it's your tractor do whatever you want, I've just tried to explain that your worried about things that don't need worried about! ;)
 

NorCalOrange

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B2150HST, Brush Hog, FEL, Post Hole Digger
Mar 24, 2019
74
1
8
Newcastle, Ca.
The newer models require the joint to be covered because the HST unit, right behind the joint, has a fan on it, so water/ debris will get blown directly into the joint, yours does not have that fan or that issue.

I have a 40+ year old B7100 here with more hours and abuse than you can ever imagine and that joint has zero wear, and no it does not have the fancy 4 little tabs on the washer either, just a round washer.

Why yours wore out so quickly is anyone's guess, but I highly doubt you'll use it enough to wear it out again!

Hey it's your tractor do whatever you want, I've just tried to explain that your worried about things that don't need worried about! ;)

I will grease the heck out of it and go with it Parts are to be shipped today.



In my haste and curiosity during disassembly of the ball joint, I did not note the direction of how the smaller yoke, propeller shaft yoke, was installed. The shear pin hole is offset to the ball bearings so the direction of the smaller yoke install can change the propeller shaft length a bit.

Any idea which is correct?

For some reason I can not post pics. I even reduced the file size... I will email them.