He Rebuilds Tractor Power Steering Pumps

He Rebuilds Tractor Power Steering Pumps FARM SHOP Parts 14-4-28 Ohio farmer and specialty machine shop operator Lloyd Van Boven of Wellington is doing a booming business rebuilding old power steering pumps on Oliver, Ford and Minneapolis Moline tractors. The tractors are fitted with GM "Saginaw" power steering pumps built in Saginaw, Mich. If your pump wears out, no re-placement parts or pumps are available from the manufacturer. Your only recourse is to buy a replacement model made by TRW, Charlyn or other manufacturers for $1,200 to $1,400. Van Boven says you can some-times find a used pump at a salvage yard but it'll probably have lots of hours on it. "I install all new seals and replace or rebuild the cam track. Each job is different, depending on how the unit was maintained. If fluid was replaced regularly, damage is usually much less. Once the pump's rebuilt I recalibrate it so it'll work like new," says Van Boven. The only repair he doesn't make to pumps is to replace the top spline if it's torn off. However, if the end of your steering shaft is worn, he makes a better-than-new tool steel splined insert that he can install in place of the worn-out original for $100. The cost of rebuilding a pump is $300. Turnaround time is generally 3 days but he recommends you call first. Van Boven rebuilds all Oliver 1600's through 1900's, 1650's through 1950's, 880's, and Oliver combines. He also rebuilds pumps from Ford 4000 Hi Crop from 1967 through 1970, 8,000'sand9,000'sfrom 1968 through 1972, and 8600's and 9600's from 1968 through 1973, as well as selected Minneapolis Molines. The same Saginaw pump is found on a number of other tractors, back-hoes, forklifts and other equipment. "So far as I know, no one else does this type of rebuild job. I have to build all replacement parts myself. A number of tractor dealers stock my rebuilt pumps in their parts departments," says Van Boven, who also does specialty machining of air-craft gears and bearings as well as high-precision plastic moldings in his farm-based shop. Other farm equipment repair parts that Van Boven produces include a repair of an engine casting for IH combines and heavy-duty replacement bolts on IH hydro clutches. "There's a casting at the rear of the engine on IH 615, 715 and 815 combines that wears out and has to be replaced at a cost of about $1,500. I've got a tool that lets you bore through the existing casting and use a special driver to install replaceable bushings that can be greased so you'll never have to replace the casting again. `The problem with hydro clutches on Case tractor models 770, 870, 970, 1070, 2090, 2290, 2470, and 2670 is that they have 3/8-in. bolts that break off. I double the strength of the clutch by boring them out and installing 7/16-in. bolts. It works so well many dealers in this area automatically send out clutches to have them modified when rebuilding them," says Van Boven. For more information, contact FARM SHOW Followup, Lloyd Van Boven, Van's ServiceCenter,42667 State Rt.18, Welling-ton, Ohio 44090 (ph 216 647-2652).

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