Leaky hub seal turned into a machining job on this Ford TW25 tractor!

This big old brute of a Ford TW25 tractor came in for a simple front axle hub seal replacement, however, after taking it apart the sealing surfaces on the steering joints were found to be baldly worn, pitted and scored. New genuine replacements are obsolete and the non genuine are of poor quality so the decision was made to repair the old ones.
Into the lathe they go to machine out the damaged surface. Fire up the newly purchased jasic tig welded and test out my very limited tig welding skills! Machined back down to size and refitted with new seals the brass bearings/bushes.
Hope you enjoyed the video and thanks for watching!

[@colddiesel]

"Not Rocket Science." Then proceeds to do what 99.9% of rocket scientists would run a mile from! Good quality practical work.

[@beakittelscherz5419]

Came for the Tractor, stayed for the show! Working badass Hellfire stuff like that ..and then cooling it off with grandma’s Cattle.... that's the most British thing I've ever seen ... 😂😂😂 Love your Content!

[@philliphall5198]

I’ve overhauled several of these and really they were good tractors for the smaller farmers back in the day 😊. I still work on the really older ones all the time at 73 and retired diesel mechanic 😊😊😊

[@philliphall5198]

I was wondering why you didn’t do both sides and then I remembered how dam tight the farmers are and why I went to diesel school and heavy duty trucks and frac equipment, smartest thing I ever did 😊

[@user-ft2zh4bp9d]

Nice to see someone who can do the job properly 👌👌

[@philliphall5198]

I remember making a tool to adjust the preload on the bearing 30 or 40 years ago, My have been longer, had a service truck then 😊😊😊

[@daftDAFdriver]

Love the attitude…. Why are there not more creators like this just get stuck in…. It’s not rocket science Keep up the good work 👍

[@mfc4591]

So good to watch a man work who knows what he is doing.

[@gerryboard6615]

The trouble with old workhorses like this one is the multitude of sins you find the deeper you get in, one thing always leads to another. A suitable candidate for spray welding but the tig fix looks good. Good video, plenty of content and speeded up in the right places. Look forward to more like this.

[@snowballengineering]

You’re not wrong there! I’ve never had a go at spray welding yet. Thanks!

[@johnsmith-xr6qy]

You always do a proper job of what ever job you do. Well done!

[@davidegan4124]

Mechanicing…..my new word! 😊

[@CitroTeam]

It's not rocket science but it's very close. Excellent service.

[@Biffo1262]

Those parts seem like prime candidates for spray welding.

[@KittyDad]

You needed a couple cans of brake clean to spray in that hub once you removed the cover and planets off of it. You’d be really suprised what a good job that stuff will do to clean things up!! You’ll never want to be without it again!!

[@richardcawthorpe]

Well you wiil not be getting any fault codes and add blue trouble's with that old girl ! Nice video well explained

[@grantfuller2016]

No experience on tractors , but I’ve worked on ATVs for 30 years and always had good results from speedi sleeves . You don’t machine the shaft down , they just go on top of the damage . There’s a few tricks though ( you can’t just bash them on and expect that they will stay on )

[@alansmith5690]

Considering you had never done that before and not much practice with TIG you made that look really easy. The sign of a master mechanic.

[@carloskawasaki656]

Thank you for sharing, I learn a lot 👍👍👍👍

[@davidmcc359]

Brilliant as always to watch engineering completed by an competent and confident mechanic.

[@robertpeters9438]

I recomend you get a kneeling pad to prevent knee problems later.

[@philipsfavorite]

Keep up the work. Enjoy watching.

[@vinnyhern]

wouldn't mind watching a minute or two of a good snow or wind storm! 👍👍

[@tvergarcia4630]

I like how you fixed the problem. I have repaired the same problem with what is called a speedy slave. That is a thin stainless sleeve installed over the warn part, then new seal installed.

[@philliphall5198]

Wishing you still had the number of the sleeve, I need two of them really bad and I’m terrible on the internet looking up parts 😊😊

[@philliphall5198]

If you still have the speedy sleeves number would you mind sharing it with me, Please 🙏

[@AbdulKhan-cy3vq]

Admire your effort man with limited tools. Good job. Keep it up. Hopefully someone out there sent you few useful tool's

[@masseymm]

great repair. ZF parts are getting harder to find and when you do find them they are stupid expensive, at least here in Canada they are.

[@camerondadams]

Great content, nice to see something a bit different. "I haven't done one of these before" - could've fooled me.

[@theessexhunter1305]

Good fix, make sure you charge enough as us one man bands often don't.

[@snowballengineering]

I’ve never had anyone complain about charging too much yet so that must mean I’m not be charging enough 🤣

[@theessexhunter1305]

@@snowballengineering I get steel of a very well known firm this way and Tony always says charge them more...lol

[@68balle]

I used to feel the same way about Speedi-sleeve, but after trying them out a few times I found that it is actually a really good way of making this type of repair. It works really well, is durable, and if it wears out you can knock it off and install a new one. I have only tried the SKF ones. Good job! 🙂

[@guzziwheeler]

I also got good results with an SKF Speedy Sleve at the front main seal of my 1978 Moto Guzzi. A 30 minutes fix, unexpensive, and if lasts since 5 years. I am happy with it.

[@davetaylor4741]

TW series Ford tractors. This is an old girl. Probably from the eighties ? When the TW range first came out I was still involved with farming. It would have been late seventies. All our tractors were Fords. I think the range went up to like 7 or 8000 series. And then after that was the TW range. Our dealer was trying to sell us one. So brought one around for us on trial. This was still the days of the smaller fields. The turning circle on the thing was two football pitches. You had to do a six point turn at every end of the field. It went back to the dealer. Like you say it makes a change working on different things. Pays the bills. And makes interesting videos. Win Win.

[@snowballengineering]

1987-1988 this one was registered.

[@johnnyholland8765]

TIG was a good choice. That is a heat treated part so with TIG you put a minimal amount of heat into it and hopefully didn't compromize the strength. Well now you will know how to fix the other side when it goes out. Good job...

[@arejay4965]

Top Notch fabricator, shows us his excellent mechanical skills, all the while getting everything captured on video and edited for the viewers to enjoy. Thank you! Another great video.

[@stuarttinker1462]

Another great video , looking forward to part 3

[@epamanonda1]

Another great vid. 👍. Really enjoy watching um. Looking forward to the next one.

[@jamesriordan3494]

Nice result, change of pace appreciated as well !

[@steviechalmers1218]

Brilliant job , and to do it for the first time just shows your a natural at work , well done 👍

[@hornetboy3694]

Awesome video, great work. Thank you Oliver

[@Dmenbiker]

Nice repair... Excellent seal surface fix... 👍

[@jimsvideos7201]

Good job of wading into something new like that!

[@lovejcdc]

Great video, I always enjoy anything with Ford tractors.

[@derekcomer4858]

New to the channel, really enjoyed watching, thank you 🙏

[@MadMods4u]

Great work as usual. Thanks for sharing the video

[@ordinarymiracles5959]

Well done! Glad there was no fluid in the tire.👍👍👏🏻

[@gbentley8176]

Good job well explained. Old machines and part sourcing is always tricky. Thank you for posting.

[@snowballengineering]

Thank you for watching.

[@stefcampagna2321]

Seems easy when looking the video ... but I know that strong skills are needed. Very good job !

[@kenwood8665]

Keep up the amazing work

[@charlietabone6162]

That was good changing it up

[@nicomeier8098]

Looks like a good job for spray welding.

[@bobhudson6659]

Well done. I know many qualified mechanics who would not have taken the effort and be as meticulous as you have been. Many tap seals and bushes in with hammers, even though they may be soft blow hammers (but with next to no mandrels). If you talk to the seal and thin wall bush manufacturers they always recommend using the press and mandrels as you did. However, on the other side, welding the OD of a shaft when there is a mating inner shaft like you have, has risks. When welding the OD, shaft has a tendency to shrink. Luckily your shafts had enough tolerance and after welding and machining they still fitted together. However when you can't get the right size speedi sleeve, you have little option. So well done. Will see how the TIG heat input affects the shaft. I noticed the glowing material coming off as you were machining the shaft - you were pretty well at the limit of the carbide machine tool inserts - a file would have not touched/marked the shaft. That shaft had hard surfacing. Again, if you can't get the right parts then you have to do what you need to do. Alternative is either to spray weld as some have suggested or scrap the machine - owner would not like that option. You have a lot of skills. Keep doing what you are doing - I've seen a reasonable number of your videos and your work is high quality. As word gets out more and more, you will never be short of all sorts of work - well paying work. Regards. Bob. Retired mechanic/machinist in Land Down Under.

[@philliphall5198]

There’s not many real mechanics alive now and I’m 73 but work one day and rest the next lololo But still at it😊😊😊

[@rosewhite---]

all the right tackle and a big hammer!

[@kenreeve6549]

great little vid thank you and keep up the good work

[@stevefromlondon9175]

Great content good video to watch Regards Steve UK London

[@Spinnaker617]

Excellent work 👍

[@dand5593]

I have seen the spay welding it will work great, but i think it is more costry for this kind of repairs. Well done! I'm just an it keyboard guy but i have many hobbyes, each vid is a joy. Hope to reach fast mil of subs and maybe it will help you and justify to make more vid. Keep going and it will happen!

[@ruthbees7214]

Nice job there very common problem on a county 1004 I had. It was very worn on all the hub seal surfaces they end up with deep grooves heavy part to hold in a lathe.

[@richarddey6793]

Great video fella

[@whathasxgottodowithit3919.]

Good job, and a good fix.

[@alanremington8500]

Nice job !!

[@andybrace4983]

Lovely old job

[@malcolm8938]

That was interesting, I've never seen inside one of these axles before.

[@cstew8355]

Excellent job cheers for the sharing

[@peterparsons7141]

The best repairs, are repairs that can’t be seen. The next person looking at the work would have great difficulty determining that there was a repair made. In my lifetime I always pick a “stock”, used machine over any machine that has had “repairs”, and my strategy has always worked out for the better. If I have to repair something that’s one thing, if I have to try and figure out what someone else has done, and the effects of the repair On other parts is questionable… give me stock. I’ve seen transmissions that have less bits than the front wheel hub ! changing the fluids regularly is critical , can you imagine the cost of replacing all the gears bearings, seals and races on both sides !

[@alanyoung7655]

Great video...iv watched a few of your videos and really like the way that you work through your jobs ... hope you get plenty of likes and subscribes...well done

[@snowballengineering]

Thanks Alan!

[@brandon2076]

Nicely done.

[@officialmysteriousrider130]

I've actually got a speedi sleeve here what I bought for the crankshaft on my bike but in the end I just bought a new crankshaft. wish I had a lathe myself so many stuff you can make with them

[@smev4341]

Another perfect video,

[@johnj5985]

It's nice to see someone else doing that axle, lol. Done lots on the F3504x4, including the skf speedi sleeves. They've worked well but may not for the HD tractor. Good work though, loved watching the mechanics of it and pride you take in your work. Awesome video!

[@philliphall5198]

Yes they did work great on this tractor and on big truck also Used a ton of them back when we had parts men who could order parts Now it’s a gamble 😢😢😢

[@donmathias1705]

Few years ago farmer came into work with a leaking hub seal on tw15. The big seal above taper roller. Needed to dress surface. I made up a mandrel and swung hub using inner bore where UJ stub goes thru. Well it turned out from factory the inner bore and taper roller bearings and seal were on different axis. I noticed teeth were wearing badly towards one end. I had to sleeve where bearing ran and fix out seal surface. Fixed oil leak but warned farmer gears would fail. Sure enough a planet split and punched a chunk out of the annulus. From ZF factor back in 1983 or so it was crook. Tractor been sitting for six years now. Still trying to find affordable bit to fix.

[@normesmonde5332]

Great stuff

[@leehotspur9679]

Hi Mate i have been doing what you are doing now , and I am now retired What I used to do with Pitting and scores on seal surfaces and dings on Hydraulic spears was to polish the surface and Easyflo silver braze ,Less heat input and polishes up a treat

[@rayelliott3609]

I like Mr snowball just the right amount of talking

[@bumpkinrocks]

Nice job👍 Hope they do the other side as well? Judging by the state of that one I'm sure it needs an overhaul also!

[@snowballengineering]

Thanks. The other side isn’t leaking yet so haven’t disturbed it.

[@trevormansfield6740]

I love these tractors

[@snowballengineering]

They are nice!

[@phil6465]

You did a great job. I suppose the speedy sleeve method is maybe OK for show tractors, but maybe not so good for a working tractor?

[@In2investing]

Your the guy that's really good know! It seems like "I can't or No" doesn't exist in your vocabulary

[@culmalachie]

oOOH yA! thanks for the heads up on this job: first I thought it was like on older joints ( like Landrovers - the chromed ball). Interesting to see guts. Hmm, frightens me: distortion from welding.... what was wrong with sleeving? Anyway, thaks for showing a procedure. Cheers, mate.

[@user-ed4vg6vt2k]

good job

[@andrewcooper8980]

Now that’s a floor Jack!!

[@snowballengineering]

She takes some handling!

[@commenter5469]

Speedy sleeves are legitimate repair. A lot of engine manufacturers putting them on the shafts from brand new, to insure the possibility of the leak repair of otherwise very expensive and generally not available crankshafts. There’s also LockTite products that work very good for that application, especially when you have access to a lathe.

[@snowballengineering]

I maybe ought to think of them for future repairs then.

[@ShainAndrews]

@@snowballengineering I can confirm they are a valid repair. Its all about resources. Often there is no option to weld up a sealing surface in the field then turn it down. Lots of mining operations now require extensive contamination mitigation and abatement. We keep rotating shafts in service with speedy sleeves. Have to know the issues though. If a guy throws a speedy sleeve at a leak while never addressing bearings... well it obviously isn't going to correct that problem. On the flip side if a guy has the resources sometimes welding and machining are the solution because either the sleeve is stupid expensive for the application, or you literally can't get you hands on one in any reasonable amount of time.

[@WhiskeyGulf71]

Had my channels mixed up on this one, when i saw the thumbnail i thought it was George’s TW25 that had a leaking rear seal that turned in to a major job.

[@snowballengineering]

There will be a lot of leaking tw tractors in the world I bet 😆

[@jimgannon1917]

Nice video.

[@snowballengineering]

Thanks!

[@sanyok7777]

Incredible

[@AW-Services]

Great video mate. You should make yourself a nice welding rotating setup

[@snowballengineering]

Thanks! That could be a job for the future.

[@markramsell454]

I've noticed some machinists, like CCE, don't weld in the lathe for fear of damaging the electronics. You'll have to research that to find out how true that is.

[@philliphall5198]

On the old south Ben we did it all the time and welding drive shafts 😊

[@rgthomson1]

Another great vid, one thing to note as i see your quite good with safety, wear disposable rubber gloves when touching that oil, it is pretty toxic and it can get through the skin into the system i believe, i dont even like the smell of gear oil, tells me enough about it

[@pecheur1951]

Your work on this Ford is most likely more maintenance than it got in the last 10 years... It hasn't got all the bells and whistles of modern tractors but if maintained properly it gets the job done anyway.

[@autisticdrone.]

Interesting video. I usually watch, CUTTING EDGE ENGINEERING AUSTRALIA youtube channel. Kurtis uses a line borer with welding attachments for this type of welding job , probably easier method.👍

[@koenvangeleuken6544]

surprising these things have no brakes on the front wheels!!!! running around with huge trailers, in the road traffic too......

[@dlfabrications]

156hp 1982-1989 4WD

[@Brad-lt6mr]

Speedi Sleeves are not a bodge. I say this after 20 years of using them on heavy equipment. If you put heat into shafts, and remove the factory heat treat, that's more of a bodge, IMHO.

[@snowballengineering]

I also couldn’t find a speedi sleeve suitable size for the job.

[@paulbrowning8142]

Thats not an allen key, this is an allen key. nice one

[@swanvalleymachineshop]

Good repair . What filler material did you use . 👍

[@richardjones-sl2zd]

Not familiar with this particular tractor, but that inner seal with the sliding joint seems mightily exposed. Particularly for tillage work or if you had a loader on it and them wheels were knee deep in slurry lots of times.

[@mikeburton7077]

Check oil in the other hub? Have replaced a few universal joints on our coaches

[@michaelguckian5373]

Id love doing this but torque on the bearing would stop me....id want it right...hard to judge.....was it tight when all screwed up ?

[@ianbrooks6816]

Great

[@adrian_dickinson]

Good job don't quote me on this but there is a part missing out of the external hub that locates in the recessed hole in the centre which touches the drive shaft end. not your fault if it wasn't there & you haven't done one before. I did one on a 7840 last year it had one may stop a little letteral movement. Then again it may not be necessary, good vid all the same.

[@snowballengineering]

Pretty sure there’s nothing missing. I’ve checked the drawing and everything was there. 7840 have a different axle and hub to these I think.

[@adrian_dickinson]

@@snowballengineering at 3.45 right in the middle of them gears, it fit's in the casting it fits round thing with a rectangular tab on it that fits in the recess to stop it turning & rubs against the end of the centre pinion. maybe a outer hub that does a lot of different models with a different set up.

[@bleizbreizh6264]

Good work! That an old EPCO jack?

[@kelvinpragassa4871]

Wow.. which impact driver is that

[@jameslonergan4581]

Just a wee leak they said, simple seal they said. A perfect snowball

[@tvergarcia4630]

It is called a speedy sleeve, my mistake.