Steering on a Farmall 340

The steering went out on my Farmall 340 today. It has power steering and the steering was Ok the other day (although a little stiff and jerky) but today I can turn the steering wheel and the wheels don't turn at all. The steering shaft turns, but the steering arm doesn't move. If I take the weight off the front end by lowering the loader then the steering wheel will turn the wheels. Does this seem like a steering gearbox problem as oppossed to a power steering problem? The power steering unit for this Farmall tractor is mounted right under the steering wheel and I don't see any other hydraulics by the steering gearbox.
Pete

Sounds like the steering gear box, the power steering just helps turn the steering shaft.

Check your hydraulic fluid level. When my 340U gets low, the steering is the first to go.

Thanks Putter. I got a chance to look at it a little today and it sure seems like it is in the gearbox, since like you said, the power steering unit just helps turn the steering shaft. I"m half afraid to open up the box and find out what it"s goig to cost me.
Pete

Pete, By chance, would the woodruff key have fallen out up by the front u-joint where it connects with the steering gear that goes into the gearbox? Just a thought.

Thanks Mark, I'll have to take a closer look at that u-joint, maybe I'll get luckly!

Had time to look at the steering today and the worm gear is chipped and missing a section. I bet finding a good worm gear is going to be hard. I posted a wanted ad in the classified section.Any idea if the 340 steering box was used by any other Farmall model tractors?
Pete

Hey Pete, If it`s the worm gear wheel that`s chipped, you can lift it off the shaft, turn it 180 degrees,put it back on and it`ll work great.That side of the worm gear wheel was unused.If it needs to be replaced, the shaft and gear from a C thru 240 will work fine , and I suggest changing both the shaft and worm gear wheel as a set because there were 2 different worm gear wheels that could be on there depending if it was a widefront or narrow front from the factory.One was 38 tooth(NF), other was 44 tooth(WF). Hope this helps and let us know how it works out, Mark

Hi Mark. Thank you so much for your time and help. I really appreciate it and hope I can repay your help in the future somehow.
I'll have to check my worm gear wheel and see if the previous owner turned it already. If he did turn it then I'll look for a gear wheel (with a high tooth count, cause I do have wide front) and a worm shaft from a C-240.
(Did you have a longer post that somehow disappeared??)
Pete

Hi Pete, I somehow suspected you had a wide front on yours. More often than not when they have WF, they have power steering.
Hopefully the worm gear wheel is like new on the other side and your problem is solved.
If you have to look for a replacement, first count the teeth on yours.The WF may have been added at some point and you need to be sure. Once you determine exactly which worm gear wheel you need (38 tooth or 44 tooth), your options are this:
1) If you have a 44 tooth worm gear, find another 44 tooth worm gear(the only 2 tractors that would have this gear is Farmall 240 or 340 w/factory WF ) and you only have to replace the worm gear wheel. If you cant find a 44 tooth worm gear wheel, then you can put a 38 tooth worm gear from a C-230(Farmall 240 too but factory NF only) in, BUT you must also then change the steering worm shaft because the teeth are cut different and the worm gear and worm shaft wont mesh properly.
2)If its a 38 tooth gear, then you just get the gear out of a C-230(Farmall 240 too but factory NF only),no changing your shaft and you`re in business.
You`re correct, I did have a longer post , but it was about the steering worm shaft. After rereading your post, I realized you were talking about the worm gear wheel.Good Luck,Mark

Hi Mark...I dropped the bottom out of the steering box to check the gear wheel and it was bad on the other side also. It had 38 teeth (or what's left of them!). The worm shaft is bad also so I'll following your info and will look for a 44 tooth gear wheel and matching worm shaft from a Farmall wide 240 or 340 wide. As a second choice, I'll try for 38 teeth gears wheel and matching worm shaft from a C, Super C,230,240 NF.
I wonder if the extra teeth make the steering easier or if it makes the gear stronger. While I'm going to use the loader on the tractor and hence put some strain on the steering I don't figure I'll be doing anything to heavy or to frequent. So whatever I can get and put in the box will probably last me OK.
Thanks again for your help and I'll post back with a update.
Pete