Does anyone know how to disassemble the steering gear for a 212 grader? I belive that all non-power assisted steering Cat graders have a similar steering gear. I am trying to install a new shaft seal on the input shaft and new bearings also.

What specific questions do you have?
The standard worm/sector steering box is pretty straight forward. About the only tough part is removing the blind end worm bearing race.

I think you have to remove the box completely by driving the steering arm off the taper on the bottom and then unbolting the whole thing and lifting it up and out of the frame. Then unbolt the coupling in the output shaft and remove the upper section out the top of the box. Or maybe just leave the coupling alone and raise the shaft up enough to disengage the worm and allow the worm to go forward out the hole on the front where the bearing retaining cap goes.

It's good you are taking care of it, these things break fairly often. CAT wanted $1200 for a new worm section last time I checked. If you need any parts other than the worm and bearings, I have the old box still.

Hi OM,

I need to be able to remove the worm gear / shaft. I removed the plate on the forward end; when I move the input shaft, I can see that it's seperate from the actual worm that it turns. If I could simply pull the shaft out, I could make the repairs. However, my parts book says there's a snap ring on the drive end that keeps me from being able to pull it out and I can't see where the snap ring is accessible untile the whole assembly is removed. And I cant't pull the whole assembly out because the drive worm is meshed with the worm for the steering shaft. I know I'm missing something but I need to know how to remove the shaft and/or shaft and worm assembly. I'm asking this in hopes that I don't have to first remove the vertical steering shaft that connects connects to the turn rod.

Thanks Jersey...I was afraid you'd say that. Looks like a pain in the a@#! to remove the arm off the bottom of the shaft. Oh well, if these little repairs were that easy I wouldn't have picked this thing up at the bargain price I did. I knew something was wrong when I picked the grader up and had to put all I had behind the steering wheel to get it to turn. Problem was - no grease which is due to the seal I'm replacing. I've looked everything over closley and the worm gears still look OK though.
ALSO.....maybe you or someone else will know.....what is the extra unused shift lever for on the transmission???(Just curious here) It's located just above where the gear selector box attaches. I remember seeing this lever and it seems like there was at least one more I noticed that was unused. When I was at the Cat dealer I asked and the parts guy looked up the transmission case to see if it would have been used for another machine and the 212 was the only one that came up for that particular transmission case so ...that shot that theory for the extra selector levers. (BTW..CAT said the last time the transmission case was manufactured and available, it's cost was over $4200.00).

Hi Midwest D2,
I read your question as disassembly, didn't realize the box was still mounted.
CC has you covered on that one.
I'm looking at the parts breakdown for a 7F9908 gear assembly but this is on a 112 grader and it does not show a snap ring for the worm. Fairly common to have this type worm drive pressed and keyed to the shaft. When you get the worm out check the bearing race surfaces closely as this is one of the places where they go bad.

I don't have the grader operations manual to check what lubrication is recommended but if it is just gear oil this type gearbox commonly fails from lack of lubrication because the small quantity of oil leaks out. For years, and in all kinds of vehicles I have been using a 50 -50 mix of synthetic 90wt gear oil and synthetic grease. Have never had to rebuild a box since. Do not use straight grease as it tends to channel instead of flow.

Hi Midwest D2,
motor graders with out power steering are notorious for hard steering, almost the first thing I learned about steering a grader was to lean the steer wheels in the direction you wish to turn and bingo you almost have power steering. When roading these things we used to get some weird reactions from car drivers when they saw the front wheels start to lean over as we prepared to negotiate a corner.
Sorry do not have anything to add on the extra trans lever, I have no lit. on these, and cannot remember such a lever, only one I can think of would be out of the selector interlock mechanism, which is connected through the clutch linkage.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Eddie B.

Midwest D2,
Are you referring to the dual range shifter ??
If it's like the #12, one lever controls the shifter forks for the lower shaft that has the three forward speeds and reverse. The other controls the forks on the upper shaft dual range gears for high and low range.

That crossed my mind if that's what it was...a hi/lo range selector. Maybe the trans doesn'thave the guts installed for this feature or it just was un-used on the 212? BTW....I got everything repaired and installed the grease mixture like OM recommended. The steering is 100% better. I agree with edb, using the wheel lean while turning helps alot. I don't plan on roading this machine that much though, road gear is pretty slow compared to other CAT graders.....I think it's rated at around 12 MPH. Also, while we're on the subject of a 212 grader or graders in general, does anyone have an online source for door latch hardware and window wheatherstrip? (I hope I'm not hi-jacking my own thread...if so, tell me and I'll repost).

212 hasn't got anything like a dual range shifter. It does have the interlock to prevent the shifter from moving until the clutch is depressed.

The interlock shaft is a vertical shaft with a short lever on it just behind the shifter boot on the top of the housing mounted to the side of the transmission that holds the shift forks.

I should have stopped to look at the grader, but it was already dark tonight when I came by so I didn't. I will try to remember tomorrow.