MTD 504 - Page 8

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Hex Flange
FIGURE 6.
FIGURE 8.
6. Style A— Insert the steering shaft with assembled
parts through the steering housing cover. The
lower end of the shaft should extend through the
hole in the front end of the steering gear support
-bracket (Ref. No. 12 on page 30). See figure 6.
Style B— I n sert the steering shaft through the
steering housing cover. Place flat washer and
plastic spacer over end of steering shaft before
inserting the shaft through the hole in the front end
of the steering gear support bracket (Ref. No. 12
on page 30).
7. Loosen the hex nut located at the rear of the
steering gear segment (Ref. No. 27 on page 30)
so that the steering gear segment can be pushed
about Va" toward the rear of the rider, to permit
easier assembly of the pinion gear. Two 9/16"
wrenches are required.
8. Place hex flange bearing, flat side down, over the
end of the steering shaft, and seat it into the
steering gear support bracket. See figure 6.
9. Raise steering shaft slightly so pinion gear can
be placed in position (teeth of gear must mesh with
teeth of steering gear segment). Insert steering
shaft through pinion gear (splined collar on steer¬
ing shaft is inside of pinion gear). Then place flat
washer (5/8" diameter) on shaft and secure with
hex nut (5/16" I.D.). Do not tighten at this time.
10. Push the steering gear segment (loosened in step
7) forward toward its original position, until it
engages solidly into the teeth of the pinion
gear. Retighten the nut at the rear of the steering
gear segment. Two 9/16" wrenches are required.
A t WARNING t
Steering gear must be adjusted as in¬
structed in step 10, and hex lock nut
must be adjusted as instructed in step
12. Improper adjustment will cause
excessive wear on the steering gear
segment.
11. Now tighten the hex nut which secures the pinion
gear. See figure 7.
12. Make certain the hex lock nut which secures the
steering segment to the steering gear support
bracket (shown in figure 7) is tightened so there
is no play between the two parts. Do not over¬
tighten as the steering segment must be free to
turn.
13. Lubricate the teeth of the pinion gear and steer¬
ing gear segment with an automotive chassis
grease.
14. Install the steering gear cover (D) as shown in
-figure 8, to cover the underside of the steering
mechanism. Secure with two self-tapping screws
on each side of the cover. Do not completely
tighten any of these screws until all four of them
are positioned correctly.
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