Leaking steering box, John Deere 2030

[Nedferd]

My hydraulic steering unit leaks past the base gasket. Return oil from steering is supposed to go back to the transmission pump. Have I missed a return port?

 

[gengine]

Are you talking about the valve in the console, or the "motor"? The steering valve ports, IIRC are o-ring boss. You need to use hydraulic o-rings that have a higher durometer rating than the cheap nitrile o-rings that cant handle the pressure. If your base gasket is leaking, either your return is plugged somewhere causing an over pressure situation in your valve, or you have a blown gasket. If its in the steering "motor", again, wrong o-rings, bad gasket, or plugged on the return side.

 

[Harry in Ky]

https://partscatalog.deere.com/jdrc/sidebyside/equipment/3236/referrer/navigation/pgId/441219

Just ASSUMING here, this is what you have? Maybe the "base gasket" is #14? That's typically not a common leak. Not much reason for that gasket to fail. I'd look closer at O ring #15. Much more likely.

 

[Tx Jim]

Welcome to this forum
Return oil from power steering control valve on JD utility tractors of that era travels through hole in the mounting gasket back through a galley in clutch housing to trans reservoir.