1959 Power Major query ?

[Major Blue]

Hi, I'm sure somebody can help me out here...
I've recently bought a Power Major. The 3 pt linkage is very lazy/ weak. I've checked the fluid and it's clearly very old, low and emulsified so I've drained it, gallons of it ! That was a shock, looking on line it looks as if I'll be needing 42 litres to refill ?
My question is this, where is the Filter ?? Or filters ? And is it straight forward to change ? I hope somebody knows. Clearly I need a manuel but I dont have one and cant get one for a few days, which is too long to wait. I look forward to hearing from you.

[Kiwi Kev]

Major Blue
Welcome to the forum. Where do you live, and what is the Power going to be used for?
Yes, rear trans dose take 40 something litres of oil. Oil filter is wire guaze that needs to be washed out. It is located underneath the trans.
There is a plate that unbolts and drops down, which has the filter on it. Easy enough to do, but can be messy
Good luck.
All questions, and photos welcome.
Kiwi Kev

[Kim]

The manual is available right here for free thanks to the moderators and members of this site. Go to Fordson Tractor Pages, click on the New Major, and a listing of manuals on line will pop up. Click on the one you want! Good luck!

[halloween]

I sent in the owners manual for the Power Major some time ago to Brian. You should message him for a copy or a link to it.

[Major Blue]

Thanks guys. I just got in, will have a look at that later . Thanks again.

[Gman]

Welcome MB, you have found the right place for help. I have a '59 Power Major and had hydraulic problems once I had mine up and running after sitting for ten years, she would probably still be sitting if not for this site. Be careful, I cracked my pump when I first got her going. If you look at my post you may get some help from them. The filter is right where the drain plug is for the rear end, I believe four bolts holds the plate to bottom. You may want to pull the pto shaft out, this is easy, and clean there also. I was able to get the right seals and o rings by going to the New Holland web site, printed out the parts I needed and went to local store and they were able to order for me. Good luck on your Power Major.

[Major Blue]

Sorry Kiwi Kev, I missed your reply earlier.
I live in South west Cornwall, UK, the back of beyond. I have a small camp site, consisting meadow, woods and streams and the Major is generally used for pulling trees around and carrying gravel etc in it's Link box, as well as forming the backdrop for numerous visitors photos ! Its a thing of beauty. I also enjoy driving it around locally and to Vintage rallies too. Although it's far from pristine.
Whilst empty of oil I've also fitted a side pulley too, so I'm hoping to get hold of a saw bench if I can find one.
The filter you mention, where is that located exactly ? Is right above the Drain plug ? If so it looks like I'll have to drop the Tow bar linkage too ?
Thanks for your time.
I'd add a photo if I knew how ?

[Major Blue]

Gman. Thanks for that. I hope I've not cracked my pump, but thanks for your advice and clarifying where the filter is.

[super6954]

Hi
Welcome to the forum
While you have the back axle Drained it might be a good time to find out if the main gearbox holds its oil level too if you don't already know this .
These tractors can leak the oil into the back end from the gearbox if the internal bottom pto seals or the top rear input to the rear axle shaft seal is bad, it could be one or both depending how much the level drops, to find out fill the gear box to the top level and let it sit a few days with no oil in the rear axle.( if the seals are real bad it may only take hours), If the gearbox oil drops you have leaking seals and would need to address those to sadly.
Regards Robert

[Major Blue]

Thanks Robert,
I was talking to a farmer at a Rally recently who'd had his Super Major from new on the family farm. He mentioned this problem as his does just that, said it had done for years but didn't seem to be a problem ?
Thanks for making the point though, I'll have a look at that.

[Major Blue]

I'm not sure if this'll work but here's a silly film of my Tractor on youtube.


http://youtu.be/9aHrGQDVAd8

[Kiwi Kev]

I'm not sure if this'll work but here's a silly film of my Tractor on youtube.


http://youtu.be/9aHrGQDVAd8

Yes, it dose work. Your tractor looks to be pretty tidy.

If you are talking about the belt pulley that sits in front of the brake pedals, well this compartment is different to the rear transmission. The rear trans compartment is where you have drained the oil, and the belt pulley compartment is the gearbox. Oil level dipstick is to the left and just in front of the gear lever, and the oil level plug for the gearbox is just in front of the clutch pedal.
Kiwi Kev

[Major Blue]

Thanks, yes I realised that. I've drained the gearbox oil too. Never saw so much oil coming out of a vehicle before ! I hoping not to do it again for some time at £150 for a refill !

[Dandy Dave]

I'm not sure if this'll work but here's a silly film of my Tractor on youtube.


http://youtu.be/9aHrGQDVAd8

Nice l'il flick! Welcome Aboard Matey. Dandy Dave!

[Gman]

Great looking tractor, need to watch letting that green thing sit beside it. There are other posts from others regarding the oil leaking from trans to rear end, mine has done it for at least 20 years and I'm not that equipped to split tractor so I just pump the oil from rear end back to trans. Someone on here had a pic of how they did the same thing. I noticed that your air breather cap is the rounded type. Love seeing the pics from your side of the big pond. It is easy to put pics on here once you learn the trick, I use imageshack and there is also photo bucket that you can bring them through, just copy from there and paste to here. This is where I was changing my pto to a raised pto

Hi
This is where I was working on replacing the pump, you can see the bottom of the pump and the gear on it, you filter is right under the pump, I have since mounted a preasure gauge on my valve chest so I can keep an eye on the system, do not want to crack another one like I did with this one
Good luck.

Welcome to the forum
While you have the back axle Drained it might be a good time to find out if the main gearbox holds its oil level too if you don't already know this .
These tractors can leak the oil into the back end from the gearbox if the internal bottom pto seals or the top rear input to the rear axle shaft seal is bad, it could be one or both depending how much the level drops, to find out fill the gear box to the top level and let it sit a few days with no oil in the rear axle.( if the seals are real bad it may only take hours), If the gearbox oil drops you have leaking seals and would need to address those to sadly.
Regards Robert

[super6954]

Thanks Robert,
I was talking to a farmer at a Rally recently who'd had his Super Major from new on the family farm. He mentioned this problem as his does just that, said it had done for years but didn't seem to be a problem ?
Thanks for making the point though, I'll have a look at that.

Hi
there are a few around that do this ,it is not a problem till the day somebody forgets to pump the oil back round or runs on a slope and the bearings on the top shafts fail, depending how bad the leak is. there are a lot of guys that don't even know they have this problem until it goes bang.
Good luck with what you find
Regards Robert