Fordson Major Hydraulics

[icom102]

The arms on my super major go down ok but take for ever to come up can anyone advise me ?

[JC]

Is the flow control knob in the fast or slow position? Are you raising the main control lever all the way to the top of the quadrant?

[icom102]

Hi there is only the lever to raise and lower the arms nothing else yes i am moving the lever fully up but nothing moves for a good wile and only with the engine been reved up

[super6954]

Hi Here we go again
That tractor you have does not have the super major hydraulic top on it only the back axle and a few other parts from memory. I remember your pictures and this discussion every time you have a Problem with it. If you want guys to help you with it they need to know this as the top you have is nothing like the one on a super major it is for an ordinary or powermajor and has a lot less parts in it to go wrong and totally different solutions to the problems
Regards Robert

[icom102]

O ok but i dont knw anything about it lol so can anyne help now we know its the top of a ordinary or powermajor

[JC]

You've got a good memory, Robert. Good thing someone does

icom102, Do you have anything on your lift arms? Do they creep back down after you lift them up?

[icom102]

No no nothing on them they creep up after a wile of reving the engine up i am getting a link box for the tractor so need to get them working

[Gman]

Hi icom, I have a '59 Power Major and had problems with my lift. You may find the posts from last year on here. My pump had a crack in it, it would lift with nothing on the arms but would not with weight. Hope yours is not the same problem. Good luck.

[JC]

OK, the first thing that you need to do is make sure that your PTO is engaged. The hydraulic pump is driven from the PTO.

[Roadless63]

check oil level in backend, blocked filter gauze is another possibility.

[icom102]

Yes the pto is ingaged as the arms do raise all but very slow the oil lever is ok but the oil is the colour of bailies lol would it be the pump?

[JC]

Could be the pump, but there simpler and cheaper things to check first. You should check the filter, like Roadless63 said above. It wouldn't hurt to change the oil, too. You should search for Gman's topic about his hyd. problems, too.

[Gman]

Hello icom, one thing could be the unloading valve is stuck open. Will your arms go up with weight on them?

[icom102]

i am not sure as i have nothing to put on them yet they only go up after a long time of reving the engine and at that they dont go 100% up full

[Gman]

Hi icon, I haven't seen a pic of your tractor but do you have a hydraulic hose attached to your valve chest? If so, take the end off and see if fluid pumps out of it with no problem, it should flow out with no problem. Another idea is to take the plug out of the side of the valve chest, with tractor engine turned off, put tractor in neutral with pto disengaged and turn pto with your hand clockwise and oil should come right out, see this pic.

This picture is from the Major I bought for parts and she pumped oil with no problem even though she had been sitting for some time. If not then I would check the filter first to see how bad it is.

Here is my Power Major, the power of a Power Major

Good luck.

[icom102]

I tried turring the pto today with the tractor off and it in nuteral but it wont move

one thing when the arms do go up they dont go up the full way i can lift them up about another 7 inches but they fall down and stop where they had raised to them selves

[perrin hayes]

The arms on my 56 Major would not lift so I drained the rear end oil and checked the filter in the bottom of the rear end casing. It had completely collapsed flat
due the the amount of debris that had accumulated around it. As a result it was
necessary to pull it apart to clean it off and reshape it. Will have to silversolder
it back together as New Holland have advised that replacement filters are no
longer available. Another solution would be to obtain a good used unit.
Cheers, Perrin Hayes

[icom102]

where abouts is the filter ? i was looking but could not see one

how far does your arms go up?

[Gman]

Hi icom, the filter is in the bottom of rear end where you drain the oil out. This picture shows the pto being removed.

This one shows the pto out and you can see the pump sitting on its pedistal. The filter is below the pump, it comes out of the bottom, you do not have to remove the pto to clean the filter.

I'm not sure why your pto would not turn by hand, try disengaging the pto and see if it will turn but you have to have it engaged to turn the pump while running. Do a search of my posts on hydraulic pump and you will see pictures of different stages of my repair.

[Kiwi Kev]

Start at the start and work your way through.

Don't worry about whether the pump may be broken or anything else.

Drain the oil from the rear transmission. There should be 40 litres of oil, and maybe 10 litres of water, so have enough containers to catch it all. Remove the filter from the rear transmisssion and clean it.
Depending on how much sludge is in the filter, as to what steps you do next. If the current oil is the colour of bailey's, be prepared to buy yourself 40 litres of new oil.

What are you wanting to do with the tractor? ie mow a horse paddock once a month, work it every second day on the farm, or as a show tractor.

If you have a digital camera, please ask and we will help you to load photos onto your posts. (we've all heard the phrase, a picture saves a thousand words)

Get to the stage of having drained the oil and cleaned the filter and let us know what you've found.
We're hear to help you, but you need to help us also.

Kiwi Kev

[icom102]

Ok i will do that or well get someone to help me as i dont know anything about mechanics the oil is the colour of baileys and has been for years there is a we dip stick beside the gear stick its the same colour is this all the one oil or wud that be the gear oil?

what type of oil do i need to get?

[Kiwi Kev]

oil is the colour of baileys and has been for years there is a we dip stick beside the gear stick
Yes that is the correct dipstick for the rear transmission.



its the same colour is this all the one oil or wud that be the gear oil?
The gearbox has a level plug on the side of the gearbox (LHS) Same type of oil as thr rear transmission, but different compartment.

what type of oil do i need to get?
http://www.fordsontractorpages.nl/phpbb ... ?f=2&t=827

[icom102]

Ok so i need 40 ltrs for the Hydraulics how much do i need for the gearbox?

when filling the hydraulics how do i know when there is enough in it as there is no dipstick for it?

[Nick]

The gearbox and back end dont share the same oil mate, you wont have to drain the gearbox so dont worry about that. The little dipstick near the gearstick is for the back end, so you will only need 40 litres of oil.
Just so you know, the gearbox hasnt got a dipstick as kev says. If you look on the steering arm side of the gearbox, there is a oil filler plug like the back end. If you make sure the tractor is on the flat, undo the gearbox filler plug and you should be able to see the oil level right near the top. If you look carefully just under where the filler plug screws in, there is a 'high' and 'low' written in the casting, obviously the level should be somewhere near these marks.

[Gman]

Ok so i need 40 ltrs for the Hydraulics how much do i need for the gearbox?

when filling the hydraulics how do i know when there is enough in it as there is no dipstick for it?

Hi icom, you do not use hydraulic fluid. Read at the top of this forum of the oil specs by Brian. Speaking of Brian, have not seen any post from him in some time, hope all is well.