[AT] It's trying, but... no lift

Fri Sep 16 14:21:49 PDT 2016

Thanks for all the informative replies, everyone, and especially thanks to
Cecil for getting me to look at the controls more closely.

So there's the inner quadrant (position control), and the outer quadrant
(draft control.)  The inner is the one I use to lift the mower.  The outer
one, I assume is for plowing?  Something to do with draft pressure?  The
words on both are in French, I think, for no reason I can determine.  The
position control says

BASSE <- POSITION -> HAUTE    TRANS PORT    POMPAGE CONTINU

The draft control says

BAS <- EFFOR -> HAUT

Anyway, with the outer quadrant all the way up, it wasn't working.  Putting
it down didn't help.  BUT... something I overlooked until I got this advice
from Cecil - there's a "stop" near the top of the movement.  I moved the
lever in and past the "stop", to the very top spot - SUCCESS!!  Now works
like it should.  I guess a branch knocked it off the top stop while I was
working, and I wasn't familiar enough with it to recognize what had
happened.  So, working as well as ever.

When I shut the tractor off with the mower up, it settles back to the ground
in less than 30 seconds.  I know this is a problem, but since it otherwise
works, I'm not going to get into fixing it, unless it's very
easy/uninvolved.  Taking off the lift cover isn't something I'm ready to
tackle.

Let the mowing continue!

Scott in Penfield NY

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Cecil Bearden
Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2016 9:30 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Subject: Re: [AT] It's trying, but... no lift

Those systems were a piston pump with an unloader valve and a relief valve.
I have seen a few relief valves go bad in my years of working with Ferguson
systems, but it is rare.  It is possible that sitting out in the open over
the winter in NY created enough condensation that the spring in the relief
valve rusted and broke.  The control/relief valves were pretty reliable, but
they had their issues.  My first guess is that the rings in the top deck
hydraulic piston have broken and the oil is 
leaking by in the lift piston.   There is also the possibility tht this 
machine has set for so long and then moved around and loosened up the crud
in the bottom of the sump and the screen has picked it up.

Please note the what I am going to tell  you is from the regular 135
tractors and the 35 tractors.  The vineyard may be different, 
conceptually they are the same..   A good FACTORY service manual is 
invaluable here.   I got burned by I&T manuals, so I really do not 
recommend them anymore.  The Wisconsin historical society may have a reprint
of the manual available for you.  They have a lot and their charge for
reprints is really cheap.

On the lift control quadrant ( right side hyd lift lever )  There should be
2 levers.  The long one for lift and the short one for draft.  
Sometimes the draft control will over ride the lift.  The draft control
lever(short one with the square metal knob) should be between the 2 arrows
that say draft on the quadrant.  It should be stamped into the metal.
   That knob should be in the center between the arrows.  Then try to raise
the lift with the other lever.  if not, leave the lift lever a little below
the top and then move the draft lever to see if anything happens.  This
might fix your problem.  If not see below.  If you are going to change the
fluid, you need to clean the screen.

On the left side of the transmission, under the seat is a round plate with
the PTO lever.  Remove the plate with the lever. Disconnect the PTO shaft
and start the tractor with the mower attached.  Raise the lift and watch for
fluid draining from the top deck lift piston and dripping down 
into the sump.  A drip is OK, we just do not want a gusher..   If it 
just drips, your problem is in the bottom.

inside the transmission about 4 to 6 inches in the bottom is a filter screen
that looks about the size of a pop can It has a top and bottom cup, and is
separated about an inch in the middle.  The top half has a metal handle
piece that you use to unscrew counterclockwise the top is attached to a bolt
that screws into the intake of the pump.  You take the screen with both cups
out and wash it out.  This is easiest when the oil is drained.  There are 2
drain plugs,  one under the front of the transmission behind the clutch
housing, and the other under the plate you took off. If the screen is full
of junk, you have found the problem.

When you replace the round plate with the PTO lever,  make sure the inside
lever goes in the slot of the PTO shifter.

If you have any problems, take some pictures and post on here. We will try
to fix it remotely!!

Cecil in oKla

On 9/15/2016 7:38 AM, Bo Hinch wrote:
> Sounds to me like you have a piece of trash in the pressure unloader 
> valve .
>
> On Thu, Sep 15, 2016 at 6:28 AM, Stephen Offiler <soffiler at gmail.com>
wrote:
>
>> Just a few quick thoughts Scott.
>>
>> 1)  you used the word "suddenly".  Was it literally fine one minute 
>> and problematic the next?  Or, did it actually go away sort of gradually?
>>
>> 2)  Have you tried it again since?
>>
>>
>> Steve O.
>> PS:  when I'm faced with draining ~8 gallons (I've got about 7 
>> gallons in my modern-ish Ford 1520 hydrostat)  I drain part of it and 
>> stick the drain plug back in, then deal with the amount (2-3 gallons) 
>> I've drained, then repeat as required.  OK, yeah, putting the drain 
>> plug back into a stream of draining oil is a bit messy admittedly.
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
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