'59 Power Major

Gman · Post by **Gman** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 7:53 pm

I'm trying find any repair info/manuals here on '59 power major. Wanting to change hydraulics screen and need gasket, fix minor leak on pto shaft and make sure I kinda know what I'm doing, good luck on that one. My hydraulic levers will not move, acts as if frozen. The tractor has been in a shed for some time, I have owned it for 25 years, I have cleaned it up and changed engine oil, cranks up with a little help to the selenoid switch, runs like a top. Any help or info will be greatly appreciate.
Thanks
Gman

henk · Post by **henk** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:02 pm

Hello Gman,

Welcome to the board. Glad to read your saving one of the OldBleu ones.
If you need documentations, go to the main site and see under the button The New Major and select New Major. Than you see repair guide.
It needs about 60 litres in the rear end and another 20 at the gearbox. If you can’t find a seal, making a seal itself is not difficult. All you need is the right seal paper. If you want to know how, let me know.
You can remove the whole PTO shaft just by removing the four bolts around the PTO end. Tap a bit to loosen the seal, and out it will come. Removing the pump pedestal is also an easy job. Than you can clean it. Don’t forget to get out all the oil before you start. 60 litres is a lot of oil coming out at once.
There are several topics about the PTO shaft and cleaning the filter. Just use the search engine.

Gman · Post by **Gman** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:41 pm

Thanks henk, I have found the manuals but getting the pages downloaded is another story but I'll keep after it. I'm not to sure about the pto work until I have manual info in hand so not going to drain until then. Any suggestions on why hydraulic handles do not move, hoping cleaning screen will make a difference. Again thanks.

Post by **Brian** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 8:34 am

Gerald,
You say "levers" in your post, do you have more than one? If so you have the slightly rare double lever system that is greatly converted by Mike on here.

If your levers are stuck, it is possible that you have had water in the lift from condensation and they are now rusted. The most likely place for this to occur is the "piston valve" which is directly connected to the lever.

It would be best to remove the whole valve chest rather than try working on it on the tractor. This is not difficult, there are a series of bolt around the outside of the chest where it fits to the lift housing. The gasket behind can be replaced with instant gasket compound if you break it. The ram cylinder and piston may come with the chest but that will make it impossible to get the unit by the dash panel so just lever it off, its only held by an "O" ring and also the pipe. Do not worry, there is nothing to drop into the rear axle.

Once off and on the bench you can then remove the lever and free off the piston. Be careful not to score or scratch any of the internal parts as this would allow oil to leak under pressure. Use very fine wet and dry or metal polish to clean up rusted areas.

I will try and put some pictures up but am a little rushed this morning.

Gman · Post by **Gman** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 5:25 pm

Hey Brian, thanks for the info. As for as the two levers, don't think it is any thing rare. One operates lift and other is to another block attached under the seat, this controls two hydraulic lines. I get in here at work so my time is limited, usually while I eat lunch. I think I was able to download the repair manual this morning, have not tried to print but hopefully I will be able to get the info. Yea and I believe you are right about the rust being my problem since they will not move. Do you recommend doing this repair before or after I change out the fluids and clean screen? Also about the minor leak around the pto, is there just a seal I can relace without commplicated work? I had been reading some of the post on here before I joined and learned a few things. One has to do with the decompression lever on the front of engine, never knew not to crank with this open. Again thanks for all of your help, I purchased my fluids from the local Ford tractor place and was told there was no such thing as just a Power Major that all Fordsons were Power Majors so really appreciate all I can learn on this site.
Again thanks
Gerald

The Swanndri Guy · Post by **The Swanndri Guy** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 11:51 pm

Everything we are told by Case /New Holland dealers or the"Ford tractor place" is correct, yeah right! Personally I have more faith in the guys from the Fordson Tractor Pages,like Brian who worked on Fordson / Fords when they were new, and are prepared to correct our errors and to explain how thing should be done.I look forward to Brains reply on "all Fordsons were Power Majors".Cheers TSG.

Post by **Brian** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 7:36 am

The "every Major is a Power Major" thing is easy to explain. The US did not want the early Major so not many were exported until later years. Then Supers were known as "5000" s.

So the Ford dealers only have experience of the small, home built, tractors and most of these were petrol powered. They were good tractors but not the solid tank-like lumps like a Major

.

I would sort the lift before you put clean oil in. You don't want to clean all the bottom end then drop gunge in again from the top.

The twin lever system is a rare system. Very few were fitted with it. It was an optional extra and not many were sold over here. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number I came across during my years with dealers.

You need to sort the PTO out whilst you have the oil out of the back end. Remove the four bolts around the housing and pull. The whole shaft will come out and you will then be able to get the circlip out and remove the seal and bearing housing. You then need to replace the seal. Shaft is about 5' long so don't have too much behind you.

Gman · Post by **Gman** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 5:40 pm

Hello all, thanks for all the info. I'm going to try to get some pics on here soon before I take bonnet off to do some sanding and painting. Hey Brian, you mentioned I should take off the complete valve chest/housing to repair but with other hydraulic housing attached to front of it I was wondering if I could just remove the control lever support from housing and get to the control valve spool this way if this is where my rust problem may be? I have an IT manual and have gotten the repair manual off of here which sholuld help me a lot. Also as to the oil for trans. and rear end, I purchased what the local tractor dealership had and want to make sure this is right, it is New Holland 20/30 wt instead of what I have read in the books as to using 80 or 90 wt. Again thank you so much for all the info.
Gman

Post by **Brian** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:28 pm

Gerald,
You can do the job without taking the chests off, just thought it might be easier with them on the bench.

The oil was changed in a Ford spec. change way back in 1959. Its just people who recommend 90W have not caught up yet.

Gman · Post by **Gman** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:17 pm

Hello everyone. I was able to get the control lever support off after a little work on the control valve spool, not much rust. Reattached and lifts are working, have not tried them under any load at this time. Now to figure out the front control and get it freed up, any suggestions? Not sure about the pto seal, no one has said if easy to reinstall pto shaft and leak is not real bad. I'm in need of a solenoid but not sure of the correct one, seen two, one is called a button type, which I believe is what is on there now. Also wondering if I may have a clutch problem, letting out short distance and pto starts, then clutch almost all the way out and transmission engages? I took a few pics and will try to get them on here soon. Again thanks for all the help.
Gerald

Post by **Brian** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:55 pm

The PTO is so easy to get in and out it is possibly why nobody said. All you do is push it in and turn it to line up the pump drive gear and the splines on the drive shaft.

Either type of solenoid would do but make sure it is one for a diesel. Some cars have a similar one over here and they last about five minutes on a diesel. The starter requires more power to spin it and the solenoid internal switch plates are not up to it.

You also sound like you have a "Live Clutch" in your Major. That would explain the different positions at which things start.

With a live clutch, the pedal is two stage. First stage, with the pedal about half way down, the transmission will stop and you can change gear but the PTO will keep running.

To stop the PTO you have to push the pedal right down to the floor.

You can check whether you have a live clutch very easily.

If the Hi/Lo lever is up for high and down for low, your tractor has a live clutch. If it is up for Low and Down for high it is a standard clutch.

Gman · Post by **Gman** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 2:32 pm

Hey Brian, thanks for all of your info. As to the solenoid, wondering if you agree I need one. I can get her to start if I bump the button on bottom while engaging starter. The button does close on the solenoid when trying to start which I believe indicates power going to it from the starter switch. Again thanks for all your help.
G

Post by **Brian** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 4:46 pm

Gerald,

You should have a wire from the switch on the top of the starter to the small terminal on the solenoid.

Disconnect this at the solenoid.

Then take a wire from the live terminal on the battery and flash it to the terminal on the solenoid.

The starter should then operate.

If you do this and it works, the fault is in the switch on the top of the starter or the power going to it.

If it does not operate then the fault is in the solenoid.

Gman · Post by **Gman** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:11 pm

Thanks Brian, ordered solenoid this morning. Another question, I freed up the hydraulic valve this weekend and lifts are working. I left them in the up postion and as of yesterday was still up but was wondering if I should leave them in an up position or should let down everytime I'm shutting down for the day?
Again thankyou so much for all of the help.
Gerald

Post by **Brian** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:05 am

I wear two hats on this one! As a mechanic, I would suggest that the lift arms should be left up, especially if the tractor is stood up for any length of time. With the arms up the cylinder and all the working parts are filed with oil and no rusting can occur.

As a Health and Safety advisor, I would advise that the arms are left down, especially if there is something on the linkage. That way, no person can be injured if the controls are accidentally moved or a pipe fails.

I tend to leave mine up if unloaded and down if loaded. Also, never work on any implement with the arms raised unless you have some form of safety device under it or you are well enough away from any trap zones if it should drop. Been there, seen the pipe burst!

You may see pictures of Nuffield tractors with implements raised on the lift and people working on them. I may have even posted one myself. This is because these tractors have a built in mechanical lock that locks the arms in the raised position.

Gman · Post by **Gman** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 1:27 pm

Thanks Brian, your knowledge is greatly appreciated.

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'59 Power Major

'59 Power Major

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