FSM 3PL Malfunction, Where To Next?

[Wachobc]

A little background. The tractor has served me well and I've had it almost seven years. The last couple of years she has had to live outside rather than being indoors. I"m currently working to remedy this. I did have a situation at the end of last year when water got into the engine and froze things solid. Luckily, the engine is fine and seems to be working well.

Some time before that incident, the 3PT stopped working. It had been "bouncing" quite a bit before that and was getting worse. I thought it would hold out until I had time to look at it. But it did not.

Within the last week I managed to get the quadrant lever working again. It had been stuck on one position and I was not able to move it. I took it apart from the outside and cleaned everything up. Removed the quadrant from the top cover and cleaned all of that up. I got the quadrant moving again by applying some lubricant and lightly tapping on the shaft with a hammer. Once I got it moving fairly freely, I thought that perhaps the fluid level was low so I checked it.

Initially I didn't know what to expect and I saw some fluid _way_ down in the bottom of the case. Checked my level and it was actually over full by about 1/2". It was also very milky and just plain looked strange.

I had already purchased the fluid with plans to change it so today I decided to take on the fluid change.

Anyhow, the fluid came out of the case along with some water. It was generally a light brown color, very hard to describe. It drained strangely as well sort of like a pudding or a semi-melted Jello. Anyhow, with everything out, I dropped the cover on the bottom of the case and cleaned the filter and the remaining junk in the bottom of the cover and plug. I did note that the filter had been crushed somewhat and tried to make it the correct shape but was not very successful. I'll need to purchase a new one and replace it unless someone has tips on how to get the shape back.

I refilled it with universal hydraulic/trans fluid and was hoping that this might do the trick. It did not. I started her up and gave things a whirl but no luck. I did make sure that the PTO was engaged and was able to see the PTO turning out the back. I also checked to see if the "aux" lever would load the engine. I moved it back and forth and was able to hear a drop in RPM when loaded. The hoses also jumped around a bit. If I recall correctly this means that the pump is pumping. Correct me if I am wrong.

Next I went behind the tractor and pulled upwards on the 3PT. My recollection is that it would not move up and down very much, if at all, back in the days when it was working. Now I am able to lift it up to the top of the travel and it obviously won"t stay there.

I'm a little perplexed as to where to go next. I"m fearing that I"ll have to remove the top of the case and take that whole assembly apart. If I do have to do that I want to have any common parts available so I can replace them (seals, gaskets and whatnot). Any suggestions of any places that carry a set of parts for this, or do you just have to hunt down what you need when you get it open. Is there a thread on here where there are explicit instructions on what to do when taking this assembly apart and putting it back together? The I&T seems a little light on this topic.

Any ideas as to what may have broken? I've been studying the I&T Manual but I just can't seem to wrap my head around how everything functions and what might possibly be the problem.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

[Brian]

From what you describe I would suspect that you have a stuck unload valve. This is a fairly common problem after a tractor has been stood up for a time and especially if it has had water in the oil.

I am afraid you will have to bite the bullet and take the top off which is really no major job. You will need some help lifting it and once off, it will need to lay on its back as the control valve, which sticks out below the level of the casting, can be damaged by letting the lift down on it.

Once off, the unload valve is above the control valve. You will need to draw the plug from the end of the gallery and then carefully tap the unload valve out from the back. I say carefully because this is a precision surfaced item and any damage can be unrepairable. Do not clean the valve with anything other than metal polish. Any scoring on the surfaces again will damage it.

You may find that it has either a metal seal or an "O" ring. On the other hand it may not have a seal at all. All will work.

Instant gasket can be used on the top cover and "O" ring kits for the tractor can be bought. If she has been "bouncing", I would also fit a new piston seal. This will mean you will have to take the ram cylinder out. It will also be easier to work on the unload valve.

Remove the auxiliary plate on the top of the lift and undo the four bolts holding the cylinder. Might be easier to take the plate off and just start the ram cylinder bolts before taking the top off.

It is not a bad job, take things slowly, do a search on here and you will find lots of information. Go to the Wiki from the main page, use "forsontractorpages" and "dotty" to get on. There you will find the set up instructions.

Get back if you need help or run into any problems and, by the way, welcome to the board.

[Wachobc]

Brian,

Thank you for the information. And thank you for the welcome. I've been reading posts here and on other forums along the way to help me sort things out with this tractor and the forums are a great deal of help.

I have a few follow-up questions that I'm hoping you can answer:

- When you say 'draw the plug from the end of the gallery' you mean remove the plug that would be accessible from the outside while the top is still on?

- Do you have a suggestion of what I might use to drive out the valve? Copper or brass rod, something like that, or a wooden dowel? It sounds like this is a critical part and I'm guessing that there are not replacements to be had.

- You indicate not to clean the valve with anything other than metal polish. Can you be a bit more specific as to what metal polish is? I'm not familiar with that term. In general, I understand this to mean don't go after it with anything seriously abrasive. What about any sort of solvent to clean the part, is that a no-no too? What about the gallery? Will it need cleaning as well, and if so, what method is suggested?

- I would be interested in a kit, but I am having trouble finding any on line to order. I figure this way I'll renew anything that I can whilst I have the top removed. Sounds like I don't want to be doing this every year... Any ideas on what the kit is called, or what part number it is?

Thanks for the information on the wiki. I checked out the setup routines and they all seem to make sense. I may be back with questions once I've gotten the top off and I am staring at it.

One more point of clarification. What I called the "aux" valve is actually a curved lever that is below the right side of the seat. It sits in a 'neutral' position and is able to be moved forward and backward a couple of inches. I have two hoses (supply and return I assume) that hang off the back of the tractor. Per your instructions, I should remove that assembly and then at least break the ram cylinder bolts loose? I downloaded the parts manuals for the FSM and my 'aux' valve is not shown anywhere. Maybe this was an aftermarket add-on? I can post a photo if need be.

Thank you again for your quick reply.

[Brian]

1. You have to take the lift off to get to the unload valve and plug.
2. Any of those material would be OK. It is not hard to move, it is stuck and the 12psi oil pressure that is supposed to move it can't do it.
3. Jewelers Rouge or chrome cleaner, most solvents such as petrol, kerosene or diesel will be OK. Just use the polish to clean off any marks or rust.
4. Try your CaseNewHolland dealer for a kit. They have a parts site on line. You will get all the up to date numbers from there. Think that Yesterdays Tractors also do an "O" ring kit.
5. You have a DAR valve fitted and, yes, you will have to take the valve off as the ram cylinder bolts are underneath.