Hydraulic top cover swap

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Bounce
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Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by Bounce »

Hi, this is my first post on this forum. I’m a month into restoring a 1963(?) Dexta that was in a pretty sorry state and I could do with some/lots of advice!

The hydraulic quadrant assembly, diverter valve, lift arms and the spring/plunger assembly for the draft control are corroded beyond repair so I’ve been looking for a complete replacement hydraulic top cover. As it’s a later Dexta the top cover has the quadrant assembly that is held on with the 2 bolts and has the flow control valve as well, but I cannot track one down. A few breakers claim to have them but when I ask for a picture to see the condition of the cover they never get back to me.

There seems to be plenty of the older type with the 4 bolts holding the quadrant and the more straightforward diverter valve for the aux service, would one of these top covers be a straight swap for the cover on my Dexta? If it is a straight swap, and I was able to get my diverter/flow control valve to a workable condition would this then fit back onto the older type hydraulic top cover?

Thanks in advance.

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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by Billy26F5 »

I'm afraid you will need to be very careful, as the early top cover might well have some tiny difference in performance that doesn't work well on the later tractor. I think it will fit, but you'll loose the flow control. I recommend you try to find the right cover so you can work better once your Dexta is running.
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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by Bounce »

Thanks for your reply.

I would like to get the correct top cover but that’s proving to be a bit tricky, and if I don’t find one soon I’m going to be at a standstill. My thoughts were to put the old style top cover on so I can get the tractor useable again (if it will fit & work), it won’t be doing much more than a bit of trailer work and maybe the a bit of topping, no ploughing for now at least! Then once I’ve got the tractor going again I can focus on finding a new cover or at least the parts I need to rebuild my top cover/flow valve.

Would the older style cover be up to the job of lifting the odd implement and tipping a trailer? Just looking at options to get the Dexta up and running again.

Donnie

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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by Billy26F5 »

It should be fine for that.
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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by Bounce »

Excellent thanks.

If anyone knows of a later hydraulic top cover with the 2 bolt quadrant assembly and flow control, please pass the details my way!

Old Hywel
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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by Old Hywel »

How about the 3000? Certainly similar, perhaps you could find one to compare.

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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by Bounce »

Seems to be a few of the 3000 tops about, might be worth a shot.

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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by Bounce »

After not being near the tractor all summer, I finally got back to it and I have managed to source all the parts I needed to repair my hydraulic cover/controls. The new bits have all been installed exactly as it was dismantled, but I now have no hydraulics.

If I remove the diverter valve and turn over the engine there is plenty oil being pumped to the cover, but no movement from the linkage, and no oil from the aux service when the tractor is running, no matter what position the controls are in. During the rebuild of the cover, the lift cylinder, control valve and check valve all remained untouched. Any suggestions?

Billy26F5
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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by Billy26F5 »

Looks like the unloading valve is siezed (Item 11 in the exploded diagram, pdf page 4 and 5 in the manual).
Here's the manual: http://www.smallholderservices.co.uk/si ... hydraulics
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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by Bounce »

Thanks for that Sandy.

I’ll get a look at that tomorrow.

Bounce
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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by Bounce »

Sure enough the unload valve had seized. Once I got it out, cleaned up and replaced the o ring, hydraulics are now working perfectly. Thanks once again Sandy for the invaluable advice.

Now time to start painting….

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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by Billy26F5 »

Glad to see you got it sorted easily. A siezed unloading valve is very common, the o-ring tends to stick, giving the symptoms you had.
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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by Bounce »

Just ordering up parts to get the 3pt linkage back in working order and started wondering why the top link rocker is attached to the back axle with a bush instead of a pin. Are there some attachments that require use of a pin through that bush? Would using a pin instead of a bush not be stronger and perhaps make it a bit easier to remove after a bit of wear and tear?

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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by Billy26F5 »

I don't know, maybe they did intend to attach stuff there, but I don't know what that might have been.
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shepp
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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by shepp »

If just a pin was used there would be 2 wear points - on the rocker casting which would be OK and on the rear axle casting which would not be so desirable. In addition the height stays for a linkage drawbar like the Ferguson has can be attached by a pin through this bush, thus not putting any stress on the the draft sensing spring and system, perhaps this is another reason for using the bush??
1946 E27N, 1952 Major Diesel, 1959 Power Major, 1962 Dexta, 1962 Super Dexta, 1963 Super Dexta NP, 1964 Super Major NP, 1965 Super Dexta 3000, 1966 Major 4000, 1967 3000 PF, 1994 5640,plus Basildon built NH.

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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by John b »

I read somewhere in the distant past that tractor manufacturers regularly looked for cost cutting measures (and i'm sure still do) and started using hollow pins instead of solid where they could get away with it. As the bottom rocker pivot doesn't carry the weight i assume it was one of the places they could make a saving. That might be utter rubbish though, it was just something i read! The bush type pins are alot easier to remove if they sieze in there though, it took me a whole day, a large hole drilled through the pin, a home made puller and lot of heat to get a very siezed solid pin out of a ford 4000 rocker
John
My biggest fear is that when i die my wife will sell my tractors for what i told her they cost

Billy26F5
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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by Billy26F5 »

I don't know what Davie has, but his drawbar is held in there.
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shepp
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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by shepp »

A further point regarding the bush is that it was a carry over from the Ford 9N and 8N tractors that the Dexta was based on. The Ferguson 20 top link rocker is attached to the rear axle centre housing with a bush which allows the long hinged pin to pass through it, Ferguson cast additional lugs on the centre housing at the edges. The 9N and TE20 both had single acting ( via compression ) top link draft sensing springs, so the drawbar stays could be safely attached at the top link point. Later models of both makes with double acting draft sensing springs and systems could not do this, and the Ferguson FE35 moved to attaching the linkage drawbar stays to the long hinged pin.
1946 E27N, 1952 Major Diesel, 1959 Power Major, 1962 Dexta, 1962 Super Dexta, 1963 Super Dexta NP, 1964 Super Major NP, 1965 Super Dexta 3000, 1966 Major 4000, 1967 3000 PF, 1994 5640,plus Basildon built NH.

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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by John b »

That makes more sense than trying to save money Shepp
My biggest fear is that when i die my wife will sell my tractors for what i told her they cost

shepp
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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by shepp »

Just checked my Fordson Dexta handbook and the hollow bush IS for attaching the linkage drawbar stays to with a pin passed through the bush and the stays either side of the bush secured with a lynch pin, there is a picture in the handbook.
1946 E27N, 1952 Major Diesel, 1959 Power Major, 1962 Dexta, 1962 Super Dexta, 1963 Super Dexta NP, 1964 Super Major NP, 1965 Super Dexta 3000, 1966 Major 4000, 1967 3000 PF, 1994 5640,plus Basildon built NH.

John b
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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by John b »

They must have just carried on using the bush as alot of the early 1000 series fords used them too
My biggest fear is that when i die my wife will sell my tractors for what i told her they cost

shepp
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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by shepp »

Hi John

Yes, both my pre-force 3000 models have it, the earliest one is January 1965 and I think the linkage drawbar was still listed in accessories at that time, I'll check my brochure and price list and the early handbook.
1946 E27N, 1952 Major Diesel, 1959 Power Major, 1962 Dexta, 1962 Super Dexta, 1963 Super Dexta NP, 1964 Super Major NP, 1965 Super Dexta 3000, 1966 Major 4000, 1967 3000 PF, 1994 5640,plus Basildon built NH.

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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by Billy26F5 »

Excellent to know this shepp. I've just noticed it's mentioned in the instruction book on the forum (the 1957 one).
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shepp
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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by shepp »

Checked my January 1965 price list and brochure and the handbook for the January 1965 3000 Super Dexta today, and the linkage drawbar was still listed in the accessories for the 2000 and 3000 tractors, price £3 - 10 - 0 or three pounds ten shillings or three pounds fifty pence in decimal money! Those were the days!
1946 E27N, 1952 Major Diesel, 1959 Power Major, 1962 Dexta, 1962 Super Dexta, 1963 Super Dexta NP, 1964 Super Major NP, 1965 Super Dexta 3000, 1966 Major 4000, 1967 3000 PF, 1994 5640,plus Basildon built NH.

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Re: Hydraulic top cover swap

Post by John b »

Great info Shepp! Just found my 2600-4600 operators manual, shows the hollow bush on all models, although 2600 & 3600 are a different casting and rocker to the 4100 & 4600. 2600 & 3600 look very similar to the 3000
My biggest fear is that when i die my wife will sell my tractors for what i told her they cost

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