New to the forums, and in a tough spot. My 1969 Ford 3400 was leaking psf from the column, and kept running low on fluid, so I would sometimes drive it with armstrong steering until I could get more fluid. Finally one day I was pulling really hard on the steering wheel and the 'steering adapter housing' ( the piece under the 'Power Steering Control Valve Assembly') cracked open and more fluid gushed out. I took the column out of the tractor and rebuilt it with new steering adapter housing plus new seals and upper bearing, but I never worried about the lower bearing as it seemed fine before and had no way to pull it out even if it was bad. Now it's back together and in the tractor, but if anything, the power steering seems even weaker than before. I can't turn the wheels at all when they're on the ground (although I'm scared to pull on the steering wheel as hard as I used to). I got a PS pressure tester and the needle dances around at about 20 psi turning from lock to lock. I'm just wondering if anyone can tell me should I replace the pump, or could it be that the lower bearing had a couple needles fall out and it's keeping the shaft from moving up and down? I had originally staked the steering shaft nut 1/6 turn back from snug, but I noticed it had previously been staked at a different spot so when it didn't work the first time I loosened it off the the old spot and re-staked it, but it still is no go. Just wondering if the 20 psi reading is a clue as to whether it's the pump or not? Thanks.
Sean in PA
Well-known Member
If it's not providing the steering assist that it should, then even holding the steering wheel at full lock one way or the other is unlikely to cause the pressure to go up. My bet is that something was put back together incorrectly in the control valve so that the fluid coming from the pump is going right back to the reservoir without any restriction to the flow, and that's why it's only reading 20 psi.
Last edited:
Thanks for the reply, I guess I'll have to take it out and check it. Would putting the 2 weird pistons with the ball bearings in them in the wrong hole be a possibility? I used a picture I found online showing the 4 holes in the control valve and where the 3 normal piston pairs with their springs go, and where the weird pair with the ball bearings go, but it may have been wrong or I may have copied it wrong. Also wondering if I could have the lines that go to the cylinders crossed. Anyone know if that could give a 20 psi reading?
shaun wallace
Well-known Member
The spool has groove inside and it goes to the bottom. That maybe the problem.
When you rebuilt the steering column, did you set the crush washer correctly and stake the nut.. This is extremely critical to the steering box to sense when to open and close the valves... But usually it will turn one way but not the other... And if the bottom bearing is wornexcessivly ,,the valve will now sit too low and make this worse.
What do you mean by "set the crush washer correctly"? I dropped the bearing and race set on top of the control valve, then dropped the spring washer on top, then tightened the steering shaft nut to snug, then backed off 1/6 turn, then staked it.
When I take it apart I'll also look for a groove inside the spindle. I assume the spindle refers to the big solid steel round piece with ridges in it that slides inside the middle of the control valve?
And thanks for the advice so far, I appreciate it.
Hobo,NC
Well-known Member
- Location
- Sanford, NC
You just opened up a can of worms. I back it off 3 flats a haft a turn are for those that are skeered run the nut down till you can not spin the washer with a finger and run the nut down 3 flats a haft a turn. I don't think this is your problem.
Attachments
Got it working! You guys are awesome. I messed around with that thing on and off for weeks. Then after a couple days on this forum it's done. Sean in PA was right, I had put the control valve back together wrong. Actually I had put it back in upside down. I had wondered why the lines for the right side cylinder were almost touching the throttle shaft. Now with the control valve right side up they have more clearance and looks like how it should. Also once I got it back together and ran it with the wheels off the ground, I noticed that I had the lines on the left side crossed too. Now she turns nice and smooth with the wheels on the ground. Thanks for the good advice!
Oh yeah, and I found an old post from a guy named Ultradog on this forum which helped with getting the control valve right.
Oh yeah, and I found an old post from a guy named Ultradog on this forum which helped with getting the control valve right.
Hobo,NC
Well-known Member
- Location
- Sanford, NC
Cool!. For the record on the last attempt how did you set the thrust washer ?.
Tightened with a wrench as tight as I could (which isn't super tight as I had one hand on the wrench pulling one way, and the other hand on the steering wheel pushing the other way), then backed it off 2/6 because that's where an old stake mark was.
Hobo,NC
Well-known Member
- Location
- Sanford, NC
Cool thanks for the feedback.
UPDATE - it only ran for a couple hours, and then fluid started spewing out from the top of the steering column. It had enough pressure that it was actually spraying out at me, from under the steering wheel. I figured I must have put the top seal in wrong, or damaged it a bit when installing it, so I ordered a new one and replaced it, trying to be careful. This time it only lasted a few minutes before fluid started coming out from the top of the column. I broke down and ordered the IT shop manual as well as another seal, and was planning to follow the manual's advice and make a seal guide out of 'thin wall electrical conduit' but when I took the seal to the hardware store there was no way I could get the seal over the end of the conduit without damaging it, so I figured maybe conduit is a little thicker now than it was when the book was written, and gave up and just used a little grease on the seal lip and tried to put it back together as carefully as possible. It still leaked within the first minute. Then I noticed on Broken Tractor's website it says that fluid coming out of the top of the steering column is often caused by a worn control valve, so I bit the bullet and bought one. Well I just installed it (plus another new top seal) and it started leaking right away again. I hate this tractor. I forgot to mention in my original post that I also replaced the steering shaft as well as the seals, and bearing and adaptor housing. Could the new shaft be a different diameter than the original. I didn't keep the old one, so I can't measure it now. Is the inside sleeve in the control valve supposed to be snug on the shaft, because there's lots of space between them on mine right now. Any help would be appreciated.
Make sure there is NOT a groove on the shaft, where the top seal goes... if so, there is a special kit that has a sleeve to fit over the shaft to provide a smooth sealing surface for the seal. Yes, its a pain, but when you get it fixed right, is good for 40 years again.
No it's a new shaft, so the surface that the seal rubs on is nice and smooth
I try to be really gentle when installing the housing over the steering shaft. It's really hard to see the seal once it's most of the way on, so when it goes over the last 'step' on the shaft I wonder if the lip is getting snagged and flipped upwards instead of facing down. Has anyone ever had trouble with this? Or maybe fabbed up some kind of seal guide
OK, I've been fighting with this for a while now. Multiple seals have been replaced. I ended up making a seal guide and was able to get the column down over the shaft without any damage to the seal, and yes it is lip side down. As soon as I started it up and turned the steering wheel a bit, out comes fluid from under the steering wheel again. I have been trying to figure out what's going on, and I have a question for you guys:
Is the hydraulic line that connects to the part of the steering valve assembly with the big fitting on it (with a smaller check-valve underneath it) the one that goes to the reservoir (aka the return line) or is it the one that goes to the pump (aka the high pressure line)?
I know that everyone says that it's supposed to go on the right side of the column, but on my tractor the line on that side is the return line, and it seems to me that the little check valve won't let any fluid go out of the steering valve assembly but will let fluid go in, so I'm thinking that should be the high pressure side.
Is the hydraulic line that connects to the part of the steering valve assembly with the big fitting on it (with a smaller check-valve underneath it) the one that goes to the reservoir (aka the return line) or is it the one that goes to the pump (aka the high pressure line)?
I know that everyone says that it's supposed to go on the right side of the column, but on my tractor the line on that side is the return line, and it seems to me that the little check valve won't let any fluid go out of the steering valve assembly but will let fluid go in, so I'm thinking that should be the high pressure side.
Never mind, I see that there are two more passageways that the check valve doesn't block, so now it makes sense to me why it would be on the return side. Any advice on why there would be enough pressure in the steering valve assembly to overpower a new and carefully installed upper seal would be appreciated.
Sean in PA
Well-known Member
The relief valve inside the pump may be set too high or be stuck closed. But even then, there would have to be some obstruction to the flow to cause the pressure to build unless it was being held at full lock to one side or the other.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.
Copyright © 1997-2025 Yesterday's Tractor Co.
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy