MF 35 Utility

[Super99GM]

Working on the lift on a 35 Utility. Lift will not raise high enough. I read the adjustment procedure in the I&T Manual. I can't seem to get the rear master spring retaining nut to move. It has a lot of slack in the spring. Is this critical and are there any tricks to get the nut loose? According to the manual this nut and spring is the first step in adjustment. Also what is the best fluid to use in this tractor?

 

[DCA]

Do you have the hydraulic cover off of the tractor? With the exception of the adjustment of the draft control spring, the adjustments cannot be made thru the inspection hole as suggested in the I&T manual.

I found play in the draft control spring and the nut was chewed up from people having used a hammer and screwdriver on it. Once off of the tractor and the linkage removed I was able to get a pipe wrench on it. The proper tool is a special 2 inch face spanner wrench, but a standard 2 inch face spanner will work.

The slack in the draft control spring alone should not be the cause of your problem. When the draft control plunger is pushed in it causes the implement to lift. I had the same problem with my TO35, which is built the same and uses most of the same components and controls. It would occasionally lift a heavy implement, but most of the time it only got it barely off of the ground. When it did lift and then was lowered to where the implement just barely touched the ground it would begin to chatter rather severely.

Once I got the cover off and realized what the controls do that made sense. When the implement just touched the ground it rotated forward, pushing in on the slack draft control plunger, which caused it to raise a bit. Once it was just above the ground, it rotated backward, taking pressure off of the control plunger, allowing it to settle back to the ground. It was just oscillating between the two states, which would not happen if the spring is adjusted properly.

Remove the inspection cover on the right side (be prepared to collect the oil that will drain out) so that you can observe for oil leaks and/or turbulence with the engine running while you operate the controls. Others on this forum are much more knowledgeable and will hopefully explain in more detail. Or search this forum.

The proper oil is GL1 (mineral oil), available at NAPA. Search this forum and you will find that John UK also recommends multi-viscosity engine oils. Many on this forum report very good performance, especially in colder climates, with the multi-vis oils.

If you wind up taking the hydraulic cover off and find that the adjustments of the controls cannot be made post back to this forum and I will share what I found and the repairs made.

David in Garlic Country

 

[Super99GM]

I removed the cover and found one of the two levers on the wrong side of the roller. Looks like a silicone slapper has been working on it. I did get the nut on the rear spring out after heating and cooling several times. The rubber boot had been missing for some time and the spring area was full of dirt. The draft sensing rod is stuck also. One local guy said use the tractor hyd./tran. fluid if it had a filter in it. He said if it didn't have a filter to use the 90W. This one does have the filter.

 

[DCA]

Which lever was on the wrong side of the roller? Inside (draft) or outside (position control)?

Have you tried to make the control lever adjustments? If you have the cover upside down on the bench it is important that the lift arms be raised (full down position when upside right). And that the exterior controls be in the ccorrect position. I wasn't able to make the first adjustment of the position control lever against the stop, which lead me to a bunch of other problems.

While the cover is off it is a simple task to remove the lift piston so that you can inspect the piston, cylinder and rings.

This is also a good time to drain the oil and clean out the case. With no boot on the control spring and lots of crud, you probably have lots of crud and moisture in the oil. Jeff-oh posted instructions on cleaning on the Harry Ferguson forum on 11-19-2007. I followed his instructions and used 5 gallons of diesel and a garden sprayer. And let things sit and drain for several days while doing other things.

I believe tractor hydraulic fluid is GL4. I made that mistake once and won't do it again. Stick to the GL1 , 15wt/30 or 15wt/40. It is not the filter or no filter, it is the additives in GL4 and GL5 that is the problem.