Mudrig's new Ford 3000

[Mudrig150]

Just picked up a new toy:

A mid 60s 3000 diesel select-o-speed.
I am well aware of the reputation of these machines, but for the work I'm doing and the price it was the best I could get. Eventually I plan on 8 speed swapping it, but for now it's keeping the select-o-speed. Lots of little things to fix and questions to ask.
-The steering cylinder on the right side needs seals, how does the end of the cylinder come off? I know it unthreads but it's tapered so it looks like it'll need a special tool.
-The radiator constantly leaks out of the overflow. Cap seems like it's barely holding pressure, what rating is it supposed to be?
-The blade is coming off because it is SHOT. It's a mess of torch cut steel, fabricobbled brackets, and booger welds. It's a 3 point moldboard stuck onto a modified Dearborn built workmaster blade frame. The hydraulic valve has a lift and what seems to be float position but it doesn't quite act like float. Am I correct in it being just two positions of float and lift? I want to add rear hydraulics eventually for lifting attachments.
-The PTO handle pulled out normally but now it seems the cable is stuck in the engaged position. How do I get access to free the cable up?

Looking forward to getting it all working good again!

 

[Sean in PA]

Congratulations. If the S-O-S runs good in all gears, keep it maintained properly and it should last a long time. Proper maintenance means changing the fluid and the filter regularly and keeping the bands adjusted properly. I had a '73 4000 with the S-O-S for almost 20 years. I put less than 50 hours on it per year, some years less than 20, but I still changed the fluid and filter yearly and adjusted the bands every 2 to 3 years.

How full are you filling the radiator? If you are filling it all of the way up to the top of the upper tank, that is the cause of it spitting out fluid. Run it it until it is good and hot a few times and don't add any coolant to let it find its own level. It needs room for expansion in that top tank when it gets hot. Keep checking the level after it cools down each time. It should stop spitting out coolant when the level gets down to around on or two inches above the core tubes. If it keeps doing it even after the coolant level has gotten down to the top of the core tubes then there is another problem.

If the valve you are asking about is down between your legs while you are sitting on the tractor, there were a few different valves available, some made by Ford and others made by third parties. Some of them had a float position and some of them didn't. Most front blades like that used one way cylinders, with power up and gravity down. Many of the available valves could be configured for one way or two way operation. Are there one or two lines going from the valve to the cylinder on the front blade?

Don't try anything with that PTO cable until you have a copy of the Ford Service Manual or the I&T after market Service Manual. They both have the proper procedure for removing and working on the controls for the S-O-S transmission, including the PTO, which is internal to the trans on the S-O-S. If you start taking things apart without following the proper procedures, it will probably cause more work and possibly more $ spent before you get things back together correctly.

 

[Mudrig150]

Congratulations. If the S-O-S runs good in all gears, keep it maintained properly and it should last a long time. Proper maintenance means changing the fluid and the filter regularly and keeping the bands adjusted properly. I had a '73 4000 with the S-O-S for almost 20 years. I put less than 50 hours on it per year, some years less than 20, but I still changed the fluid and filter yearly and adjusted the bands every 2 to 3 years.

How full are you filling the radiator? If you are filling it all of the way up to the top of the upper tank, that is the cause of it spitting out fluid. Run it it until it is good and hot a few times and don't add any coolant to let it find its own level. It needs room for expansion in that top tank when it gets hot. Keep checking the level after it cools down each time. It should stop spitting out coolant when the level gets down to around on or two inches above the core tubes. If it keeps doing it even after the coolant level has gotten down to the top of the core tubes then there is another problem.

If the valve you are asking about is down between your legs while you are sitting on the tractor, there were a few different valves available, some made by Ford and others made by third parties. Some of them had a float position and some of them didn't. Most front blades like that used one way cylinders, with power up and gravity down. Many of the available valves could be configured for one way or two way operation. Are there one or two lines going from the valve to the cylinder on the front blade?

Don't try anything with that PTO cable until you have a copy of the Ford Service Manual or the I&T after market Service Manual. They both have the proper procedure for removing and working on the controls for the S-O-S transmission, including the PTO, which is internal to the trans on the S-O-S. If you start taking things apart without following the proper procedures, it will probably cause more work and possibly more $ spent before you get things back together correctly.

The radiator seems pretty full to me, the guy said that he kept filling it up every time he ran it so I'm assuming he was filling it all the way up every time.

It's a factory 2 line hydraulic valve, it has a knob that I'm assuming is the drop speed adjustment and then the two positions for lift and lower.

I do luckily have the manual, I was just curious if there was an easy way to loosen the cable conduit from the dash to get access to pull the cable free.

How does the end of the steering cylinder come off? I've got a seal kit coming for it because there's a big chunk taken out of the seal so it needs replaced.

 

[Sean in PA]

I don't have access to the manual at the moment, so I can't help with removal of the cable. From memory, I think that you need to remove two nuts for the conduit, one on the back of the dash and one at the other end of the conduit where it connects to the transmission top cover, and then turn the PTO handle to unscrew the far end of the cable from the PTO lever on the control valve inside the top of the trans, but I can't remember if you turn it clockwise or counter-clockwise. Again, get a copy of the service manual and verify before doing anything, don't rely on my memory. Be careful when tightening those nuts back up as the piece that the nut behind the dash threads onto is fairly cheap pot metal and the threads are easily stripped.

Sorry, I can't help with the steering cylinder. I've never had to take one of those apart.

 

[Mudrig150]

So the steering cylinder is welded together, but the seal I need to replace is luckily held in with a snap ring.