TO35 hydraulics

[NeilBedwell]

I just bought a 1958 TO-35. There is one thing about the tractor that is puzzling me. I currently have a grader blade attached to it. I was trying to grade my driveway and noticed that if I have the blade pulled all the way up then push in the clutch the blade falls, rather quickly. If I count to 10 with the clutch in, it is on the ground. My buddy says this is not normal. I tend to agree with him, but I"m not sure. Should the hydraulics drop that fast with the clutch pushed in? What do I need to look at to fix this issue?

Thanks for your help.

 

[DCA]

1. Does your TO35 have the double clutch? If it does the clutch works in two stages. The first stage disengages the transmission. The second stage disengages the PTO shaft which also drives the hydraulic pump. In normal operation to change gears or stop with the double clutch there is no need to fully depress the clutch, which disengages the PTO shaft as well.

2. The implement should not fall as fast as you described, which indicates a leak or malfunctioning control valve. The IT manual for this model is readily available and describes the operation of the hydraulic system fairly well.

I am in the midst of attempting to repair the hydraulic lift system on my older model TO35. In both the factory manual and the IT manual the first step after checking the top link control spring for play is to remove the inspection cover from the right side (where the dip stick is at). Be prepared with an oil drain pan to collect the oil that will leak out. Try removing just the lowest bolt first and it will probably be less messy. Once the oil is drained down and you have removed the cover start the engine and raise the lift, then shut the engine off and look inside. The manuals explain this better, but look up to see how much oil might be getting by the lift cylinder rings. There is a small cover plate on the lift cover under the seat. The standpipe that move oil from the pump up to the lift cover goes into that small cover. If the "O" ring is damaged you could get leaking there. The manuals describe looking down toward teh pump to see if there is turbulence which would certainly indicate a problem in that area.

Unfortunately, being a novice at this, I skipped the inspection step and went straight into trying to make the internal adjustments (which I can't imagine doing tru that inspection cover as described in the IT manual). Now that I have it all in pieces and have identifed at least two possible causes I wish I had taken that first inspection step. The lift cylinder, piston and rings are all scored. And the "O" ring at the bottom end of the standpipe was torn. Both would have contributed to the rapid drop of the lift arms that I was experiencing.

Question for others that read this. The early TO35s had a 2-1/2 inch lift cylinder (180967M1) which is no longer available. Can this be replaced with the 3 inch cylinder (184442M!) used on the later models??

 

[gary barlow...]

i have the same problem with my mf-202 indus. i wonder if they are the same?

 

[NeilBedwell]

I read about the 2 stage clutch setup. I don"t think my tractor is set up that way. If it is, I can"t tell it and per the serial number tag it says it has a regular clutch. I spoke to another Massey owner that lives near me and he swears that his MF35 diesel has always done the same thing. Is this a Massey trait?

 

[DCA]

Neil,

I have gone thru all of the nearly 300 pages on both the Harry Ferguson and Massey Harris forums and checked out the posts on hydraulics and some other items of interest that I have. It took a few hours, but I learned a lot. (The Harry Ferguson forum is specifically geared toward the TO series, but there are lots of posts on both forums).

The TO35 lift cylinder has 3 steel rings, which will certainly leak oil. It shouldn't be just seconds though. The "O" rings on the standpipe are another area to look for. Many of the posts also mention parts of the hydraulic pump as another source of leak down. One on post I read that some other tractors have a check valve, but none this whole series did.

Again, remove the inspection plate on the right side and with the tractor engine running lift an implement and look for leaks. Just don't put your hand in there!

There also some posts about the differences between the TO35, TO35 Special and TO35 Deluxe. There were differences between the 3 versions that might be helpful to know.