# Newby with questions about a Ford 3910.



## grweldon

Howdy all. I trust you had a great mother's day weekend...

A few weeks ago I bought my first tractor, a Ford 3910 2-wheel drive. I really like the tractor so far, the 47HP seems to be quite enough for what I need it to do. I don't have an operator's manual as of yet, I looked for a downloadable copy but I can't find one. I'm going to investigate purchasing a hardcopy but until then, maybe some of you will be able to help?

First, There is a small, round pedal under the 3-point hitch that appears it is supposed to be operated with the heel of your foot. The linkage goed in to the rear end and the pedal/linkage travel is small. The lever that it's attached to on the rear end only seems to move about a quarter of an inch. What is this pedal?

Second, the 3-point hitch once worked very well, but now it seems as if is working more slowly and somewhat jerky, especially when first started up. Maybe it's low on hydraulic fluid. How do I check it and where do I fill it if more is needed?

Third, I've developed a leak in the rear tire valve stem. Is it replaceable from the exterior of the tire or must the tire be dismounted and the stem installed from the inside. It's a type of valve stem I've never seen before. It has a round, knurled nut that seems to hold the valve in position on the wheel. Also, the core of the valve is like a cap. Screws on to the top of the stem instead of being screwed in to the stem with a special tool. It can be removed by hand and when done, all the air rapidly escapes from the tire. Is this normal?

And last (for now), my power steering seems to be a bit sluggish at idle/low RPM. There is no dipstick or level mark from what I can tell on the pump. How do I know if it's low? Also, what type of fluid/oil do I fill it with?

If anybody can help with these issues, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Glen


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## grweldon

OK y'all. I had some time to research so I found the answers to my questions. Thank you for reading. In case there are other 3910 owners out there that are as clueless as I am, I'm going to post the answers here...

1. The small round pedal on the right heel is the differential lock.

2. Hydraulic oil check plug is directly under the flow control on the right-hand side just to the rear of the pivot point. There are two filler plugs directly under the seat on the top of the rear differential center section.

3. The valve stem must be installed from the inside of the rim with the tire dismounted. The one I have has a rubber washer and a flange that pulls up tight and seals when the nut on the outside is tightened. In my case I think the rubber washer has torn/detriorated and I believe I can loosen the valve (valve not on the bottom) apply some RTV silicone as best I can and tighten up the valve.

4. The correct power steering fluid is the same as the hydraulic/transimission fluid used for the lift/PTO. I haven't figured out a way to check the level, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. There appears to be only one bolt that connects the reservoir to the pump. Remove the bolt and you can drain the reservoir and change the filter (watch out that the spring and seal doesn't get lost when it pops out.


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## Big_T

Sorry, I screwed up this post, see comments below


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## Big_T

Glen,
You've done well. You can get an operator's manual on ebay for about $30. 

1. You use the differential lock when you get stuck with only one wheel spinning. For example, two days ago I got into mud at the edge of my small pond. Started making a mess, so I pushed in the differential lock and came out immediately. Very useful feature, but note the the tractor will go straight ahead only when using. You can't steer with the rear wheels locked together.

2. The hydraulic oil fluid level check plug is a small SQUARE-HEADED pipe plug in vicinity of where you describe. DO NOT remove the slotted head screw near it, as it holds brackets in place internally. 

3. My tires have tubes, and I expect you have tubes as well. You may have to replace the tube, if the tube damage is too big to patch. 

4. The power steering fluid level is checked by removing the small filler cap. I keep my fluid level up the base of the filler neck. If you get it too full, it will push the excess fluid out (when warmed up) of the vent hole (with the rubber plug) on top. I've noticed that my power steering is slow responding at low RPM. Works OK at higher RPM's. My filter is relatively new, so I assume that my pump is worn. Your tractor is +/- 25 years old...


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## stickerpicker

With the tire on the tractor, brake the outer bead down and fix it right. It will be an aggravation until you do.

This one came from a NH tractor, was never installed correctly and is likely to be what your tractor has.
In the one pic you can see the leading edge of the seal that is supposed to protrude through the wheel got doubled back. Was nothing but a lack of attention on the mechanics part that caused owner disgust.


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## grweldon

Thank you Big-T and stickerpicker.

Big-T, you are correct, I have tubes. Took the tire off the tractor last night and put it in the pickup. Couldn't make it to the tire store by the time they closed at 5:30. Will take it to the store tonight to have them replace the tube and pick it up tomorrow evening and return it to the farm on Friday. I drive 50+ miles to work each day and my farm is right in-between home and work.

My hydraulic fluid level-check hole has a flat plug with a recessed hex in it for an allen wrench. I suppose somebody replaced it making it difficult to remove (figures!). Got to find out what size it is and what the hex size is. I work at a pump manufacturing facility and deal with NPT threads and plugs all the time. I'll use what we have here to figure it out but I think it's a 1/2-14 NPT. With that, I can find a plug around here and check the hex size.

Well, with your description of your PS fluid level, mine is definitely low. There are only 1400+ hours on the tractor. I'm hoping the sluggishness on the steering at low RPM is due to low fluid, not a worn pump.

I had been using differential braking to keep one wheel from spinning, transferring the traction to the non-spinning wheel, but I can see where the differential lock would be preferred.

Thank you for your posts!


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## sawtooth

you can get a manual on ebay. I like the originals but they have reprints too. What is the serial number on your tractor? I help you find the correct one to go with your tractor.


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## grweldon

Thank you for your offer sawtooth, I have one arriving in the mail shortly...


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## MardenTX

How can I tell the year of my 3910?


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## sawtooth

If there is a sticker under the hood we just need the serial number. If not then there are numbers on both left and right sides of the front of the transmission housings. There should be two holes "upper pair" where a front loader would connect to tractor. Above these holes is a flat spot where they are stamped in the steal. You have pics of your tractor?


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