# Power Steering cylinder, 4000 Ford.



## oldmanfarmer (Mar 24, 2016)

Hello again,

Working on trying to stop P.S fluid from leaking all over the ground by rebuilding my Ford 4000 power steering ram(cylinder) and found a couple interesting things.

1st thing is that the main cylinder case has a small hole that looks like a valve pin should go there but looks like something got smashed in there and is not round anymore Fig#1.

2nd thing is #35 housing, cylinder outer ball pt# c5nn3n474a Fig#2 looks liks it is flaking/splitting/chipping when it should be like the smaller one #16.

I can't find the part anywhere. Messicks said they cant get and I have called a couple of tractor junk yards and no go. any suggestions? and what about the pin hole?


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

Howdy OMF,

From your pictures, it looks to me like "fluid cut" steel. A machine shop can probably do a weld/repair & remachine job on it.........

tractorhouse.com has 127 ea. Ford 4000's listed in salvage in their "dismantled machine" section. Surely you can find a cylinder in better shape than yours.


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## Hacke (Feb 22, 2011)

The pin is there for aligning the port holes (and #14) when you assemble the parts. To me, it looks like the pin hole is drilled, and perhaps a ball was used instead of the pin. It also looks like the oversized hole is interfering with the the sealing o-ring. How are the seats looking?
The pin hole could be fixed by putting a graphite rod into the remaining pin hole, braze the damage and file the surface flush.

The damaged #35 could be a result from bad adjusting (you adjust by turning #13) and a sloppy steering linkage.
The balls and cups must have had a hard time as well, how do they look?

There are other issues here. The thing has been abused. If the rod has a big play, new rod sealings will be worn out in a short time. You have to cut the cylinder apart to fix the play, and then weld it together. You might try the solution the previous owner did with this cylinder, make a bushing that guides the rod:
https://www.tractorforum.com/threads/ford-3550-power-steering-cylinder-question-and-intro.23249/

I am not sure, but I remember the port holes being smaller?
It looks like at least one of the holes for clamping bolts are oversized, why?
Are all the parts there and in their right places?


Everything can be fixed, but check all issues and calculate the work and costs. It might be better to follow Sixbales' advice, and that way you have some spare parts for the replacing cylinder.

If you have not got a Shop Manual, get one from here:
https://www.tractorforum.com/manuals/ford-2000-3000-4000-3-cyl-1-65-12-74-shop-manual.6/
See Paragraph 40-44.


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## oldmanfarmer (Mar 24, 2016)

yea, after further inspection I found out that the previous owner had sold me his issues. 

There are NO shims(pt#17 of service man), and the pin for alignment was pinched and squashed, the o rings that seal the 2 halves together were not properly seated when sealed.

My neighbor is a machinist and is going to re-tool the pin holes as needed, re-thread all threads as needed, re-make the spring housing(#18), he 1st will have to check the old housing to see if it is harden steel? any one know if the spring hosing(#18) has any bearing groves or is it smooth? cant tell.

I'm gonna re-read the manual again but I cant tell how to use a feeler gauge to tell how many and what size shim to use, any suggestions?

Also I cant find any used spring sleeves just a used cylinder for $550.00 plus $100.00+ for shipping or a new lone for over $2700.00 plus shipping.

any thing I did not cover?

I'll let you know what happens, My heat/AC pump went out tuesday. they want 7k for a new system. 

When the sh*t hits the fan it stinks the whole house.

Ill tell you one thing, if I ever buy a used tractor again, i can tell if some one is lieng about a leak.


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## Hacke (Feb 22, 2011)

Sorry, I cannot answer those questions.
Hope things will go better for you further on.

Consider a power steering kit?
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...ng+Conversion+Kit+Ford++4000&_sacat=0&_sop=15
http://www.nctractorspares.co.uk/power-steering-conversion-kit-ford-4000--5000-27606-p.asp
http://www.tractorspares.ie/paypal9/Front_Axle_and_Steering.html

Agriline has a ram, but it seems to be for a conversion kit:
https://www.agrilineproducts.com/parts/front-axle-steering/power-steering-ram.html


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## oldmanfarmer (Mar 24, 2016)

Thank you for the time and research you have given me.


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