# Ford 3000 3pt hydraulics only lift when first cranking up - Solved



## Bill Faulkner (Mar 30, 2020)

Why will a 3pt lift only lift at cranking and at no point after?

About a week ago I pulled the lift cover on my '68 english Ford 3000 diesel and replaced o-rings to try to resolve a long standing small leak down issue. I did replace the piston O-ring & leather-ring along with all the o-rings I could get to and of course a new gasket. I did not pull the unload valve (didnt really know how). I drained and then filled with entirely new fluid till it flowed out the gauge hole on the side. Could not get to any of the filters/screens. This repair did seem to work, however, the hydraulic's seemed slower than I remembered. As a test, my 92" finish mower only dropped 8" in 12hrs (overnight). I was able to spray 2-4D and then a few days later mow about 5 acres.

Today, about a week and maybe 5hrs of run time later it stopped lifting entirely. Was in position control and the flow knob all the way in. I pulled the lift cover and went through everything. Flow control mechanism seemed to work freely as did the draft/position lever and position quadrant lever. Since I couldnt get to the screen/filter I blew air down the tube that leads to the metal screen filter and it seem to flow fine. I then reinstalled the lift cover but it still would not lift. The color of the hydraulic fluid looked a bit darker than what I put in just 5 running hours before. Here is the strange part. We discovered that if you set the position control before cranking, the arms would raise immediately after cranking the tractor to that position. Subsequently (with the tractor still running) moving the position control higher or dropping the implement and raising the position control lever higher would result in no lift. Tried many combinations of Draft/Position Control, Flow knob, revving engine, etc to no avail. In order for this cranking trick to work you'd have to leave the tractor off for a few minutes.

We also pulled the grub screw on the pump and it sprays out fluid and I think it is primed. I dont know what pressure is being developed but I have a pressure gauge on the way.

The pump has never been touched in the 20 years I've owned it. I have to believe it is something I did pulling the lift cover because, except for the leak down, it was quite serviceable.

I do have all the shop manuals.

Any ideas? What would cause lift only when the tractor is starting up but not subsequently while running?


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## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

I don't have an answer for you but at this point I would drain a gallon or two of oil out of the rear end. Then pull the round inspection cover on the left side. Start the engine and look inside.
I'm thinking you have a seal misplaced or somesuch and might see a lot of oil dripping and spraying around inside.


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## Bill Faulkner (Mar 30, 2020)

Thanks Ultradog. I pulled the inspection cover - well actually since my tractor is English I have a transmission handbrake assembly there which I had to remove. Looking inside with the tractor running I did not see any oil dripping or spraying around. 

I did strap down the lift arms with a chain and let the arms raise at cranking with a pressure gauge on the aux port of the top cover and it developed 1500 PSI, so while not ideal, the pump appears to be working.

I took the top accessory cover off again and used air to blow into the port that leads to the piston and it raised the arms just fine. Other passages in the accessory cover are all clear.

It really isnt even lifting at cranking much anymore, however if I loosen the accessory cover and lift slightly then re-secure and crank the tractor with the position control level in a raised position, the arms will lift (albeit slowly) and once it reaches position it will hold there (even overnight). Dropping the arms and trying to re-raise at that point fails - the arms just stay down. I suppose that loosening the accessory cover releases some pressure somewhere and allows a valve to reset. The unloading valve maybe?

I didnt touch the unloading valve at all when I replaced all the o-rings but maybe that is sticking now even though things worked OK before I did the rebuild?

I cant get to the filters. There is a sheet metal shield around the shaft and handbrake bevel gear that completely obscures access to both filters underneath it. I could blow air down the tube to the metal screen one and it didnt seem obstructed at all. I sure hope the intake filter isnt clogged up because I really dont want to have to split the tractor.

Any advice on checking the unloading valve?


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## Bill Faulkner (Mar 30, 2020)

Solved. I am fairly confident the problem was a completely clogged suction filter screen. The theory is that when the tractor is off some hydraulic fluid leaked into the suction line and when the tractor is started some time later there is just enough fluid for the pump to build up a little pressure and raise the arms. At this point the pump is creating suction at the filter screen which pulls all the gunk tight against it sealing it off and no additional fluid can get in, like sucking on a very think milk shake. Turn the tractor off and the suction stops and eventually some more fluid leaks in.

It was quite a job to get to the filters. My '68 English has a transmission handbrake and speedometer assembly where there typically is a side cover plate. That had to be removed, as did the PTO lever assembly and the PTO shaft and a sheet metal guard around the drive shaft. Then there were various contortions necessary to get the filter pipes removed. But, it can be done without splitting the tractor! 

I pressure washed the suction screen to like new condition and installed a new sump return filter.

The hydraulics work perfectly now and have never been this responsive.


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## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

Great post. Too often we don't hear back about a problem solved so your results are good to hear and help us all learn.
Thanks.


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## BigT (Sep 15, 2014)

Excellent report, thank you for sharing. Most of us have no desire to go deep into the guts of this system to get to the suction screen. What do you think of draining the reservoir and blowing high pressure air down the suction line to clean the screen?? Or maybe a pressure washer down the suction line ??


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## JimmyL (Apr 3, 2020)

I also have an English tractor with the hand brake and evil guard down in the way of everything! I need to check these filters since I'm in there, but Geez what a job!!
By the way, is the return filter replaceable by itself, or is it the tube and all?


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

It looks like Bill Faulkner just removed the whole unit, filter and tube, cleaned and replaced it. One piece I believe.


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## BigT (Sep 15, 2014)

Pogobill was referring to the suction filter/screen, item #60. Tube & filter are one piece. 

The return line filter is a separate filter, item #50. There is a relief/bypass valve, items #56-59. When the return filter gets plugged, pressure builds and the bypass valve opens.


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## Bill Faulkner (Mar 30, 2020)

JimmyL said:


> I also have an English tractor with the hand brake and evil guard down in the way of everything! I need to check these filters since I'm in there, but Geez what a job!!
> By the way, is the return filter replaceable by itself, or is it the tube and all?
> View attachment 55311


JimmyL - Yes it is quite the job. You do have to remove that "evil" guard. There is a slotted screw just below the hydraulic level plug on the right side that holds the sump return pipe with a captured nut and it also secures one side of the guard. Its a bear to get that screw lined up on reinstall. On the left side you have to take the bolt off the flange plate where the drive shaft goes through. It looks like the bevel gear is in the way but I was able to use a socket successfully. I had to flex the guard a bit to get it to rotate around and come out. 

You do have to take the transmission handbrake assembly off. To do that you basically end up disassembling the entire handbrake because the 4 bolts holding it to the tractor are internal to the handbrake housing. In my case the handbrake had never worked and in this process I found out why. One of the two springs holding the pressure plates together was broken. The good news is that I was able to repair that. I also had to fashion a new gasket between the handbrake housing and the cover with the speedometer attachment. You probably can do it with some RTV as well.

To get the actual suction filter/pipe out I had to bend the mounting tab like you see in the picture of the dirty filter above and then it took some twists and contortions to get it out, but you can. After reinstall I just bent the tab back into place. The suction filter pipe is a one piece unit. I thought I would just buy a new one but a) they are expensive ($70) and b) I've seen posts where folks report that the replacement doesn't have the pipe bends in quite the right place. 

I initially tried to clean the filter screen with a stiff brush. That really didn't work very well. Next I pulled out the pressure washer and went to town on it. That cleaned it up 95% of the way. I then used a little pick to get what remained where the screen met the end-caps. Good as new!

I did replace the paper sump return filter on the right side. This is attached to the pipe that is held on by that slotted screw and also has a pressure relief valve. I was a bit surprised when the new filter arrived because it was not a paper filter encased in a perforated metal screen like the old one but rather it was an all metal assembly. Works great though. I did not try to adjust or mess with the relief value. It does not need to be removed to replace the filter. Here is a pic of the new one attached to the pipe and the old one. Be sure to save all the washers when removing the old one as the new one doesn't come with any. I think the new filter was about $15 delivered. You can also see the captured nut in the mounting clip. I did put a new o-ring on the end of the pipe as well.


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## Bill Faulkner (Mar 30, 2020)

BigT said:


> Excellent report, thank you for sharing. Most of us have no desire to go deep into the guts of this system to get to the suction screen. What do you think of draining the reservoir and blowing high pressure air down the suction line to clean the screen?? Or maybe a pressure washer down the suction line ??


@BigT. I don't think you can effectively clean the suction filter screen in-situ. It connects directly to the return line to the pump and you'd have to disconnect the line at the side of the tractor or at the pump. The suction screen is pleated and has quite a bit of overall surface area. I would think that high pressure air would find some small escape area and a majority of the filter would remain clogged. Unfortunately I think the only effective way to deal with a partially or fully clogged screen is to actually pull it from the tractor and clean it. On my tractor there is a sheet metal guard plate just like in JimmyL's picture which makes it impossible to even see the suction filter screen to see what state its in.


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## JimmyL (Apr 3, 2020)

Dang that's great info Bill! Thank you!
The handle of my hand brake snapped off pretty much right after I got the tractor!
I do have a question though. On all the posts in all the forums I've looked at everybody says you HAVE to pull the pto shaft out to get at those filters. Doesn't sound like you did that. Is it possible to get the filters out without removing pto shaft?


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## Bill Faulkner (Mar 30, 2020)

@JimmyL - I did pull the PTO shaft out - at least partially. IIRC it interfered with getting the suction filter pipe out. It's not as difficult as it may seem. Remove the 4 bolts surrounding the PTO shaft at the back of the tractor where you attach implements - 2 bolts above and below the PTO shaft splines hold on the safety shroud bracket, and the remaining other 2 on the sides hold in the PTO retaining bracket. The PTO shaft should then slide easily. I never pulled it all the way out - just enough to get the clearance needed. I did not remove or replace any PTO seals, just the mentioned 4 bolts. I also had to remove the PTO engage lever assembly because that was in the way, but it wasn't difficult.

edit: Looked at one of your pictures and it looks like you dont have the live PTO option so you probably dont have to worry with the PTO engage lever.


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## JimmyL (Apr 3, 2020)

Thanks Bill once again. I do have a new pto seal and gasket. Just didn't want to pull it out if I didn't have to as the seal is dry as a bone. Oh well....
I have to work all day Saturday so I have no idea when I'll get to this thing. And the grass is growing!
Still having problems with my 3 pt control lever, but that's in another thread....


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## JimmyL (Apr 3, 2020)

Ok, I did hit a pretty major snag! I took the outside cover off of the hand brake. I knew I was in trouble when water started leaking out as I loosed a bottom bolt!!
It basically looks like something you might find down on the Titanic! So rusted that I don't think that is ever coming off the tractor


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## Chefsandron (Mar 9, 2021)

Hi Bill,



Bill Faulkner said:


> Yes it is quite the job. You do have to remove that "evil" guard.


Man, you are saving my life. I have exactly the same lift problems you had and have just finished taking the top cover off. I have been looking all over the net, lots of people working on Ford 3000 hydraulics, but their photographs looked nothing like my tractor. Until I discovered your message and now understand I also have this famous "transmission handbrake". Now at least I know what I'm dealing with.
Many thanks for your detailed descriptions of the work involved and the things you did, they give me the badly-needed courage to continue taking apart the tractor. I really was afraid to tackle the job, I couldn't imagine that just getting at a filter to clean it would require this much disassembly. And I found not a word about this in the Ford service / shop manuals.
I'll report on the result once the job is finished. In the meantime I keep a printout of your instructions handy to use as a checklist.

Grateful greetings from France,

Jos


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