# power steering not working, ford 2600



## punkincycle (May 3, 2015)

Need some help please. Hi all you tractor loving folks. Need to pick someone's brain. I have a 1976 ford 2600 3 cylinder diesel. The power steering was working fine before I worked on it but had about a half a round play in the steering wheel. I removed the upper steering shaft support and found the spring washer beneath the steering shaft stake nut was broken, thus causing the shaft to rise up before engaging the steering gears. I continued to disassemble the steering assembly to replace the "o" rings beneath the steering valve. During removal some of the springs and little pistons fell out of the steering valve. I recovered them and installed them in the valve. There was one piston that had a ball in between the two pistons but there was no spring on it. I cleaned and reassembled the unit installed the lines, refilled the fluid. now I have no power steering. can anyone help me. Thanks


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## RM-MN (Sep 11, 2015)

punkincycle said:


> Need some help please. Hi all you tractor loving folks. Need to pick someone's brain. I have a 1976 ford 2600 3 cylinder diesel. The power steering was working fine before I worked on it but had about a half a round play in the steering wheel. I removed the upper steering shaft support and found the spring washer beneath the steering shaft stake nut was broken, thus causing the shaft to rise up before engaging the steering gears. I continued to disassemble the steering assembly to replace the "o" rings beneath the steering valve. During removal some of the springs and little pistons fell out of the steering valve. I recovered them and installed them in the valve. There was one piston that had a ball in between the two pistons but there was no spring on it. I cleaned and reassembled the unit installed the lines, refilled the fluid. now I have no power steering. can anyone help me. Thanks


This post on Yesterday's tractors helped me a lot. http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=ttalk&th=1618537

It explains which parts go into which holes. That seems to be the part that most people have trouble with. I also used the parts list from New Holland to aid a bit with what parts that I needed to have in case I lost one of them. http://partstore.agriculture.newhol...Winger/parts-search.html#epc::mr63490ar258809 Note that the picture can be magnified and moved around to get a better view.


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

Ultradog's procedure has helped many guys that dropped parts out of the PS control valve, or otherwise had problems determining where the parts go. You really need to get an I&T manual for your tractor. They have a pretty good section covering power steering. Cost $25-$30.

Your post mentions only one ball between the two special plungers. There are supposed to be two balls between the plungers (no spring). You may have lost one.


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

QUOTE: "I removed the upper steering shaft support and found the spring washer beneath the steering shaft stake nut was broken, thus causing the shaft to rise up before engaging the steering gears."
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The shaft has to be free to *move upward a small amount* for the system to work. When you tighten the locknut, tighten till all endplay is removed, then loosen nut 1/6 turn and stake nut to locating slot in steering shaft. (the locknut has 6 flats, therefore loosen it one flat)
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Another concern....did you check the upper steering shaft bearing for excessive play?


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## punkincycle (May 3, 2015)

*power stering problem on my1976 ford tractor 2600*

Thank you guys so mush. This has been a nightmare for me. I did find the second ball in the floor close to where I took the the valve apart. Now to take it apart and make sure the pistons are in the right places. Thanks a lot fellows. punkincycle


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## BigT (Sep 15, 2014)

Additional notes:

1. The spool (sleeve) in the center of the valve does have a top and a bottom. On the inside of the spool there is a slight groove machined on one end. That end goes down. 

2. I'm concerned that the shaft bearings in the steering gearbox may be bad. The gearbox takes gear oil. Combination filler plug/fluid level check plug on left side. Check the fluid level. PO's probably never checked it in 30-40 years. A half round of play in the steering wheel causes me to suspect that the bearings are gone, allowing the shaft to rise/fall.


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## punkincycle (May 3, 2015)

*Fored tractor power steering problem*

Hello everyone. Hope all are doing good today. I finally got to work on my ford tractor yesterday. I disassembled the steering valve again and installed the second ball that I had left out before." Ultradog" has been a great help on the diagram of where all the plungers, springs, and balls go in the valve. I installed the steering valve on the tractor and also changed the filter in the pump reservoir," which was a bugger bear", to install . Anyway after everything was put back together, I started the tractor and still no power steering. I am going to jack the wheels off the ground and see if I can rotate the steering wheel from one side to the other. If this doesn't work I don't know where to go next. One more question, on the steering cylinders the two lines go in the end off the cylinder. I see no way that fluid can get to the rod end of the cylinder. I worked on Logging equipment for 25 years and have disassembled 100's of cylinders and have never seen both lines going into the butt end of the cylinder. There were always a line at the rod end and one line at the butt end of the cylinder. Can anyone explain how these cylinders work. Thanks for all the help. punkincycle


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