# Ford 960 Hydraulics dead



## DanielWilson (Feb 2, 2009)

I was idling my 960 a few months ago and ran the FEL up. It was quite slow. Let it down. Then it wouldn't raise again.

So I tried the 3-point. It went up a bit and stopped.

Since then, the hydraulics have done *nothing*.

I added fluid. No better. 

I took the pump in to be rebuilt. I was told there was nothing wrong w/ the pump. 

The guy who looked at the pump suggested the relief valve was the problem. Last night I completed replacement of the relief valve. After refilling with fluid -- still nothing.

This is so dead that the 3-point lift arms will just flop up & down. No resistance at all.

What is likely my problem?

Thanks!


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Have you replaced the hydraulic filter and checked the suction screen for plugging? Could be sucking air between the hydraulic pick up in the rearend and the pump itself. Might check for cracked or loose lines between these points, but if a leak exists, it would most likely leak when the tractor was off and had been sitting awhile. Had the 3 point ever have a problem with drifting down in the past?


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## DanielWilson (Feb 2, 2009)

Drift-down was a problem, but it was still usable. But now it's totally dead.

I haven't checked the hydraulic filter. I'll investigate that ...


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## DanielWilson (Feb 2, 2009)

I can't find anything on a hydraulic filter in either my parts catalog or my shop manual. Where would I look to find / change the thing?

Thanks!


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Could possibly not have one, but it should at least have a suction screen, usually located on the rearend or funnel thereabouts. Hoping a Ford person will chime in as I'm being a bit generic!


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## Jerry/MT (Feb 11, 2010)

DanielWilson said:


> I was idling my 960 a few months ago and ran the FEL up. It was quite slow. Let it down. Then it wouldn't raise again.
> 
> So I tried the 3-point. It went up a bit and stopped.
> 
> ...


Do you have livehydraulics and are your normally able to use the FEL and the three point without using a diverter valve?


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## DanielWilson (Feb 2, 2009)

When it was working, I could use my FEL and 3-point simultaneously.

The only diverter valve in the system is between the FEL and the hydraulic remote. If I want to use the remote hookup (e.g. to operate hydraulics on an implement), I need to turn off the valve to the FEL.


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## Jerry/MT (Feb 11, 2010)

DanielWilson said:


> When it was working, I could use my FEL and 3-point simultaneously.
> 
> The only diverter valve in the system is between the FEL and the hydraulic remote. If I want to use the remote hookup (e.g. to operate hydraulics on an implement), I need to turn off the valve to the FEL.



It sounds like your diverter only controls the remte and the FEl; the three point is always functioning, I take it?
When you had the pump out, did you check the pump inlet line fron the hydraulic reservior. The reservior is usually the rear axle casing. If you don't have a hydraulic filter to clog, the suction line to the pump may have a crack that leaks air and will not allow the pump to prime and flow, or it's plugged. If there is a filter it could be clogged. 
Is your pump being driven? Can you lok at the pump with th engine on to see if it's doing anything?


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## DanielWilson (Feb 2, 2009)

Yes, the 3-point is always functioning. Except since it broke down, it doesn't!

yes, I have live hydraulics. I saw that as part of the specs that my shop manual listed.

I now have the lift cover off. The pickup area seems to be the same area that the relief valve goes. There does not seem to be any screen on anything ... but there only so much I can tell be feel. There's certainly no screen that's visible with the top opened up.

While it still had some fluid in it, but the lift cover was off, I tried running the tractor. The tube that brought oil up to the lift cover pushed only a little oil up. I expected a geyser.

Maybe you're right that it's the tubes between the manifold and the hydraulic reservoir. According to the shop manual, there's a special tool for replacing those tubes. And the first step is, "Remove the transmission from the tractor." That's really not what I was hoping to do


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## Jerry/MT (Feb 11, 2010)

DanielWilson said:


> Yes, the 3-point is always functioning. Except since it broke down, it doesn't!
> 
> yes, I have live hydraulics. I saw that as part of the specs that my shop manual listed.
> 
> ...


You said "...the tubes between the manifold and the hydraulic reservoir". What do you mean by this? 

If your pump is good and you didn't get a geyser of oil when you started the motor, and, assuming there was enough fluid in the reservior to sustain a geyser, I'm still of the opinion you have a cracked or leaking inlet line to the pump. Since you pulled the pump, what was attched to it that supplies the pump with fluid?Can you clean that up or remove it to examine that? If it's cracked or leaking then the pump won't prime and pick up fluid to pressurize the hydraulic system. This is where I would conjecture that the problem is.


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