# Need help understanding hitch and diff lock controls INT 2500A



## Joneebgood (Mar 8, 2014)

I recently purchased a 1970ish International 2500 Series A industrial tractor with 3050 bucket. I assume it was a town highway dept tractor for years. I want to make it easier to get some firewood out of the woods and I have been moving some snow around as this winter in NY has been the worst in 20 years.

I have attached several photos of the controls and levers just to the right of the drivers seat. The two black foot pedals can be operated with your right foot if you stand a little but they don’t seem to do anything. The shop and parts manual shows just one pedal here and indicates it is the diff lock. Are they both to lock the differential? Why two? The pedals have always been down but don’t seem to do anything whether up or down except holding them at full up seems to put some strain on a bearing or something that is turning as there is a slight whirring noise.

The two rearmost handles are labeled and one does operated the PTO but what does the one towards the front with the heavy black knob do? Doesn’t seem to do much although the last owner had it wired back so it wouldn’t engage something. There is one more lever without a knob in the full down (forwards) position on the out board side near the right foot pedal. That one is always down but doesn’t seem to do much when up although it does sound like it’s stressing the hydraulics a little if I pull up hard. 

I know these questions must be elementary as the shop/owners manual doesn’t explain things very thoroughly. If I can add several photos I will show one from the rear so you can see the PTO and other connections that these levers may operate.

The tractor runs good but has a terrible vibration and rattle kind of in the dashboard area. I know its probably in the clutch but I did think I should work the 3 Pt hitch a few times just to make sure there isn’t air trapped some where. But I can’t figure out what makes the hitch work. I hope someone can walk me through the use of these levers.

Thanks for any suggestions.
JIM


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## Country Boy (Mar 18, 2010)

Okay, dark blue is the PTO control. It turns the power take off shafts on and off. Those are the two splined shafts at the rear of the tractor for powering implements. The red circle is the control that sets how fast the three point lift arms move up or down when using the three point. You don't have the arms installed, so it won't do anything right now. Green is the raise/lower control for the three point lift. Light blue is the draft control. Draft control is used for things like plowing with a moldboard plow, and it controls how much weight is transferred to the rear tires under varying loads. Not needed unless you install the three point arms and plow with it. Orange is the hydraulic remote connection control valves. There are two sets of hydraulic hookups on the rear of your tractor. Those levers control the flow of oil to those hookups.

The differential lock should be a small pad by the heel of your right foot. It folds down, and is normally stored in the folded up position so you don't accidentally hit it. You'd fold the pedal down and then step on it down to the footboard to activate the lock. You don't want to do this when the tires are slipping. You push in the clutch, push the pedal down with your heel and then release the clutch. Activating it when one tire is spinning faster than the other can cause damage to the lock over time. You can activate it without stopping if you are just driving along and want it locked before you come to a muddy or icy patch. As long as the tires are spinning the same speed. I marked the area that the differential lock pedal would be in white.


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## Joneebgood (Mar 8, 2014)

Perfect! Thank you very much! Exactly what I needed. I have owned an old JD 40/420 crawler for years but it doesn't have all these levers and pedals so I was pretty confused.

I was really hoping for a diff lock but I know now that I definitely do not have one. No sign of another lever anywhere in that area. Trying to move snow on dry ground is great but the minute one wheel is on ice I have to go get the pickup to pull it back onto dry ground. Discouraging.

The green raise/lower for the 3 pt lift has always been held back with a bungee cord so, I assume, that must be off and I will leave it that way?

The orange hydraulic remote connection controls have always been in the far down position. I would assume that would be OFF but both pads have a ton of wear on them like they have had a foot on them many times. Definitely not a lever with knob that one would just push or pull to engage. If down is engaged should I wire them in the up position or won't it matter as long as I don't have any attachments connected?

I hoped there was a way to operate the 3 pt arms and circulate some fluid in case there is any air trapped in that area. I know there has been nothing connected for at least a few years so I thought there may be an air pocket that is causing some of my vibration. I guess nothing will circulate unless I hook up an attachment?

Thank you so much for taking the time to mark the photo and educate me. I couldn't find any info on these levers in any of the manuals I bought for this tractor.


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## Country Boy (Mar 18, 2010)

Those hydraulic control levers should have multiple positions. They stay in the "off" position in the middle. Push them in either direction to put pressurized oil to the corresponding remote hookup on the rear. Push it all the way in either direction to lock the lever on in that direction for running things like a hydraulic motor where you want it on all the time. Oil won't flow through the remote connections unless something is hooked up. There are check balls that drop into place when you disconnect the hose so you don't accidentally spray oil all over the place, and to keep the dirt out.

Here's the same controls on my 574. The 2500 is the industrial version of the 574.










Here's the diff lock lever flipped up for storage.










Here it is flipped down to use. Just step on that and the differential will lock.










Here's the three point lift arms installed.


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## Joneebgood (Mar 8, 2014)

Thank you, the photos are great! I definitely do not have the diff lock so that is a major let down.

What is the lever closest to the transmission in your photo, inboard from the Lower/Raise lever? There is definitely wear on my tractor where that lever used to be but it's not there anymore.

It is so wonderful to see photos of my set up. Thank you again for taking the time. It is a real help.

I am told most of these industrial versions were made for the Town or County so I imagine this unit dragged a road sweeper or some kind of mower although most of the towns around me in NY use side mount Alamo mowers.

This tractor was $1700 so the price was right but it would do a lot more with a diff lock. It looks like one tire is loaded with Calcium but not the other so that may make a difference as well. I have dragged some logs out of the woods which is probably the best use for it for me as I heat mostly with wood.

JIM


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## Country Boy (Mar 18, 2010)

That slot is for an adjustable stop for the raise/lower control. It is that black wing nut that is at the bottom of the slot in my pic. You loosen that nut and slide it to where you want the lever to stop and tighten it. Handy for plowing so you are always at the same depth.


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