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Fixing up an old tractor/loader

Started by scgargoyle, November 12, 2016, 06:00:07 AM

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scgargoyle

I finally got a tractor for the farm! I got a good deal on a '65 Ford 3000, gas, 8 speed, with an aftermarket loader. It runs fine, but has a lot of 'field fixes' that need addressing. The loader is in good shape, but the hoses are completely shot. I'm not sure if the cylinders work well or not. The bucket cylinder has huge gobs of weld on one end, so it's slated for replacement.

A few questions- The boom cylinders are single-acting, so I can't apply down pressure. If I replace them, should I go to double acting? The control valve has a port for down pressure (I think). Since I need all new hoses, the additional plumbing is no big deal.

I was told that the front pump is 'weak'. I can go with a new one for about $300. The dealer suggested I just use the two ports on top of the 3 pt lift control. Will they be sufficient? Original specs say 5.5 GPM for the lift pump.

Tires: How bad is bad? The fronts are definitely bad, as are the rims, but the rears have deep tread. They do have huge cracks, though, even in the sidewalls. If I blow a tire deep in the woods, can it be driven out, or do I have to figure out how to wrestle a tire and rim back out to civilization?
I hope my ship comes in before the dock rots!

69bronco

That's a great tractor! Don't lose the front pump, the tractor hydraulics are slooow. Used to rebuild a front pump for reasonable. Down pressure is a good thing! If you are talking about an aux.pump that runs off a short drive shaft coupled to the end of crank, I think those were around 12-13gpm. Picks would help, fun project!

YellowHammer

I had an old 2600 gas tractor, it was a good machine.  I had a flat on my tractor deep in the woods, and I tried to drive it out on the rim.  I was able to go about 10 feet before I ran over a small rock and bent the bead on the rim and had to pull the rim and tire and carry it out.  Not fun.  I'd just try to find some used tires somewhere or boot and tube the ones you have.

The front pump in my old tractor was driven with a chain coupler, which would wear out the gear teeth on the sprocket and allow the chains to slip under load.  You might check the coupler.

Down pressure in a loader allows you to do many things.
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

azmtnman

Quote from: 69bronco on November 12, 2016, 07:32:51 AM
That's a great tractor! Don't lose the front pump, the tractor hydraulics are slooow. Used to rebuild a front pump for reasonable. Down pressure is a good thing! If you are talking about an aux.pump that runs off a short drive shaft coupled to the end of crank, I think those were around 12-13gpm. Picks would help, fun project!
X2
1983 LT 30, 1990 Kubota L3750DT, 2006 Polaris 500 EFI, '03 Dodge D2500 Cummins powered 4X4 long-bed crew cab, 1961 Ford backhoe, Stihl MS250, MS311 and MS661--I cut trees for my boss who was a Jewish carpenter!

scgargoyle

The front pump is an old Vickers unit; probably original. There's a short shaft that engages the crankshaft with a spline, and has a Lovejoy coupling on the pump. I'm guessing I should leave the pump uncoupled when not in use? I need to figure out an easy way to remove the loader, as it's in the way when not in use. I see that the newer loaders have a kickstand of sorts to support it in position when you remove it. Mine doesn't have any such thing, but it wouldn't be hard to add.
I hope my ship comes in before the dock rots!

69bronco

Vickers built a great pump, where is your hydraulic res? Some of those used the loader frame itself for an oil tank.

chevytaHOE5674

Keep the front mounted pump. You will be very unhappy with the loader performance if you run it off the tractors internal pump. My ford 5000 had the loader powered off the internal pump and it was painfully slow and aggravating, I added a front mount pump and now its my go to loader tractor. No need to disconnect the pump unless you take the loader off.

scgargoyle

The reservoir is in the loader frame. I took the loader off today by cutting a couple 4X4's to length and propping them up under the booms right in front of the front axle. I'll keep a front pump; they don't cost that much.

The trick now is finding double-acting cylinders with the right ends on them. There are many sources on-line, but I've yet to find one that has different ends on the cylinders. My old ones have a single eye (lug or tang) on the base end, and a cross tube on the rod end. If I have to, I'll cut the mounts off of the loader and weld mounts that will take what I can find in an off-the-shelf cylinder.
I hope my ship comes in before the dock rots!

Ljohnsaw

I had a Case 210B (1961 IIRC) that had a wonky home-made trip bucket loader.  The rams it had were about 5 feet long and 4" diameter!  And were leaking badly because the rods had been mangled with chains and a pipe wrench!!! ::)  So, after researching what new rods (2") would cost, I picked up some used ag rams.  They are a bit smaller so I needed to make a new place for them to tie in to the arms.  I decided to use the ends off the rods of the old rams.  After I cut through the rod, I found out the ends were threaded on to the rods!  Oh well.  So, if the old cylinders can not be rebuilt, use the old ends off of them for mounts?  I bought a ram that had 1ΒΌ" hole and I needed 1" for my backhoe thumb application.  I found a seller that had threaded ends and I just swapped it out.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

scgargoyle

My cylinders may work fine, but I want double-acting so that I can apply down pressure. If I can find cylinders with threaded ends, it would be easy to put fittings on them. Someone must make cylinders where you can pick the ends you want. Whenever I search for a particular end, they all seem to have the same fitting on both ends, especially in affordable cylinders.
I hope my ship comes in before the dock rots!

Ljohnsaw

Did you try Surplus Center?  I think that is where I got mine for my backhoe thumb.  They have drop down lists to pick what you want for length, rod size, ends, etc.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

bill m

Bailey Hydraulics makes custom cylinders and the price is reasonable.
NH tc55da Metavic 4x4 trailer Stihl and Husky saws

scgargoyle

An update- I found that the rear tires are loaded. I drained some off, and it froze readily, so apparently it's straight water. At this point, I plan to replace the rear tires and tubes. Hopefully, the rims are solid inside. The front rims and tires are shot. One rim is rusted out; the other is so bent that the tire rubs. Both fronts are in bad shape, and they're fairly cheap to replace.

I put a new exhaust manifold on. The old one was full of holes, and crumbled when I removed it. Surprisingly, the rusty blobs that were once bolts came right out. I took care of the power steering leaks. One line was cracked, so I replaced it, and I made a cap to replace the rag covering the reservoir. Why did I make a cap? Ford/NH wants $106 for a cap!

Still no progress on the cylinders. There are a hundred places with a double acting 2X30 cylinder, but none with lug ends. The Bailey website has a custom form, but it asks way to many questions for what I want. I called their customer service, and keep getting a message about being out of the office sometime in February. If they've been running that message since last February, that doesn't speak well of their 'customer service'. Unable to reach an actual human being, I sent them an email. Time will tell.
I hope my ship comes in before the dock rots!

Gearbox

Sink a couple of posts in the ground with a cross bar . Park the loader under it and hold it up with a hoist and back the tractor out from under . Depending on the loader you may want to leave the subframe on .
A bunch of chainsaws a BT6870 processer , TC 5 International track skidder and not near enough time

paul case

All states ag parts.com has been a life saver for me on old tractor parts. Surplus center for hoses and cylinders.

I bet if the back tires have fluid in them it needs the weight. It is disappointing to be able to lift something and not be able to move. :( :-[ :-\ :'( :embarassed:

PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

scgargoyle

I'm sure I'm going to need the rear weight with the loader. One thing I'm going to get is a 3 pt chipper, and it weighs nearly 1000 lbs. That should help. When I don't want that on there, I might make up a weight box for the 3 pt. Wheel weights would be great, but apparently they're made out of gold for the prices they're asking.

I'm going to take the loader subframe off at some point; the upright that doubles as a fluid reservoir is seeping fluid at the base. It's puttied up with JB Weld, so someone tried to fix it. I'll clean it up and put a decent weld on it.
I hope my ship comes in before the dock rots!

Ox

Wheel weights can be made if you're a little handy with concrete and with careful measuring.  Same thing with 3 pt. hitch weight boxes.
Is there a way you can cut off the lugs from the old cylinders and weld them on the new ones?
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

Kbeitz

I was at Trates surplus in Milton today and hey have matching cly's with lugs...

570-742-2101
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

paul case

Those 3 point weight boxes are real handy. I have seen several made from a barrel full of rocks or concrete. The rocks would be cheap if you had them scattered out all over the place like here in the ozarks!

PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

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