[tgoller84]

Is it possible and safe to temporarily bypass the power steering on a tractor. I have a 65 4000 3 cyl gas, 4100 model.

My cylinder has a bad leak, took it off to have it rebuilt but don't have the cash this week for a rebuild kit which is about 70 bucks I'm told. Really need to get some firewood hauling and bush hogging done while the weather is pleasant. I fabricated an extension for my drag link because it wasn't long enough and tractor turns fine but im not sure about how the lines that normally go to and from cylinder need to be hooked up. Was told as long as I'm keeping fluid in the pump it'll be fine. I'm aware it isn't a permanent fix. Currently have the two lines connected together so the fluid goes back to reservoir but I don't want to run it and damage the pump till I know.

Also, something else I'd like to know pertains to the steering cylinder itself. When I removed it I had a seal kit I thought was the correct one which turned out not to be. I had already popped off the scraper on the piston rod and pulled out snap ring, washer retainer seal and seal spreader as instructed by the repair manual. Couldn't get seal in which led me to believe kit was the correct one. Stopped at 2 different businesses, one a tractor and parts dealer and the other an auto shop that also does cylinder work. Both said I needed the seal kit to rebuild entire cylinder not just piston rod seals. They said I needed to disassemble the from the control valve end where the hydraulic lines connect. However according to the manual I just need to do the piston rod seals. Help me out here....

 

[Nouveau Redneck]

Connecting the two lines is the proper way to loop the pressure side of the pump back to the reservoir in the absence of the cylinder. Running it that way should be fine and should not hurt the pump.

According to the I&T FO-31 service manual and the Ford service manual, you do only need to remove and replace the parts for the rod seal kit if that is the only place that it's leaking. According to the parts site, the part number for the rod seal kit was originally C5NN3N527B, which has been superseded by part number 82848507

Unfortunately, you don't know what else might be leaking or need replacing inside unless you take it apart from the other end and do a full rebuild, and given the age of the tractor my guess is that it's due for a full rebuild, as even if it's currently only leaking at the rod, replacing the rod seal will increase the internal pressure above what it was when it was leaking, so something else is bound to go next.

 

[tgoller84]

Thanks for that info...I'll just go ahead and order the whole rebuild kit as it probably is due for it. From what I could see when it was on the tractor and running the piston rod was the only seal leaking bad with the scraper partially popped out. There was a very slight drip coming from the ball joint where the drag link connects but it was very slight.

I decided not to run the tractor this afternoon until I was sure I connected those lines right. Your reply makes me feel better about it

 

[HåkanTh]

Since you mentioned a control valve in the end of cylinder, is your cylinder assembly the same as the one in the attached pdf?
If so, the only rebuild kit for the cylinder´s "moving parts" is the kit you are supposed to have, CFPN3301A (#2 in pdf).

The cylinder tube is welded together, so you cannot service the piston parts. I do not find the information now, but I have read about someone cutting the tube open, service it and welding it together.

There was a kit for the control valve, but there seems to have been some confusions at CNH. The kit was DCPN3302A, but CNH redirects you to some other strange numbers. You need #4, #5, #7A (two of those) and #29. Better buy them separately to get the right parts.

A bad seal in the control valve part does not cause leaking from the rod end. Make sure you have the proper seal kit for the rod end, install it and test the assembly on the tractor. For now, you do not need to take the other end apart.

The rod sealing gets worn by time, that is normal. If the rod has a large play, the wear on the seals grows faster. It is a double acting cylinder and we do not know the parts inside. However, it seems that the rod seal is taking the pressure from the front chamber. If so, you get massive leaks when the sealing goes bad. Here is a thread in another forum:
Ford 3550 power steering cylinder question and intro. - Tractor Forum
Previous owner had made a brass bushing to get rid of the play.

There is another thing to consider; How is the rod moving?
Make sure that the rod can move straight, if not, it will "bend" and cause excessive wear to the seals.
Engine off, jack the front so the front wheels are off the ground. Feel the rod by hand, it should be loose in all positions of the steering wheel and centered where it comes out from the tube. The rod end joint and the ball joints has to move freely, otherwise you get a bending action on the rod and a "sideway" wear on the seals.

Oil has a tendency to get all over the place, a small leak at the connections can cause oil to appear at a lower place.