M hydraulic problems could use some experience here

looking fro some info on what type of Hydraulics I have on my M and what could be wrong with them. I am going to attach some photographs

This is my wifes late grandfathers M tractor. I picked it up a couple years ago and have been working on it to get it up to par.

Runs like a champ but I have hydro issues. When It has two remotes and appears with the modification to be a live-hydro system. Can find anything on the pump near distrbutor so i dont know make or model.

I changed the in-line filter- filled to proper level with hi-trans fluid and hooked up to a two-way cylinder. it operates the cylinder by its self but it surges as it operates. I then put the cylinder on a mower and it surges and will not extend all the way. it will extend but then gets to a point where it stops then will start going down.

When I removed the lines one is full of fluid and the other has air in it. So

I pulled out a single way cylinder and it operates the same way. Surges but will work fully off the mower but on the mower it will surge while it raises then get to a point where it will stop then start to fall while trying to raise the mower.

When I have connected hoses and again checked fluids i have noticed that the fluid is full of air bubbles and looks milky with the bubbles in it.

Where do i go from here? is the pump bad? getting air in the system some where? wrong cylinder? Also The bleeder valve will leak some while trying to operate the hydro and after the tractor is shut down it will hiss/ purge air. I see that that brass nut on top of that valve can be tightened and closed. Should it be closed?

Any help would be nice. Thanks in advance!!!!

That's a M&W hydraulic pump. Unit teed on the side is a pressure relief valve. If the filter is the type used in the hydraulic fluid return line that's on the suction line it may be restricting the suction to the pump.

so would you try and bypass that filter to see if that is the cause or different filter or should that have been placed on the other hydro line?

Think anymore most experts don't recommend anything more restrictive than a screen or screen element on a suction line in a system like yours.
Also how high is the suction line going into the reservoir, in the picture I can't tell. Filter in the return line usually goes in the line from the control valve back to reservoir. No place to do that with the IH valve mounted like yours.
If the reservoir is clean it wouldn't hurt to bypass the filter and give it a try. Unless you can get the hydraulics moving from stop to stop its hard to work the air out. If you get most of the air out it probably wouldn't hurt to close the bleed valve on the fill cap.

Sounds like there is air in it somewhere.

got some things to try thanks---call me ignorant but i was under the understanding that the reservior came out of the trans area and vise versa? Is the oil shared gears/hydro or does it have a seperate reservior?

The line your asking about goes into the side of the clutch housing.

Did you put oil in the transmission or in where the cap is with the bleeder? That's a original liftall reservoir that originally was driven from the transmission counter shaft. Drain plug is near the filter. With the add on hydraulics they made changes to the system. If you didn't put oil in the hydraulic reservoir that may be the problem.
Holds about 6 quarts if empty, maybe 2 gallon if all the original internals were removed.
They made one set up that put pressure to the original hydraulic valves through the original drive shaft hole. If that's where the one pipe is going up inside the housing things are plumbed wrong. If the line goes in lower down that's probably okay.

Usually the orginal lift-all pump was removed from the housing and the housing that is in the clutch housing is used as a reservoir for your hydraulic system holding about 8 to 10 qts of Hytran when the tractor was converted to live hyd system using the M&W pump kits. Under the breather with the brass bleeder valve on top, should be a dip stick. If yours is missing I can measure the one that I have and let you know what the proper oil level should be. I'll do that tomorrow and post a picture for everybody to see.

I have learned a lot. I assumed instead of read the manual. I did remove the dipstick and it is low in the reservoir. Thanks for all the advise. I'm sure things are going to work fine once I add poper amount of fluid.

The hose--which you asked where it went in at goes in from the bottom.

Thanks again---