Ford 4500 diesel backhoe

Hi guys! I bought this tractor cheap and finally got it running. However I still need help with a couple of things:
1- I can't find the weep plug for filling the rear end
2- what kind of oil should I use back there
3- can't seem to find the hydrolic fluid filter. I changed the transmission oil filter but don't see one for hydrolics.
4- is there a hydrolic oil temp probe?
5- it goes in 2nd and 4th gears no problem but 1st and 3rd don't want to go in at all.
I would appreciate any help is can get! Thank you!

1 - Not sure what you mean by the "weep hole". The fill hole for the rear end is on top of the differential housing, just to the right of center, under your right butt cheek when you're sitting on the tractor, and it should have a large hex head plug. The level check hole (maybe what you're referring to as the weep hole) is on the right side of the rear axle center housing, near where your right heel is when you're sitting on the tractor, and it should have a small square headed pipe plug. Don't try to remove anything that looks like a regular screw head in that area, as it is not the level check hole, and you will likely be doing more work to get things lined up inside to get it to screw back in.

2 - A good UTF that meets the Ford/New Holland M2C134D specification.

3 - which hydraulic system are you looking for a filter on? That tractor has two separate hydraulic systems. The loader (and backhoe if it has one) uses a hydraulic pump that's mounted in the front of the tractor and is powered by a shaft from the crankshaft pulley. The sump for that hydraulic system consists of a combination of the loader frame itself plus a tank in front of the top of the radiator, and there is a filter inside that upper tank that is accessed by opening the door on top of the nose of the tractor and removing the top cover of the tank itself. The 3 point hydraulics, if it has that, is powered by a separate hydraulic pump tht would be mounted either on the left side of the engine and be powered by a gear off of the cam shaft, or it would be located inside the right side of the rear axle center housing and be powered by the same shaft through the transmission that drives the independent PTO. The sump for the 3 point hydraulic system is the rear axle center housing. There are two filters for the 3 point system, and they are both located inside the rear axle center housing, and ou need to remove the 3 point hydraulic top cover to get to them. One is a metal screen ion the pickup tube that is meant to be cleaned and re-used, and the other is a paper cartridge type that is meant to be replaced.

4 - There is no hydraulic oil temperature probe in either hydraulic system that I am aware of.

5 - 2nd & 4th share a shift fork and rail, and 1st and 3rd share the other shift fork. Sounds liek something is worn, broken or out of place causing the 1st & 3rd fork to bind. Pull the top plate with the shifter and youi'll probably be able to see what the problem is.

you are awesome! Thank you! I thought the side plug by my right heal was for the transmission fluid. Is there a separate one for the rear ?

found the level check for the rear! Just where you said! The transmission check is by the toes , rear is by the heel! Thank you!!!!

(quoted from post at 15:31:20 11/05/15) found the level check for the rear! Just where you said! The transmission check is by the toes , rear is by the heel! Thank you!!!!

Click to expand...

You got it.

If the transmission has a filter it is almost certainly a Power Reverser. That means it has a trans fluid 'overheat' warning
light (no gauge). It also means no PTO or 3 point. I agree about the shift forks. Sometimes the bracket holding the rods
starts to fall off (IIRC).
That monster hydraulic system filter system has a flaw. The return line dumps into the tank right on top of the filter. When
the fluid is cold the suction can pull down the spring loaded filter and (by design) allow unfiltered oil to bypass the
filter so it won't collapse. Problem is that the return dumps the oil right at the bypass hole. This results in the screen
under the filter getting clogged and collapsing (ask me how I know this). There is also a screen next to that filter for the
power steering which also likes to get clogged. I (approximately) doubled the filter relief spring pressure for the filter
and also made a small deflector plate to divert the return oil from the filter relief pressure opening.
Now; would you like to change that 4 lever backhoe to a 2 lever?

it is a power reverse 3 cylinder diesel. No pto, no 3 point. Where would the probe be for the oil overheat light?

how can I change the 4 lever backhoe to 2? Thank you guys by the way. This is very helpful!

You already found it. TRANSMISSION oil overheat, not engine.

Send me your email for the 2 lever conversion

[email protected] thanks! I found the file line plug, not the temp probe. Where does that go?

As I said in response to your other thread, according to the parts diagram, the 4500 did not have an oil temp probe. That was introduced on a later generation of machines, at around the 1978-1979 time frame. Although some folks might have had one retro-fitted to a 4500, as on the later models that had it just had a different fitting where the cooling line connected to the side of the trans and that fitting had an extra port for the temperature probe.

Here is a link to the part drawing for filter and cooler lines for the auto reverser on the 1965-1974 4500, 4410, 3500 & 3550, and as you can see there's no temperature probe:

1965-1974 4500, 4410, 3500 7 3550

Here's the parts diagram for the filter and cooler lines for the 545, which was introduced in 1978, and there is a temperature probe (#28 in the drawing) and the modified connector (#26) with the extra port for the probe.

1978-1985 545

there is an oil temp probe. It sits by the filter under the steering arm.

I can't thank you guys enough. Incredible help! Thank you!