New to me MF 245, needs help

4play

Well-known Member
I just bought this tractor, I knew of these problems before hand so I am ok with having to fix them. So if you have any advice or tips for any of these, please post. Thanks in advance.

1. The position control lever has no response, moving this lever does nothing. The lift will go up/down only by moving the draft control lever near the top of its travel (this is the only way to raise/lower the lift). I feel that it might have a linkage issue inside? The PO had the lift pump rebuilt recently, maybe something happened then?

2. The LH trumpet leaks oil, bolts are tight but leaking near the bottom where it mates to the housing. I suspect I will need to pull apart and replace gasket?

3. Diesel fuel leaking from Injector pump. This is a very small leak and appears its from 2 different hard metal line fittings. One at the bottom rear of pump that might just be a copper washer. The other leaking line is at the upper rear. I have not followed these lines to see where they go and I did verify that they are tight. I guess I will have to remove them and inspect?
 
1. When using the position control lever you put the draft control lever all the way up. The draft control is really only used when plowing, since most people here in the US don't hardly use a plow anymore the draft control doesn't hardly get used.

2. Yes, if the gasket is still in one piece you can clean it, put some silicone on both sides, and put it back together (on equipment these days a part number for a gasket could be a tube of silicone).

3. The lines at the rear if they go to the injectors they use copper washers to seal them (you will need new copper washers). Some of the other tubes use a piece of rubber to seal them (it's looks like a short piece of rubber hose). You can buy a injector pump seal kit that comes with all the copper washers, and other necessary seals.
 
On the problem with the lift or position control, the thing is the position control lever does nothing when moved, move it up/down results in nothing happening regardless of where the draft control level is positioned. The only way I can get the lift arms to move at all is by moving the draft control lever all the way up and it will raise and lower the arms only near the top end of the draft control lever.
 
DavidP, South Wales (here in the MF forum) is really good at describing how the MF draft control system works, and trouble shooting it. I'm sure he'll see this, chime in, and help you get it figured out. On some things it's easier for me to just show someone how some thing works, or how to trouble shoot it (like the draft control) than it is for me to describe how to.
 
Regarding your lift question. If the tractor has a diverter valve
located between your legs in front of the seat you should
change the position of the valve control. I've bumped mine
several times and lose the 3 point control. The valve is used if
you use a loader or have hydro connections. The pump I
guess is just not large enough to power more than one thing.
 
I don't have a diverter valve under the seat but thanks for trying, I wish it was something easy like that.

I learned some of the linkage and adjustments are made behind the side cover (response control cover)? I have a manual on the way but is there anything in particular to look for behind the cover?
 
Where the top link of the 3 point hooks to on the tractor does that clevis have any in, and out play (loose so that you can move it in, and out by hand)? If it does that could be part of the problem. Plus there is a adjustment under the top cover also, you have to pull the top cover to adjust it.
 
I will check the top link attachment linkage tomorrow. When you say top cover needs to be removed for adjustment, are you talking about the whole top cover/lift assy under the seat? So there is nothing behind the side cover that needs to be looked at?
 
Yes, the whole lift cover under the seat has to removed. Most people use a hoist of some sort to lift it off, it's pretty heavy. I made myself a homemade copy of the MF lift cover tool, it looks crude, but it works good.

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Hi, just read this one today. Most things seem to have been covered already.
1. Lack of response from the quadrant lever is an indication that there is a problem with the internal linkage. Quite often this occurs if an excessive compression force is applied to the top link. The linkage inside consists of roller held in a frame that follows a track and carries responses from the lift arms, pump and controls. If the frame becomes bent the signals are not passed to the pump for example when told to raise or lower the linkage. There is nothing short of removing the hydraulic cover and checking the operation of the components. However you can drain the oil to the level of the bottom bolt on the RH side cover and watch how the pump lever responds to commands from the control levers. From what you have said the movement of the pump lever will be minimal instead of a sweep roughly from the 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock positions.

2. If the trumpet housing gasket is leaking oil it will need to be removed and the gasket replaced. If it is the LH housing as you sit in the seat you will need to be very careful as you remove the housing. The differential unit can come out with the housing. Try and keep the diff in place if you can. It can slide off the shaft with the sudden change of weight. Fitting the new gasket over the studs will require a little patience.

3. If the leaks are from the injector pipe connections, check again that they are tight. The leaks could also be from the unions that are attached to the pump body especially the banjo-type ones. If the leak is from the pipe connection slacken the pipe at both end and reposition it slightly and re-tighten. Quite often repositioning the pipe slightly will cure the leak.

DavidP, South Wales
 
I guess I will wait until I can read a manual before removing the cover to check linkage and adjustments. I did notice play in the top link attachment yoke but don't know if excessive. The only lift cover I have ever removed was on an 8N, this one is obviously bigger and the guts look a little more intimidating.

I will note recently before I purchased this tractor it was spilt behind the trans to have the lift pump repaired/rebuilt. Its possible there might have been something broke, bent or simply not adjusted correctly during this repair. Time to get some parts, seals etc and get dirty.
 
It's very possible something in the mechanism got bent, damaged, misaligned, or just missing part(s). Won't know until you get it apart, but once you get a manual, learn how it works, how to make the repairs, and adjustments it's not so intimidating.
 
Here is a small update on my problems. I only have had time to look into the hydraulics for the position control being inop. I pulled the top cover off and found the position control linkage out of place and not riding on the cam/rollers. I partially disassembled the controls and put the linkage back in its place. Put everything together and it works perfect. The only cost so far was a top cover gasket and side cover gasket.

Next I will pull the LH trumpet to fix a leak where it seals to the diff housing. I also verified the fuel leak at a fuel line going into the bottom rear side of inj pump. Hopefully its just the washer and nothing broken or cracked. After fixing those, all I have left is fluids and filters. I am glad the position control problem was a simple fix, I think the rest of this will be a breeze.
 
I got the LH trumpet axle assy off and resealed. I just removed the fender and wheel/tire and pulled the rest as an assembly. A chain hoist on a I-beam and trolley helped a lot here. So far fixing the lift linkage and axle housing gasket has not been a big deal but now I have to find the fuel leak.

I am still trying to pinpoint the diesel leak at the IP, its difficult to see because the paint is clean and shiny metallic silver. I thought it was a line at the bottom rear of pump but its above that. I'm hoping its the top cover on the pump but it doesn't look like it unless its leaking down around the back of the pump. If what I think it is right now its leaking around the cylindrical part that's bolted on the rear of the pump, I think this houses the rotor vanes.
 
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Yep, it looks like I might have to pull it apart for that large o-ring. On you pic the banjo fitting is still installed but that is where the fuel drips on mine, after drying the fuel and watching closely I can see the fuel seeping from that seam and onto the banjo fitting.

Do you know if that back piece can come off with pump still installed on the tractor or is removal required?
 
It's easier to do with the injector pump off the engine because there is another bolt on the other side against the block that's about impossible to get a wrench on. Take the pump off, remove the 3 fittings that the injector lines go to, remove the 2 bolts on the side, very carefully slide the injector head out of the body just enough to get to the o-ring, replace the o-ring, apply a little bit of lube like diesel, or white lithium grease on the o-ring, then carefully slide the injector head back in, then bolt it back together. Replace all the copper washers on the injector line fittings.
 
Thanks, ptfarmer. I read up on removal of the IP and its looks fairly easy to do, timing and everything seems pretty straight forward. I'm glad I went ahead and ordered a full seal kit so I will just remove the IP and seal most if it without doing any major tear down.
 
As long as you have good mechanical skills resealing the rotary CAV pump isn't that hard (although I'm sure someone who works on injector pumps for a living will say you take it to them, or a shop, and pay them around $300.00 just to reseal it).
 

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