MF202 power steering AGAIN

Caryc

Well-known Member
I'm about at my wits end with this thing. Started it up today and power steering fluid came flooding out around the top of the steering column as you see in the pic below. That's after I shut it down. You can tell by the width of the wet spot how much was flowing.

How much of a job am I looking at now? Any help would be appreciated.

xz2No7n.jpg
 
If this does turn out to be a big job, for the time being, I was thinking of using it with regular steering. I guess I could just pull off the pump and remove the drive gear and put the pump back in.

Or I could just make a plate to fit over the pump hole and bolt it on with a gasket. I guess I should also unhook the steering cylinders also. I have some work to do with it so I may use it with manual steering until I get time to dig into it and fix it.

I'm used to the hard steering on my 8N with the same FEL on the front of it. Anything I should know about using the manual steering?
 
On mine I blocked off the ports on the steering column, and removed all the hoses, pump, and cylinders as one unit. I made a block off plate to cover where the ps pump was.
 
(quoted from post at 17:28:28 04/03/18) On mine I blocked off the ports on the steering column, and removed all the hoses, pump, and cylinders as one unit. I made a block off plate to cover where the ps pump was.

So, how hard is the manual steering? Do you have the FEL on it? It seems to me that it might be easier to just remove the drive gear from the pump and put it back in leaving everything connected. Anything wrong with that idea?
 
I don't have a front end loader on mine, as long as the tractor was moving turning it wasn't bad, but it was hard to turn when stopped. You probably could get by with just removing the gear off the ps pump, give it a try and see how it acts.
 
This may not be the ideal fix, but it seems to work for this guy and it was pretty cheap. He did it to a 204 and a 135, so essentially the same system as you've got. (the 204 should be very similar)

This forum won't let us link anywhere else, so type this into google:

[b:bb772b7c16]THE FIX--MF 135 AND MF 204 Power steering leaks from top of column.[/b:bb772b7c16]
 
(quoted from post at 05:18:06 04/04/18) This may not be the ideal fix, but it seems to work for this guy and it was pretty cheap. He did it to a 204 and a 135, so essentially the same system as you've got. (the 204 should be very similar)

This forum won't let us link anywhere else, so type this into google:

[b:c4b3c71e6f]THE FIX--MF 135 AND MF 204 Power steering leaks from top of column.[/b:c4b3c71e6f]

Thanks, but that article was no real help. at the end he said he still had a leak from the top of the column from a bad seal.

I already figured out that much when I saw all the oil gushing out.
 
Thanks, but that article was no real help. at the end he said he still had a leak from the top of the column from a bad seal.

I already figured out that much when I saw all the oil gushing out.

Ah nuts, I only briefly scanned through the posts before work this morning. I'll see if I can find anything else that may help you.
 
Found this, which pertains to how the steering actually works. Might give you a bit more insight as to how/why it's leaking.

The major components of the steering are the pump the valve and the cylinders. The pump should put out about 900 to 1100 psi and feed the steering valve located in the steering column.This valve is a spool style which moves up and down when you turn left and right thus aligning the pressure port to either cylinder line while the opposite end of the valve spool the other side of the cylinders. The actual steering wheel/shaft moves about 1/4 inch vertically by the ball rack action in the steering box. Often the top seal will leak and fluid will will come out of the top of the column. I would suggest jacking up the front end and manually move the wheels back and forth to see if you have the full range. If it moves easy you probably don't have fluid in the cylinders. Fill the reservoir on the starter side of the engine by taking the bolt out of the top of the tank and removing the lid. Replace lid and bolt and run tractor and steer left and right lock to lock. It should feel like the hydraulic cylinders are starting to move the tires before the mechanical linkage is felt in the steering
I have had a nagging problem of blowing the seal on the steering column for the power steering. I have changed the seal and had the shaft welded and remachined in the wear area. This repair lasted several months and the leak returned. Is it possible the steering valve is leaking too much for the return line. Is there a fix?[/quote]s a follow up-- I disassembled the steering column valve and found that the upper half of the spool corroded from condensation. The spool was leaking more hydraulic fluid past the upper side of this spool making it easier to steer one way verses the other. The valve spool is worn so the supply and return lines heat up fairly quickly once the tractor is being used but the cylinder lines remain cool(not a cylinder issue}. If I blow the top seal again I plan on honing the bore of the valve housing and then getting a machine shop to copy the old spool with the new OD needed to fit the valve body. Although not recommended as a temporary fix I flipped the spool over so that I split the clearance to both ends of the valve. Works much better now but down the road I will need to get a new spool. Any questions email me.[/quote]
 

Thanks for trying to help. I need to sit down and relax for a while then I will check out the links you provided above.

I just removed the pump and took off the drive gear and put the pump back on. So, I'm on manual steering right now. I left everything hooked up like it was, just removed the drive gear.

It now steers just about like my 8N with basically the same FEL on it. I'm glad I got used to the hard steering on the 8N now.
 
My 202 had the power steering disabled (crudely) when I got it. Within a year or so I had put so much force on the steering wheel that I had destroyed the recirculating ball valve and had no steering at all.
The original steering system does leave a lot to be desired, specifically lack of replacement parts but with a front end loader I strongly recommend some sort of power steering. I ended up building my own using a Char-Lynn steering valve and running a tap off the loader hydraulics to power it. While this approach isn't right for every situation, I found some parts cheap enough to make it work and it works quite well, likely better than original although I've never used one on which the orig. power steering was working properly.
Since then I bought a 204 Forklift with original power steering in tact but, as you would suspect, it leaks out the top of the steering shaft so much that you can't keep fluid in it for more than about 10-15 minutes......not very efficient. I do plan to dig into it and at least try to slow it down. The forklift won't get used a lot but if I plan to use it at all it will need to have power steering.
 
Looks like that might be just what you're looking for. If you get it, let us all know how it turns out. I would like to fix the leak on my 204 forklift without building a whole new system as on the 202.
 
(quoted from post at 12:50:01 04/07/18) Looks like that might be just what you're looking for. If you get it, let us all know how it turns out. I would like to fix the leak on my 204 forklift without building a whole new system as on the 202.

Looking at the parts manual, it looks like I wouldn't have to dig to deep into the steering column. Now, if I can just figure out how to get that dash panel off...
 
(quoted from post at 15:37:55 04/03/18) I'm about at my wits end with this thing. Started it up today and power steering fluid came flooding out around the top of the steering column as you see in the pic below. That's after I shut it down. You can tell by the width of the wet spot how much was flowing.

How much of a job am I looking at now? Any help would be appreciated.

xz2No7n.jpg

I realize this is an old post, but checking to see if you kept your old power steering.box or if you would want to sell it?
 
(quoted from post at 12:23:48 11/04/20)
(quoted from post at 15:37:55 04/03/18) I'm about at my wits end with this thing. Started it up today and power steering fluid came flooding out around the top of the steering column as you see in the pic below. That's after I shut it down. You can tell by the width of the wet spot how much was flowing.

How much of a job am I looking at now? Any help would be appreciated.

xz2No7n.jpg

I realize this is an old post, but checking to see if you kept your old power steering.box or if you would want to sell it?

Sorry, I want to keep all the original parts for this tractor. But, trust me, for a little extra effort, it's better to go with all new parts like I did. I appreciate the job every time I get on that tractor and I know the power steering is going to work like it should. It beats trying to renew something that is 60 years old.
 

I had to remove and reinstall that dash panel three times. That's the worst part of the whole job. Won't have to do that again.
 

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