Charles in Aus.
Well-known Member
Billy NY had some interesting and practical things to say about the abuse of tractor top links by some owners .
I have at least five that I bought as scrap as they were all seized , including two rare Ferguson adjustables with hand rings . Every single one had the deep gouge marks from Stillson wrenches all over them . I have managed to free all of them with various methods although I did have to resort to slitting the thread and re welding on one of them .
My experience is that heat, or at least too much of it is the worst thing you can try as a first response . The left over grease inside just cooks and hardens then acts like concrete within the threads . The best results have been with prolonged soaking with ATF and Acetone poured into one end or through a hole drilled into the side . Takes about a week but this softens the residual grease . I then try to get a little movement either backwards or forwards , from either end .
Once any movement is felt I usually smack the outsides of the threaded outer case with a hammer , this tends to compress any grease and dirt , loosens any corrosion and lets the ATF solution creep in a little further next time it is put in .
Surprisingly it is usually the right hand thread rather than the left hand end that is hardest to shift .
Once a few turns have been achieved time to soak further is usually all you need .
The only one to refuse to move this way was a Genuine Ferguson FE35 Grey and Gold top link .For this I used a thin kerf cutting blade to carefully cut a slot along the length of the outer tube just over the threads of the seized end . Once cut I simply used a few heavy screwdrivers to prise the sides apart . This slight movement was what it needed to finally move .
To restore it I placed brazing wire in the slot and arc welded over it . The heat from the arc melted the wire and formed around the threads , the end turned freely after this .
Two years on this link has seen heavy service on a mole plough with no hint of failure .
I have at least five that I bought as scrap as they were all seized , including two rare Ferguson adjustables with hand rings . Every single one had the deep gouge marks from Stillson wrenches all over them . I have managed to free all of them with various methods although I did have to resort to slitting the thread and re welding on one of them .
My experience is that heat, or at least too much of it is the worst thing you can try as a first response . The left over grease inside just cooks and hardens then acts like concrete within the threads . The best results have been with prolonged soaking with ATF and Acetone poured into one end or through a hole drilled into the side . Takes about a week but this softens the residual grease . I then try to get a little movement either backwards or forwards , from either end .
Once any movement is felt I usually smack the outsides of the threaded outer case with a hammer , this tends to compress any grease and dirt , loosens any corrosion and lets the ATF solution creep in a little further next time it is put in .
Surprisingly it is usually the right hand thread rather than the left hand end that is hardest to shift .
Once a few turns have been achieved time to soak further is usually all you need .
The only one to refuse to move this way was a Genuine Ferguson FE35 Grey and Gold top link .For this I used a thin kerf cutting blade to carefully cut a slot along the length of the outer tube just over the threads of the seized end . Once cut I simply used a few heavy screwdrivers to prise the sides apart . This slight movement was what it needed to finally move .
To restore it I placed brazing wire in the slot and arc welded over it . The heat from the arc melted the wire and formed around the threads , the end turned freely after this .
Two years on this link has seen heavy service on a mole plough with no hint of failure .
