Exactly which model do I have please

Need a little help please on exactly which model 300 series I have. I bought it over the weekend and have enjoyed it so far, although I have a lot of maintenance to do!!

It has the 300 label on the side, but from what I have read the 300 only indicates a series of several different models. As you can see it has a loader. It's also a gas burner, and I was told it's a 59 model.

My cats checked it out thoroughly for me! LOL

That would be a 311. (Adjustable wheel width, and gas burner). With the style of tin it has it would be a 1956, or 1957. With the loader on that adjustable wide front end, treat it with TLC. They do not take weight very well.

wish I had a Kitty Mechanic plus a tire Cat !!!
They all look like keepers to me !! Enjoy !!

Thank you for the quick reply and help. You are right about the bucket and wide wheel stance. I see where the axle has been welded back together.

Im trying to get the loader hydraulics problem solved. Yesterday I found the pictures on this forum showing where to add hydraulic fluid. I added fluid and the bucket works better, but begins squirting out fluid from a safety valve on one cylinder as the bucket does up.

Thank you Jeff!! The cats love helping me, as long as the engine is not running. LOL

A 300 with a Cat engine, thats a rare machine. lol My cats supervise me whatever I work on. gobble

Looks like you have single acting lift cylinders and double acting bucket cylinders.

If you are using the tractor control levers (as opposed to an add-on control block) the lift cylinders hydraulic is using a single hose for supply and return off the lower control valve. If you have a Eagle hitch there will be a selector valve in series that selects the Eagle hitch or front loader for operation.

The bucket cylinder hydraulic is using two hoses off the upper control valve. The hoses are either supply or return depending on the control valve stroke.

Your lift cylinders do not have a safety valve. The leak you are seeing is coming out of the cylinder vent hole. It simply means that the piston seals are leaking and need to be renewed.

On the good cylinder hold you finger over the vent hole as someone raises and lowers the loader. You will feel air movement in and out of the vent hole as the cylinder is stroked. No oil means the piston seals are not leaking.

Joe

Forgot the pic. 311 model/serial tag if it still exists should be on the dash.

Joe

Thank you so much for the help Joe!! I have never worked on a hydraulic cylinder, but Im about to learn. Any tips?

Im going to order an operators manual, but in the meantime, what does the hand clutch do? And there is another lever to the right of the gear selector. What does it do?

Thank you again!

I used to have a mechanic cat as well, but the farm cat life is a rough one and something got him or he wandered off from one of the other boy cats chasing him off.

Hand clutch stops the power to the wheels while the PTO keeps running. The shifter to the right is the dual range, or triple range shifter.

hmmm. what did the 'cat-scan' turn up ?

The function of the hand clutch is to engage/disengage the transmission for tractor ground travel. The engine clutch (foot) engages the drive shaft that powers the pto directly and also the transmission via the hand clutch. Ground travel is controlled by the hand clutch and has no effect on the pto. This is what Case calls a “constant running pto”.

The hand clutch is made up of friction discs that are compressed and released by an over-center mechanism operated by the hand clutch lever. It resides in the torque tube just in front of the triple range gear train. When disengaged nothing moves aft of the clutch except the pto shaft.

Lets say you are using a rotary mower in high grass. As the mower loads up and starts to bog down, disengaging the hand clutch stops tractor ground travel allowing the mower to continue to run and clear at pto speed. Otherwise you have to use the foot clutch to stop the tractor which would also stop the pto. Then put the transmission in neutral and restart the pto with the foot clutch again.

Shifter on the right can be a dual range selector but is most likely triple range. Look at the shift pattern in the pic indicates triple range. The triple range gear train resides in the torque tube aft of the hand clutch. It provides 3 speed ranges Low-Direct-High. That coupled with the 4 speed transmission gives you 12 speeds ahead and 3 speeds in reverse.

Joe

I've done a lot of hydraulic cylinder overhauls in my life time.

Single acting cylinders generally come apart and are simple to reseal. Take the seals or the open cylinder to a hydraulic shop and have them match the seals or provide suitable replacement seals if yours are no longer available.

If you have trouble getting it apart take the cylinder to a hydraulic shop and pay them to reseal it. They will have the proper tools and the torque multipliers to get it open and back together.

Joe

Thank you for all the help men! I have definitely come to the right place for help on my tractor!

Love the cat pics and jokes too!

Probably got better benefits somewhere else.

Was this the one listed in Craigslist in AL?

Yes it was Brian.

Look what I found under the dash today. The data plate!

I have a couple of questions please. Does the transmission use 80w90 gear oil or something similar? I have that creamy look overfilled transmission. I think I read somewhere that is hydraulic fluid getting in the transmission case.

One more question. It didnt have a choke mounted on it when I bought it. Is there any certain universal choke anyone uses that fits pretty good?

Serial nr 6051277 is 1956 model year.

Original factory transmission oil was SAE 90. 80-90 is good, better in some opinions here.

Milky oil is nearly always water or a collection of condensation over a period of time that results in emulsified oil. Lighter oils used in the torque tube makes the transmission gear oil lighter in color but I don't think it would be referred to as "creamy". It just looks more like hydraulic oil than gear oil. That doesn't mean that there is no torque tube oil leaked into the transmission, that is a common problem in 300. If your transmission is way overfull there likely is some oil migration.

Rain water often enters via a deteriorated shifter boot. Also all the cover bolts on the top of the transmission are drilled all the way through. Crack the drain plug check for water. There will almost always be a small amount from condensation.

311 transmission capacity is 28 quarts. Note that the axles are oil flooded and they won't drain completely unless you jack up the wheels each side for drainage. Best to pick a warm day and don't be in a hurry. You want to get as much of that contaminated oil out of there as possible. Seven gals of gear oil can get expensive, some guys here have recommended a flush with kerosene. I have no opinion on that.

Universal choke cables work just fine. If you can find the plastic coated type, spend the extra bucks, they don't rust and seize as often. Lubricate well to keep rusting down.

Joe

Thank you so much Joe! For the time being I will drain the gear oil and replace it, then monitor for a while. This tractor could use an engine rebuild and some seal replacements, but for now Im just going to do all the preventive maintenance I can and use it gently.

The worse problem I have so far is one of the bucket hydraulic cylinders. Im hoping I can hold off on this repair until I get done using it to load some old scrap metal.