Super C Fast Hitch Settling

What causes my farmall Super C fast hitch to settle down? I have a Farmall 350 with fast hitch and that always stays up. How do I fix it?

There is an IHC serviceman's handbook, GSS-1024 on the Farmall Super C tractor which is also for other tractors of the era. It goes into various test procedures to determine your issue. Unless you have a visible external fluid leak somewhere your issue is most likely internal to the unit and will require a rebuild to replace the defective items. I'm taking it your problem is like most, that the unit works correctly with the tractor running but settles to the ground on it's own after engine shutdown. If this is an issue with the tractor running you need to post back so we know more about this. Another thing you need to provide is does the implement raise to the desired height when the engine is restarted without moving the control levers? If your condition occurrs with the engine not running it is most likely a leak on the raise piston seal ring or on the a check valve. There are numerous seals and o-rings in the unit which could have failed. Other issues like scored cylinder walls, defective unit head gasket, the check valves not seating correctly on their bushings or seats. These are just possibilities but there could be more. Everything you need to rebuild your unit can be obtained from a good CaseIH dealership. Hope this helps somewhat, Hal.

It happens when the tractor is not running. I have to move the levers after the tractor is started.

If we're talking about the fast hitch and not the Touch-Control it reduces the systems that can fail. The fast hitch has a control valve,a check valve and the cylinder. The control valve has no internal o-rings so it should be OK if it doesn't leak. The check valve might be the culprit but it has few internal parts, one o-ring and a check valve that was metal in mine. I think the best bet would be the cylinder. Doesn't take much trash to score the main o-ring in the piston and that can cause it to settle. If you haven't already, you need the check the screen in the touch control unit to see if it is intact. If not or if you changed it already the system might have trash in it.

Which levers do you have to move - the two rockshaft control levers to the left of the tractor speed control or the remote control valve lever on the light bar next to the R/H light?
If it is the remote control valve lever your problem is most likely within the components noted by achodges1 in his post. In addition to the components he noted there is a spring in the check valve which might weaken over time and permit some leak down but I'm no expert on that matter and have no actual experience of it's failure frequency. If it is not that, then as he noted it is probably internal within the hydraulic cylinder for the fast hitch.
The tests associated with the touch control hydraulic unit under the fuel tank are based upon pressure readings obtained with a pressure gauge which would need to be inserted in the system to perform the ten system functional tests noted in the GSS-1024 Serviceman's Handbook I noted in my reply this morning to determine the area of the likely failure. I hope this additional information will be somewhat beneficial to your solution, Hal.

The fluid has to be going somewhere. If it's not leaking out on the ground its going back into the touch control reservoir via the auxiliary control valve.

If it's not leaking out on the ground I'd rebuild the auxiliary control valve. It's easy to get to and has very few parts.

(quoted from post at 20:09:08 04/01/11) What causes my farmall Super C fast hitch to settle down? I have a Farmall 350 with fast hitch and that always stays up. How do I fix it?

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First thing I would suspect is the cylinder leaking past the O-ring or whatever kind of seal it has on the piston. I don't recall what kind of fittings are on the end of the cylinder hoses, but if you can block the F-H up, disconnect the hoses and cap them off, then remove the blocks, that should isolate the cylinder. If it still leaks down, you know it's the cylinder. If it stays up, the cylinder is okay and the leak is farther up the line, either a check valve, or the 4-way valve for the F-H. If it is the cylinder, any good hydraulic repair shop should be able to re-build it.

My super C was letting me down (pun intended) for several reasons. I rebuilt the pump because of a leak. Then I rebuilt the Remote valve for the fast hitch cylinder. Then I got around to rebuilding the hydraulic cylinder. I put new lines and everything. I was so happy I rebuilt the whole thing my self and tested it out. Well with the tractor off it let down. With the tractor running it would let down.
SO I went back to the manual. What I found was I needed to set the adjustable collar. If you set the adjustable collar it will press down on the limit stop. That limit stop will LOCK the hydraulic cylinder in place and the cylinder will NOT let down. I don't think the FH cylinder will stay up without the adjustable collar pushing the limit stop button.
If I were the original poster I would try correctly adjusting the collar and seeing if the FH will stay up with the limit stop pushed. If It won't then I would take the cylinder apart and replace the O rings. Ron

Ron, I'm trying to pick up a little learning this evening - just what is the part you refer to as the adjustable collar? I thought I was familar with the SC fast hitch but am not aware of what this part is. Your clarification or a photo would be most appreciation, Hal.

I can't post a pic right now I am heading for work. It is the collar that is on the Hydraulic cylinder on the FH. When the FH is dropped the collar pushes the limit stop pin down and locks the cylinder. I will post pictures later today. Ron

Thanks Ron, I can't believe having to part with your dad's tractor. I would give anything for grandpa's Farmall A I learned to drive when I was around six or so. My mother and father are both passed now and I have been cleaning up things in the old farm house and recently ran across a couple of old black and white photo's. One was me around six on the A pulling a big fork of hay up in the barn with one of those hay forks in the very top of the barn. The other was my mother when she was about the same age leading the horse on the same rope pulling the hay up into the barn. Both of us doing the same thing in a different period 20 some years later. I certainly hope things work out for you and the wife as you have given enough and far more then your fair share, Hal.

I am going to post this link to see the page out of the manual. If you read and look at the picture you can see that unless the adjustable collar is set to push the limit stop the hitch will let down even with the motor running. The limit stop stops the flow of oil with or without the motor running. To release the limit stop all you do is push the remote valve to raise the cylinder and the limit stop pops out.
I was super confused until I read that. I could hook to my blade, put a pin through the lift rod, and lift the rear wheels off the ground. I could set the collar to push the limit stop and the rear wheels would still be off the ground in the morning.
If I were the OP I would try this if he has not tried it. If the limit stop is pushed down and the lift lets down, then replace the O-rings in the FH cylinder Including the limit stop. That little O-ring on the limit stop could also be the only problem, or just one of the problems. Replacing the O-rings in the cylinder is very easy and not expensive. But i am no expert and the info is worth what you paid for it.
My Dad had a lot of tractors that I didn't get. The A was his last tractor at the house when he died. I will miss the tractors but my wife is a good wife and a nice lady. She doesn't like tractors. I don't like shopping, baby showers and weddings. That doesn't make me a bad guy. Ron

Thanks much Ron, What manual does this appear in as I think I have everything printed by IHC on the Super C fast hitch and I've totally missed seeing this before. I will certainly look at my tractor later and check all of this out. My email is open if you want to just send a forum message as this thread is getting back in the current one fairly deep. Thanks much again, Hal. P.S. Where in Idaho do you live as I was in Seattle for almost 40 years and have spent a lot of time over in your beautiful state enjoying the out of doors in some of the wilds still remaining in this country. Lochsa River area of the Bitteroots isn't too bad of an area either for some serious family camping.

I tried to send a PM but it said it was under construction.
That page was out of the owners Manual. I got one on a CD for my Super C it also had the parts list, and FH operation with it. It was a good thing to have. I learned a lot about the SC and the A with them.
When I was working on my Tractor I would print out a page work on that part of the tractor and then I would add any comments and hints on that page. Then I added it to the 3 ring binder I was keeping. I had notes on everything I worked on when I worked on it and how long it took. I also put on there part numbers if any were changed or if I got parts from other stores I added that store and part number. When the guy bought the tractor he got the book. He started to look at the book and all the parts invoices and he said I am stealing this tractor. I live in the Twin Falls area of southern Idaho. Ron

Thanks Ron for the information and I couldn't believe I could have missed it in the Operator's Manual. Got mine out and I have the original one which came with my 1953 Super C which made no mention of a fast hitch. I'm sure it was printed before the fast hitch was a reality for the SC. I do have the supplement to the Operator's Manual which was issued later for the fast hitch but it wasn't covered there either. This was all new to me and I thought I knew quite a bit on the fast hitch systems. I certainly appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge.
Been through Twin Falls a few times as that was the way I generally drove from Seattle to the midwest until I discovered the northern route through Montana as it seemed to be a nicer scenic one. Once you got to Boise the road east was pretty much just void of mountains and timber land until Wyoming. In fact we had Easter in 1963 on the way to Seattle for our almost 3 year old daughter in a motel there. All the way across out your way where the jack rabbits were when she would see one dead in the road she wanted to know if that was the Easter Bunny. We just kept telling here no because that one wasn't pink. Thanks again for sharing the information and best of luck to you in your endeavors, Hal.