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Harry Ferguson Tractors Discussion Forum
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TO-20 Power Lift Question

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RoySC

03-03-2007 18:33:58




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Today, after connecting my rotary cutter, (bush hog equivalent), to my TO-20 and cutting for a few minutes, I noticed the tractor wanted to lift the rotary cutter in the air. When I engage the PTO, everything appears to work fine but on occasion the lift arms seem to want to lift the cutter. I keep the lift control level is in the extreme bottom position but still get an occasional lift, especially when the cutter is on uneven ground. Any suggestions what might me causing this.

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RoySC

03-04-2007 16:33:39




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 Re: TO-20 Power Lift Question in reply to RoySC, 03-03-2007 18:33:58  
I'd like to thank all who responded to my question. Today I tightened the Draft Control Spring you referred to and it apprears to have fixed the problem...:-)

Again, thanks a bunch!!



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John (UK)

03-04-2007 09:32:10




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 Re: TO-20 Power Lift Question in reply to RoySC, 03-03-2007 18:33:58  
If the lever is at the bottom of the Quadrant and it is trying to lift, that is wrong as the lever is set away from the Control Linkage so it should not be making any attempt to lift. Check the free play in the Draft Control Spring behind the seat, if there is end play in that when the implement is raised then it needs adjusting. Having play in that will allow it to move the linkage inside so it may try to make it lift but as soon as it starts to lift the pressure goes off the top link and it is now pulling at it so it drops again, it can keep doing this. The free play needs adjusting before you do anything else. What you say about it being worse on uneven ground points to free play and it will be pushing and pulling at the Draft Control freely, the Control Spring is supposed to damp this out but because of the play it can't.
Don't try to force the end yoke on the top link rocker to tighten as it will twist the Control Fork etc. inside. If you need information on what to do email me so I can send it to you:-
fergusontractors(at)tiscali.co.uk
just remind me in your mail what the tractor is doing then I wont have to search for it.

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mike a. tenn.

03-04-2007 09:50:15




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 Re: TO-20 Power Lift Question in reply to John (UK), 03-04-2007 09:32:10  
john (uk) i thought it was normal for the implement to raise or lower slightly when encountering uneven ground. i guess i was wrong and i better check my control spring adjustment huh? goes to show...you can always learn something new. sorry if i mislead anyone.

-mike



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John (UK)

03-04-2007 10:35:34




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 Re: TO-20 Power Lift Question in reply to mike a. tenn., 03-04-2007 09:50:15  
Sorry Mike I missed something out of that last post, you are correct in what you think...that the hydraulics should lift and lower slightly but that is when you are trying to control the depth (or height in this instance) but he said he had the Control Lever right at the bottom of the Quadrant, so that means it wasn't really in contact with the internal linkage, so because of that the hydraulics should not operate, they should be dead.....John

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mike a. tenn.

03-04-2007 11:17:39




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 Re: TO-20 Power Lift Question in reply to John (UK), 03-04-2007 10:35:34  
john....gotcha! and now that i think about it, that only makes sense. and once i get my to-20 back into fit condition to work, i'll be adjusting my control spring. thanks

about the fuel shut off valve tho, here's what my to-20 owner's manual says: "..turn fully to the left (counterclockwise) ((or is that anticlockwise in the UK?)) to operate main fuel supply through the standpipe which extends approximately one inch above tank bottom. the reserve supply contains approximately one gallon which is released by turning the shut off valve two complete turns to the right from full open position, thus opening the reserve fuel line which is flush with the bottom of the tank.

my to-35 owner's manual says this: FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE. TURN: two turns left-opens main fuel supply. completely left-opens two gallon reserve supply. (wow! TWO gallons! i thought it was only one! i could mow for another hour and still make it back to the barn!)

anyway...did i misunderstand your post or is my manual wrong or WHAT?

-mike

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John (UK)

03-04-2007 11:26:11




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 Re: TO-20 Power Lift Question in reply to mike a. tenn., 03-04-2007 11:17:39  
No your manual is most likely correct, the way I explained was the way it was for the TE series tractors and you would have thought they would have both been the same way, but that was not to be...lol. It is anti-clockwise in the UK as you rightly thought. Looks as though they got their act together on the 35 though. Anyway that is useful info to me Mike, thank you.
If you would like the pages from the Service manual for that adjustment, just email me...John

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mike a. tenn.

03-04-2007 11:35:28




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 Re: TO-20 Power Lift Question in reply to John (UK), 03-04-2007 11:26:11  
thanks john. i might write you someday and ask for some other wisdom from you, but i have a sevice manual for both my tractors, and while i was looking up the shut-off valve thing, i flipped over to the service manual (i keep them all in the same binder) and checked out that master spring adjustment as well.

going back to the anti/counter clockwise thing. since you're on the other side of the world from me....how does that work? are meaning the opposite when we say the same direction? (ok...i know i'm bein' goofy here)

-mike

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John (UK)

03-04-2007 12:15:52




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 Re: TO-20 Power Lift Question in reply to mike a. tenn. , 03-04-2007 11:35:28  
anticlockwise means opposite to the clock, so we mean the same thing just have a different way of saying it. The "master" spring as you call it is actually called the DRAFT control spring, that will save any misunderstanding there could be. Even though you have the Service manuals it doesn't always explain the problem you have or describe it in the way you can understand, they were written for the use of the Service people involved in repairing the tractors and they presume that you have a good working knowledge of the tractor, but if you haven't, it can leave you stranded sometimes as it doesn't fully explain it only briefly outlines it. So if it does ever happen to you just email anytime you are more than welcome.....John

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mike a. tenn.

03-04-2007 09:51:44




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 Re: TO-20 Power Lift Question in reply to mike a. tenn., 03-04-2007 09:50:15  
oh and...thanks john.

-mike



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John (UK)

03-04-2007 10:27:59




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 Re: TO-20 Power Lift Question in reply to mike a. tenn., 03-04-2007 09:51:44  
any time Mike.....if the lever is at the bottom in effect you disconnect the Draft Control from it but not from the control valve so any movement there would be, due to play in the Spring, would be transferred to the valve and cause some movement by the hydraulics.



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mike a. tenn.

03-03-2007 19:43:07




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 Re: TO-20 Power Lift Question in reply to RoySC, 03-03-2007 18:33:58  
roy...you're gonna be happy to find out that your lift system is working exactly like it should be working. when you're on uneven ground, the "master control spring" (that large spring where your top link connects to the tractor) regulates the cylinder oil flow to compensate for uneven conditions. this is what is causing your implement to raise or lower as it encounters rises or valleys in the ground. in some cases, you might have to adjust your control lever up or down to even things out instead of always keeping it in the full down position. if you don't have an owner's operator's type manual for your TO-20, you might want to think about picking one up somewhere like from the marketplace on this forum website, or from your dealer. it will give you alot of insight into how your fergie works. in fact...to anyone reading this post that has a fergie and doesn't have at least the owner's operator's manual, you'd really be doing yourself a favor in the long run if you aquired one. and if you plan to do your own work on your fergie, order the shop manual, and even the parts manual as it will show you breakdowns of parts you might want to rebuild, or how your tractor comes apart and even MORE importantly...how the heck you get it back together once you have it scattered all over your shop!! (like mine is beginning to get)
these manuals might seem a little costly to you at first, but you'll find them worth the money in the long run.

just a suggestion from my own fergie experience,

-mike

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TexMac

03-03-2007 19:20:51




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 Re: TO-20 Power Lift Question in reply to RoySC, 03-03-2007 18:33:58  
Could be draft control needs adjusting (Big spring behind seat). More likely, the cork friction clutch on your quadrant control is worn and slipping. I do not plow except to dig potatoes once a year so do not really need draft control on my TO30. I only need to go all the way up or down, so I just used a small u-bolt and I-bolt to rig a section of screen door spring from the quadrant control lever to the foot pad to hold it all the way down. I use the sliding thumb screw on the quadrant to hold it in the full up position against the spring. I have had the little cork disk allow slippage even when new if the ground was rough enough. Mostly, I just don"t like that friction system. The only thing Ford improved on the Ferguson system on their Ns was using little bumps on the throttle and quadrant to set the position, instead of those worrisome little cork disks on the real Fergies.

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John (UK)

03-04-2007 09:35:25




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 Re: TO-20 Power Lift Question in reply to TexMac, 03-03-2007 19:20:51  
If the friction disc's are adjusted correctly there is no slip with them as they are spring loaded but they do require adjusting from time to time. After some years in service the friction disc's do need changing as they go hard and polish up like glass so they wont grip any longer....John



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Irv ( Ia)

03-03-2007 19:19:38




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 Re: TO-20 Power Lift Question in reply to RoySC, 03-03-2007 18:33:58  
If you search the archives, I think it was (Jeff OH) that had a really good way to set that up. It's fairly lengthy but right on target. Others have addressed that, too.



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