3600 3 point won't raise

Geldred

New User
I bought a 3600 a week ago and at the time I bought it the 3 point was slow but functional. I was able to use it brush hogging all last weekend with no issues. Yesterday I had it in the garage for an oil change and other maintenance and I tried flipping the lever for draft control to see what would happen. The quadrant lever and 3 point arms immediately dropped all the way down with zero resistance. In draft control mode the quadrant lever won't even stay up. If you lift the lever and let it go it just drops back down. I then put it back into position control mode and the quadrant lever will now stay up but the lift arms won't raise at all. FYI I have the single quadrant lever with the mode selector about a 3" long lever mounted below the seat. Any idea where to start to get the 3 point working again? Thanks for your help!
 
If you have a single quadrant lever and a small position/draft lever, you don't have a 3600.
If the quadrant lever moves that easily, the nut at its pivot point probably needs to be tightened.
 
fordfarmer, I had the same thought originally since the 3 point controls seem much more like a 3000 than 3600. All the sheet metal and badging is 3600 though. The manual talks about a single quadrant lever on the orchard models but mine has standard track width and standard fenders so I don't think it's that. The online parts diagram shows a single lever on the 3600V (orchard) and the 3600N whatever that is. I'll try to post a picture of it tomorrow.

Regarding the nut, I'll check that tonight. Maybe it's possible that I'm moving the lever but it's so loose that nothing on the inside is turning?
 
Sheet metal will swap between those models. Have you found the model number stamped in the bellhousing? That will tell for sure. I don't think just being loose will allow the internals to not move when you move the quadrant lever. The not lifting may be air in the system... or a leak in the pickup tube.
 
I haven't been able to find the serial number yet. There is no tag under the hood. I think I know where to look now on the side of the transmission so I'll check that tonight.
 
Another way to tell which tractor you have is a 3600 will have a gear type hydraulic pump with an oil filter on it on the left rear corner of the engine.
A 3000 used a piston pump and didn't have the filter.
If you determine you have a piston pump and it does not lift properly i would do the usual bleed the pump routine. There is a plug on the side/top of the pump - usually has a big allen socket. Crack that open and run the engine at low idle and watch for bubbles and froth. Close when the oil is mostly clear then try the lift again. Loss of prime is often the cause in a no lift situation.
 

mvphoto24538.jpg


I tried finding the serial number again last night. Here's a picture of where I think it should be. Am I looking in the right place?
a281563.jpg
 
Thanks Ultradog. Mine does not have the spin-on style filter that I've seen on 3600s. Here's a picture of the left side of the tractor. I fired up the tractor last night and now the 3 point is working again but slowly. Strange that after messing with the position control selector it stopped working altogether but a day later works again. I guess I won't touch that lever again! I'll check that plug on the pump and try bleeding it. I've also heard that the intake screen on the pickup could be plugged causing the lift to be slow. How hard is that to get to? If I take the lift cover off will it be obvious?
a281569.jpg
 
Yes, that's the right spot, though sometimes you have to look farther inboard to find all the numbers. Also, if it has an A or B prefix serial number, some of the numbers may be stamped on the opposite side.
 
The grill, decals, alternator, and forward location of the muffler suggest a 3600. The single quadrant lever, piston pump and lack of a spin-on filter, and tin around the steering gearbox suggest a 3000. I want to say the air intake cap is a 3000 style, too... but who knows, maybe they used it on the 3600's for a while, too. Maybe a mutt? I have noting against mutts, other than it being harder to get parts if you don't know what you have. Might need numbers off other parts (engine casting and serial numbers , etc .) to nail down what it is.
 
I got a chance to scrape some paint last night to try to find the serial number. As you can see from the picture, no luck. It's getting rather frustrating not knowing what year and model this tractor really is. When I look for parts I have to check to see if the 3000 and 3600 share the same part number and if not make a decision on which I should go with. Any ideas on where else to look for a serial number? There is no tag under the hood either.
a281723.jpg
 
Look for casting codes on all of the major components. The casting codes are the large raised numbers in the casting itself, and will start with a letter, then a numeral, then two more letters, like C5NN, D3NN, E0NN, etc. The first letter is the year that the casting was designed. C is the 1960's, D is the 1970's and E is the 1980's. The numeral after that is the year within the decade, so C5 would be 1965, D3 would be 1973 and E0 would be 1980. If all casting codes are prior to 1975 then it is mostly a 3000 that had the sheet metal replaced. If most of the casting codes are from 1975 or later then it is mostly a 3600 that likely had the 3 point top cover replaced.

Since it has a single handle on the quadrant with the smaller lever down near the base that controls whether it is in draft or position control, you probably need to assume that it is a 3000 when ordering parts for the 3 point system. Most everything else should be interchangeable except for the sheet metal.
 
Thanks Sean! The casting codes are D5 so that would put it solidly in the middle at 1975 but probably leaning more toward 3600 I guess. I've wondered if it was a really early production 3600 that still carried over some 3000 items. Knowing it's a 1975 would bolster that theory.
 
Geldred and Sean,
Another possibility is that you have an Orchard model of the 3600. From my operator's manual for that series, the orchard model had only a single 3 point lever and the selector lever as you describe.
That model may also not have a hydraulic oil filter. It is not listed in the change section.

HTH
Keith
 

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