52geemsee

Member
Haven t got a manual yet but want to put tractor to work.
I see there are 3 reservoir lids for the transmission, the hydraulic lift area and the rear axle.
What type of fluid is used in each one?
Hydraulic reservoir has a dipstick but how do you check levels in the transmission and rear axle?

This is a 1963 Ford 4000 with 5 speed and 4 cylinder engine.

Thanks
 
fluids are somewhat controversial here - you will find many discussions/debates -

Fluid that meets Ford/New Holland 134 standards is appropriate and may be used in all three reservoirs -

The transmission and differential have plugs on the side at the appropriate fluid levels - I believe the transmission may be a hex plug at about the footrest level, the differential should be a square head pipe plug and I believe on the left side -

if I'm wrong, there'll be someone along shortly to correct....
 
Pomester is correct. Here is a diagram from the 601/801 series owners manual showing the location of the fill and check plugs for the trans and rear axle.
cvphoto22506.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 20:02:18 05/08/19) fluids are somewhat controversial here - you will find many discussions/debates -

Fluid that meets Ford/New Holland 134 standards is appropriate and may be used in all three reservoirs -

The transmission and differential have plugs on the side at the appropriate fluid levels - I believe the transmission may be a hex plug at about the footrest level, the differential should be a square head pipe plug and I believe on the left side -

if I'm wrong, there'll be someone along shortly to correct....

That answer is like telling you to run """mobil one""" full synthetic oil in your tractor. While an hd 15w-40 oil will meet all requirements of your tractor, and has for years. Same with the hydraulic oil. The 4 cy 4000 has run extremely well for over 55 years on the hydraulic oil that was spec'd for it. 55 years is a pretty good track record to argue against. If you want to run a synthetic based hydraulic fluid, thats ok as well, but you probably will not see a pay back. So, just about any tractor rated hydraulic fluid out there will EXCEED the original fluid spec from 1963/64. And changing the oil when contaminated from water is probably a much better solution long term than running a full synthetic based fluid designed and needed for the newer much higher pressure, much higher heat, of power shifts and hydro shifts. It was fords after 1975 that started having the high heat problems due to higher hydraulic pump pressures and higher flow rates that started the evolution to a better grade fluid. Coolers had to be added to keep the fluids of the day from breaking down, oxidiziing, and molecule shearing. So from that point on, better fluids were need for each evolution of even more heat and more pressure. the ford 134d fluid is much higher grade than even the 134a fluids used on the 24speed shuttles. I run the 303 equivalent fluids for all of my pre 1976 tractors as they exceed the fluid that has been used for 55 years now.. thats from 1964 to today.... that I am speaking of. Even though the "whale oil" viscosity stabilizer is no longer used and the 303 substitute oil exceeds your tractors specs, it will work better than whats been in there for 55 years.

Others may have a different opinion, just as they run full synthetic oil in the engine.
 
I am with sotxbill. There are many here who advocate using the most expensive oil available just because everybody should. There is one major threshold with hydraulic systems: clutch packs. Old tractors didn't have them, newer ones do. Old systems need a fluid that can be pumped to push things and not wear bearings. Newer systems need more sophisticated oil that will protect the clutch packs and in many cases the wet brakes as well. Your 4 cyl has all dry systems so it will be just fine on the cheapest of the cheap.
 
I assume this is not a row crop tractor. If it is, you have three additional reservoirs: the steering pedestal and each final drive. All three use 90 weight gear oil.

The hydraulic reservoir has two sides. One side is for checking the steering pedestal oil level; if you don't have a row crop tractor you can ignore that side and use the other to check the hydraulics.
 
(quoted from post at 06:32:42 05/09/19) I am with sotxbill. There are many here who advocate using the most expensive oil available just because everybody should. There is one major threshold with hydraulic systems: clutch packs. Old tractors didn't have them, newer ones do. Old systems need a fluid that can be pumped to push things and not wear bearings. Newer systems need more sophisticated oil that will protect the clutch packs and in many cases the wet brakes as well. Your 4 cyl has all dry systems so it will be just fine on the cheapest of the cheap.

good points but remember all 1965 ford 4000 and larger tractors.... had wet clutch independent pto's and also wet brakes. The 303' jd spec was in parallel with either the ford m2c spec (iirc) of that time, was developed and approved for the wet brakes and wet clutches and worked with no problems... At some point the dual power was offered on the ford 7000 and also worked well on the 303 fluids but the pressures were limited to around 2175 psi iirc. Also iirc the 7000 combined the transmission and rearend reservoirs to get the additional cooling, but then,, I'm a bit fuzzy on that fact. And the 303 spec and ford spec were crossovers on the compatibility charts of the day as both reduced friction modifiers specifically for the wet brakes and wet clutches. The good news is that I get to hide my own Easter eggs now days.
 

As Pomester said, this is a controversial subject. I'd use 80W-90 gear oil in the transmission and rear end. This would be comparable to the oil in them when the tractor left the factory.

Use something that "meets or exceeds" the NH M2C-134-D spec in the hydraulics.

One spends so little for lubricants as compared to repairs and other aspects of owning a tractor, it won't hurt to buy the best and latest even though it may far surpass the requirements of your tractor.
 
(quoted from post at 18:28:33 05/09/19)
As Pomester said, this is a controversial subject. I'd use 80W-90 gear oil in the transmission and rear end. This would be comparable to the oil in them when the tractor left the factory.

Use something that "meets or exceeds" the NH M2C-134-D spec in the hydraulics.

One spends so little for lubricants as compared to repairs and other aspects of owning a tractor, it won't hurt to buy the best and latest even though it may far surpass the requirements of your tractor.


Thanks to all for the information. I m sure more questions to come.
 
Originally you had gear oil in the tranny and differential separate sumps with plain hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic sump.

As tractors evolved over the years, common sumps were introduced where some functions were combined to a common sump which required the
"hydraulic" function to be considered along with wear/pressure requirements for high load geared drives.

For those I use Ford 134 A,B spec. which, when shown on the container specification label, under the John Deere listing is type 303, trans-hydraulic
fluid. This is "standard trans-hydraulic" fluid for older tractors and I use it in my mid 60's 2000 and 3000s.

For today's tractors with a single common sump and anything hydrostatic or having wet brakes (my '88 3910 has such), the Premium fluid is required
listed as Ford 134D or JD J20C to name a couple of listed specs for which I look.

This is my usage, right or wrong, 40 years of learning how to farm....an ongoing adventure, addicted to Ford Diesels in the older machines because for
one thing their reliability, ease of maintenance, reasonable pricing for purchasing and ready availability of parts-priced right......did I miss anything. Grin!
 

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