ASP Hydraulics overhaul

John-Paul

I would change the piston seal and check the "o" ring on the front of the cylinder where it joins the valve chest.

Sounds like you have unload valve problems if these items OK. The manual gives a step by step proceedure so you should be OK.

Regarding the springs and balls. When I was young and foolish and the New Ford 5000 had just come out, we had major hydraulic problems with this model. I had one tractors lift off 32 times in two months. As we kept changing springs and balls I soon collected a few spares. One day my best mate brought his first 5000 lift into the workshop. He dismantled it and laid all the parts out on the bench in order of removal. Whilst his back was turned I added a few springs to the layout expecting to see some fun when he reassembled the unit and found extra parts and no where to put them. Before this happened, I was call out on another job and poor Fred spent 4 hours trying to sort out the lift. I was not popular when I got back.
regards
Brian

Yesterday evening I removed the unload valve. I remember you cautioning me before that this may have been "adjusted" by a previous owner. Have a guess if there was a good 3/8" pack of washers under the spring guide!

The valve itself is the 'old' type, with no ball, just a pointed end. The little hole in the end of the valve body was full of gunk - that black sludge is everywhere. I guess that this sludge is the problem. I'll try and sloosh everything out with diesel as well as I can.

Just out of interest, how can you really keep field grit and dust out of these things? I cleaned up the control valve assembly before removing it, and I'm working indoors. But still fine grit gets everywhere. Aaaggghh!

Thanks again,

J-P

PS. About the control handle, I was kind of wondering actually if the fault might be something like the mechanism being a little bit in the 'lower' position when the handle is set at neutral. I did wonder if the oil leak could be indicative of other more extensive problems inside.

And, um, well... perhaps it lifts a bit better than it did before. I hitched up my two-furrow plough for testing purposes and lifted it up all the way. It sank down again in about a minute and a half.

At least I haven't made it worse.

All together now!

"Al-wayys loook on.. the briiight side of life!
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Al-wayys loook on.. the liiight side of life!
Da da, da da-da da-de daah.... " (fade...)