MF65 Power steering concerns

In an earlier thread, I was informed of the the risk posed to the injection pump drive by operating the power steering pump low of fluid.
So I had the tractor hauled home and put in about 1/2 gallon of power steering fluid. Since then I have read that ordinary OTC fluid is not the specification and I'm also not yet completely clear what would suffice here.

I'm also not much concerned, at this point, about the power steering components themselves after what they've been through, but wanted, instead, to supply adequate lubrication for an attempt at a couple hours of mowing.

I'm trying to gain some insight about this power assist system, though.Pouring the 1/2 gallon in still didn't bring the level into sight in the reservoir. Does that sound normal.
There was no evidence of assist function when tested with fluid added and no visible leaks either, even after a 5 minute drive.

Dale

Tell us exactly where you put the power steering fluid. Something tells me that you're not putting
the fluid in the right place or your power steering pump is bad. You need to get a manual for your
tractor. There is a wealth of information in it, it also will explain where to and how much different fluids to be added, the different operating speeds
as well as the hazards in certain conditions.

Is the oil making its way into the engine crankcase through a bad seal on the pump shaft?

Sounds like you should postpone the mowing job until a few things are figured out.

I believe its Dexron III that meets the spec. That's what I've been using in mine with no ill effects and no leaks.
I want to say it took just under 3 qts but I really don't remember.

The power steering pump on a diesel is the round canister on the left side driven by the cam gears. It has a pipe plug you remove to fill. If there are leaks they should be evident by a visual inspection of the lines or the steering cylinder and attached valve, remove left grill and open the right grill. The pump can leak into the engine through the pump seal, this is discovered by increased crank case oil level. Its a pretty simple gear pump and cylinder set up and I doubt the oil type is too critical. I usually use a 30 wt non detergent oil or JD Hygard. If they leak a little into the engine I use 15-40 Rotella. Check where the lines pass under the radiator shield if the rubber insulator gets out of place that shield will ware a hole in the line.

[size=18:c4a511a032]I neglected to note originally, this is the [u:c4a511a032]Diesel MF65[/u:c4a511a032][/size:c4a511a032]

Thanks for the good information.

I'm rushing this, because after a house fire and subsequent looting of my property I had no way of mowing the property this year and now am under order to get this done. I have some understanding of machinery, but still coming up to speed regarding tractors.

Now to discuss your responses:
Filling Error
Yes, I'm convinced I put steering fluid in the wrong fill location. Originally, it appeared to me the pump was coupled directly to the front of the injection pump but with these thread descriptions I'm getting it sorted out. I'm guessing now that I was actually looking at a gear cover, not a pump housing. I put the fluid in the adjacent engine oil filler, which appears directly below the water pump hose as viewed from the left side. The engine oil level reads high, maybe by more than 1/2 gallon.

And I had wondered if I might have been dumping into the crankcase, even when I thought I was filling at the correct location, noting the fluid was going down so fast, consistent with engine oil filling.
Looking for the actual pump (on the diesel), I don't see a round canister, but a small blocky looking device with hoses connecting it to the steering cylinder (I see no corrosion on the cylinder ram.) The blocky device does have a couple of plugs in it, but I don't think either of these is the normal steering fluid port. There is a hose coming from the device which connects to a round canister in front of the gas tank. This canister has a vented cap covering that I think is the normal fill port for the steering fluid. So, I think I should get 3 of quarts of fluid, start putting it in, and try to see how that comes out and how fast. I'm till not sure what kind of fluid to use, I read the manual states to use a now obsolete type "A" automatic transmission fluid, so I'm inclined to use some kind of ATF and newer upgrades might only be better. I don't know.

I'm wondering if it might be feasible to operate the tractor without the risk of mechanical damage due insufficient pump lubrication if I was to remove the pump and cap the opening. From what I can see now, it looks like that might only require fabrication of a a simple cover plate. Then I could inspect the pump, replace the seal, or perform other service at my leisure, such as it is, if the pump was otherwise functional or repairable.

Please identify the recommended manual for the tractor. Is there anything that can be viewed online?
Dale

Both my diesel MF 65s have a canister on the end of the blockey looking device, which is the pump, that has a pipe plug for filling. It sounds like yours may have a remote reservoir. The fill plug on mine doesn't look like a place to fill the power steering.

I put a bit less than 2 quarts of Type F ATF fluid in the reservoir under the hood. Good steering assist developed and I haven't detected any external leaks. There has been no rapid loss of fluid from the system. So, I'm thinking there may be a very slow leak into the crankcase through a pump seal. I'm no longer concerned about steering pump lubrication issues in operation


Please identify the recommended manual for the tractor. Is there anything online? Thanks.
Dale