1958 MF 202 Workbull HydraLever stopped functioning

[MF202Chad]

Hi folks - a couple of years or so ago you helped me think through the wisdom of overhauling my '58 with a broken crank. I did have it done, and have loved operating it since then. I didn't grow up around tractors and while I know some stuff about engines and what-not, I am NOT a mechanic.

This week I developed a new issue. After an hour or so of mowing, I raised the brush hog to the transport position and drove over to another area I needed to cut. When I got there, I moved the "HydraLever" (as MF calls it) to lower the brush hog from transport position back down to cut some more, but the mower didn't lower. I played with the lever for a while but no amount of movement of the lever allows any change in position now.

So I'm wondering what might be the cause of that problem. Could it be something fairly simply like a low hydraulic fluid somewhere or the like, or could we be talking about an internal mechanical issue, or what?

 

[MF202Chad]

The lever I'm talking about is circled in this image.

 

[Agvg]

The other level is where? That you are using is the draft control.

 

[MF202Chad]

The other level is where? That you are using is the draft control.

I think the draft control levers are separate - they are what the person's left hand is depicted touching in that first image. Here is one from my user's manual that shows them labeled.



So it's the position control lever that is no longer functioning.

(Note: the draft control levers have seemed "frozen" since I bought the tractor, but since all I do is mow with it I wasn't too concerned.)

 

[MF202Chad]

One other item of note - since Saturday when this happened I noticed the hog dropped back down overnight as it was sitting. So today I kept the position control lever in the down position hoping I could start it up and cut the rest of what I needed to cut, but as soon as I fired it up the mower went straight to the up or transport position. So whatever broke is telling the tractor the lever is up when it is not.