1963 Ford 2000: auxilary hydraulics lever question with photo

[Fordbrad]

Hello,

Recently I bought a fairly worn-out 1963 Ford 2000, but there appears to be an extra hydraulic lever which does not match with what I have seen online or in the manual. The previous owner was a re-seller and did not offer much advice. Here is a photo showing the Lift and Position/Draft Control levers, but there is a third lever right next to the Lift lever bracket on the seat side (yellow/brown handle):



The lever moves forward and backward only about three or four inches total. The bottom links on the 3 pt hitch will not operate properly unless it is pulled with a decent amount of force into the back position, which also causes the engine rpms to drop as if it is under load. Is this an auxilary hydraulic setup? There is a riser (or different plate) under the seat which makes me think that it is. Should I return this lever to the center/forward position when I am not using the 3 pt hitch? There is a FEL on this tractor but it is powered by its own engine front pulley-driven hydraulics.

I was using a Dearborn 2 bottom plow yesterday and the 3 pt hitch could barely lift it off the ground, even with the upper link in the lower mounting hole. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

 

[Texasmark]

It is mounted to the remote plate that sits atop the mid section. Apparently it's a single stage remote control. If that plate onto which it is mounted doesn't have a hydraulic hose attached, there will be a ｽ" pipe plug somewhere on that plate if single operation.....lift implement in the on position, gravity causes implement to fall....single hose to cylinder on implement.....if you have 2 plugs, one is send and the other receive, made for double acting cylinders with a connection at either end, 2 hoses required, and pressure can be applied in either direction.

What's missing is you draft control lever that is normally adjacent to the lift control lever shown. The 3 pt and the remote interact since the remote is a diverter valve where hyd pressurized fluid is routed from the pump back to the hyd casting, through the cap I mentioned above and then on to the 3 pt. Maybe you moved the lever to which you are referring, to the remote position.

Midway between the two controls is a 3rd lever, blue, about 3 inches long with a tab on the end. Check the diagram below it (part of the main casting) and see if the position it currently occupies.....straight out, not down, is the position control positiion, not the draft control position. If in draft flip it back to position.

 

[Fordbrad]

Thank you Texasmark,

Yes, the lever connects to a plate under the seat which must be for remote hydraulics. There is one square plug in the front/top of the plate, and there is also a small T-handle valve on the left side which is backed out almost to the full-on position.

In my 1962-published manual, it shows the lack of a draft control arm which is the same setup that I have. I have seen the adjacent draft control lever you mentioned in a video or photo somewhere, but mine does not have it. It does have the other lever down below which has been in the position control setting (parallel to the ground).

Since I was able to get the plow to raise up enough to use it, and it worked fine in the lowered position, I will probably use the same technique in the future (of pulling back hard on the remote lever to get the lower control arms to raise high enough). As long as the remote plate doesn't rob the 3 pt hitch of range or power, I will leave it be. Thanks for confirming my suspicions.

 

[Texasmark]

The setup sounds like a single action control working: Pressure is applied at some rate (aka the T handle....I forget which way is fast....probably unscrew, unless it's a back seat valve which is just the opposite...full flow is all the way in....try both ways......)

When you activate the lever, fluid is diverted from the 3 pt lift to the port you mentioned and goes into the lower end of a single port remote cylinder whereby entering fluid forces the ram out and the device extends. When it's time to lower it, the selector is moved in the operate direction, allowing the fluid trapped in the cylinder to bleed back into the tractor sump (however it gets there) and as it does, the gravity of the lifted object provides the force required to empty the cylinder, returning the shaft to the minimum extended position.......goes something like that... forget the exact wording.

 

[John0829]

I was using a Dearborn 2 bottom plow yesterday and the 3 pt hitch could barely lift it off the ground, even with the upper link in the lower mounting hole. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

You should NEVER use the upper holes in the rocker, you will damage the internal linkages of the hydraulic cover. The upper holes are for items like cultivators or other light draft implements.

 

[Texasmark]

You should NEVER use the upper holes in the rocker, you will damage the internal linkages of the hydraulic cover. The upper holes are for items like cultivators or other light draft implements.

Never heard-read of that. Makes sense to a point. Longer arm, more "feet" (ft-lbs equation) for a given pressure....course a couple of inches is the distance......