231 Massey Ferguson power steering problem

[dirtbogger]

permatran 111 is what I used. Flushed system when I installed new cyl. Didn't burn paint off, but just seems hotter than it should be. Friend of mine has a 2000 pound guage that I'm going to have a hose made up and check pump pressure.If I'm correct it should be 11-1200 lbs. pressure. How do you test for a bypassing cyl?

 

[MFIHCAT]

You will need a plug to plug off line that you disconnect from cyl. If I remember right that has a short metal tube that is between cyl and steering hose. In that case it will be easier to find cap/plug for hose, not for metal tube where it goes into cyl. Have the cyl either all the way in or all the way out. If you have it all the way out disconnect rod end hose and cap/plug off that hose. Continue to pressure that cyl with the hydraulics and no oil should come out of the open port (the rod end port) Which one is rod and which one is barrel. Well you are going to check relief pressure so you will need a tee fitting. Probably easier to find tee fitting that will go between hose and short metal line. If you have the cyl all the way out the barrel end will be pressure. Might have to check both cyl in and out. Sometimes they wont show a bypass when all the way in or all the way out, but will bypass somewhere in the middle. In that case you have to block the cyl from going in or out depending on if you are checking rod end or barrel end. You can take short metal line to hyd shop and they should be able to get you a tee that matches where the hose goes onto short metal line and cap/plug for hose end that goes to short metal line. I hope that is easy enough to follow.

 

[crumbum]

231 steering problem. Tractor turns easy to left and back to the right to straight ahead then gets hard and has no assistance. I've put a new cylinder on the left side and new O-rings in the steering valve but can't do anything to get it to give me power steering to the right. Help Please!!!

I had same problem on my 231s and it was a clogged filter in the transmission sump, not the one on the front of the tractor engine, the one inside the transmission. I replaced it and the small filter and my system was restored and my power steering worked perfectly as did my front loader.
The filter looked as if it had chopped up plastic bag . I assume something was left in the transmission from the factory as this happened at about 250 hours.

 

[Haley01]

My 231 is doing the exact same thing, I noticed when I was using it was hard to turn both ways. I changed the filter (it was completed stopped up) and it got a little better but still hard I called the dealer and he told me the pump was probally damaged because it over heated with the filter stopped up. Put a after market pump on and now with it jacked up it does the same thing your is turning left easy back to center it basilly stops when you try to go to the right. Both cly were changed about a year a ago because of leaking bought from Massey. checked them and they were ok. I took apart
the streeing valve it looked fine cleanded it real good and reinstalled does the same thing. so I ordered another should have it today. I will let you know if that fixed the problem. Let know what you found on yours

 

[Haley01]

My 231 is doing the exact same thing, I noticed when I was using it was hard to turn both ways. I changed the filter (it was completed stopped up) and it got a little better but still hard I called the dealer and he told me the pump was probally damaged because it over heated with the filter stopped up. Put a after market pump on and now with it jacked up it does the same thing your is turning left easy back to center it basilly stops when you try to go to the right. Both cly were changed about a year a ago because of leaking bought from Massey. checked them and they were ok. I took apart
the streeing valve it looked fine cleanded it real good and reinstalled does the same thing. so I ordered another should have it today. I will let you know if that fixed the problem. Let know what you found on yours

Well I received the steering valve and it done the same thing. I straced the lines and found that the cly on the right side had the lines reversed. I had a guy that worked for me and I had him change the fan belt. You have to remove the front loader pump and move the front axle foward a small amount to get the belt between the pulley and the front axle. There is no need to disconnect the lines from the cylinders but apparently he did and when he hooked the lines back up he reversed them. I never thought about that because he had been using it and never said anything. Actually it is easy to do on the right side. But anyway I hooked them up properly and it worked fine. I bet that is your problem.

 

[Travis_R]

Please Help!

Anybody found the fix to this steering issue?? My 231 is doing exactly the same. 1,315 hours on it.
How far is the control valve supposed to move, mine barely moves and the collar on the steering shaft (where grease fitting is) hardly moves up and down anymore like it used to. Also, what is the correct way to check/bleed/fill the power steering pump fluid??
I have to get it fixed asap. Bush hogging jobs and baling hay shortly.

THANK YOU!

 

[Travis_R]

No luck yet!
Anybody reading this have the solution?
Adjusting the control valve linkage didn't change anything.
Could it be the pump?
How can I tell if the pump is bad?
I've ran the pump almost dry a few times when the left cylinder started leaking bad a couple years ago. Got so bad it had to be re-packed. That was 2 years ago and now just starting to have steering problems that I can't seem to diagnose.
If anybody can help me, PLEASE do. have got to get this hay baled ASAP.

 

[fireman4074]

What was wrong with left steer cyl that you had to replace it? Checking cyl with air is not the same as hyd press. The two cyls work together, as one goes in the other goes out. If right cyl is bypassing internally you will have problems. Did you take old left cyl apart? Did it used to work fine? Was new cyl after market? Have had problems with some aftermarket cyls. Normally better to reseal old cyl.

I bought aftermarket cylinder on Left side and mine is doing same thing. The reason that I bought new was the arm broke.

 

[MF243RedTop]

My friend went through a couple of aftermarket cylinders... Rebuilt them a couple of times .. apparently most cheaper replacements are crap.. and only a few select shops can actually rebuild them properly or at all..
Ended up doing a repack of two factory cylinders
(one with a bent rod had it straighted) to finally get it all sorted out.
Also pulled the power steering pump and changed the filter in it.

Sadly enough with a broken rod on yours it would've been best to buy a new rod for it (ridiculously expensive too) and had it repacked into your factory cylinder.

 

[fireman4074]

My friend went through a couple of aftermarket cylinders... Rebuilt them a couple of times .. apparently most cheaper replacements are crap.. and only a few select shops can actually rebuild them properly or at all..
Ended up doing a repack of two factory cylinders
(one with a bent rod had it straighted) to finally get it all sorted out.
Also pulled the power steering pump and changed the filter in it.

Sadly enough with a broken rod on yours it would've been best to buy a new rod for it (ridiculously expensive too) and had it repacked into your factory cylinder.

I even thought bout welded broken tie rod back on but I know that would致e definitely messed up cylinder. So it got to be aftermarket cylinder because it was turning easily before then. I also put new lines on that side also.