4310 Rockshaft repair and filter replacement

[Kyle_in_Tex]

So my rockshaft stopped working correctly some time ago and I haven't really had to do any box blading or anything precise. It would still go up and down, just not in proportion to the lever. I finally decided to see what the heck was wrong.

I can tell you my fix was not costly, but it took me about 8 hours to repair. I could do it over again, knowing the job and exactly what is needed in about 3 -4 hours possibly. It was small snafuus that caused the job to take so much time. Having to make tools, and retap the hydraulic lines to the rockshaft filter. More on that later.

The problem was a rusty frozen control shaft going into the control valve. There are 2 shafts that go into the control valve. The top one is the actual 3 point lever that raises and lowers the 3 point. There is a 2nd shaft under that, that is connected to the 3 point lift arms and has some adjustability.



My lower shaft was rusted stuck from being13 years old, and much of that sitting outside.

You first have to take your seat off and the plastic base that covers everything under the seat. There are 4 seat bolts which are 13 mm and then the black plastic base has a bunch of 10mm bolts all around. You have to take off your A-B-C handle. A new orange cap is about $2 something. Also take off the black plastic handle on the 3 point hitch lever. You'll have to unhook the boot around your FEL loader joystick and work the base around it to get the whole thing off. Take pictures of everything so you can see how it goes back together. You will also need to take off the draft lowering speed control knob.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

When I went to John Deere to ask if they might know anything, they didn't. And they told me that the control valve wasn't serviceable and it cost over $500 new. Ouch. This actually put off my fixing it until I just had to have it working, but I was glad I didn't need a new valve.

Here is a sort of quick test to see if you have the same problem as me. In the above picture, my roll pin #40 was broke. I believe it is a 4mm x 22mm, but they are cheap at JD. I replaced it thinking I would have the problem solved but not so. Shaft #33 was still so stuck I couldn't move it.

If after you loosen up both #18 nuts, and have replaced the roll pin, you still can't move the shaft easily by pushing back and forth on #15 rod, your shaft is frozen like mine.

View attachment 441823

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I recommend you get a JD 4310 service manual to assist you.

Mind you, all this stuff is kind of hard to get at with limited access. I ended up removing the 3 point lever assembly (#2-14) and carefully place the bellville washers and stuff in order so it would go back together correctly. You have to take off the control valve cover and you will need some Locktite 515 to make install it back since there's no gasket.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Let me say that I'm a machinist and I have a shop at my disposal to make some tools I needed to complete the job.

After you take off the control valve cover, you'll need to remove 2 ring clips #30 to disconnect the linkage #32 between the 2 shafts. There is a key #29 you have to remove before you can get the top shaft out of the way. The book tells you you have to remove the left fender if you have to take off the complete rockshaft but I didn't have to do that.

I tried to use a pry bar to push on the end of #33 shaft but no luck. I had to use a 1/2" diameter x about 9" long rod to use as a punch along with my 3lb mini sledge. Carefully placing the punch on the end of the shaft (you don't want to booger up the edge or it won't come out), you have about 4" of room to swing your hammer on the punch. Get a bigger hammer if you only have a small ball peen. Mine took some heave ho to get it to break loose. A few swings later, I had it out. The shaft was surface rusted. I wire brushed it and put on a new o ring. Also, you need to clean out the hole with an internal wire brush or something. Grease everything good before you install it and don't forget to put on the 3 point lever before you put the washers and #30 clips back on. At this point, both control shafts should easily rotate in their space.

Here's the key on the top shaft.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I have to admit, I've never taken the rockshaft filter (porous type in canister) off before. When I tried to take it off, using 10" and 12" crescent wrenches, I had to get out my 16" crescent before I could barely initially break free the fittings. All the aluminum male threads on the canister ended up stripping off with the steel fitting female nut. Meaning, the aluminum threads were still inside the nut after disassembly. Ding dang it. Dis-similar metals often do this through electrolysis. I went to JD and ordered a new $47 dollar canister/filter assy #6. If your threads are stripped, you can fix the hydraulic lines, but not easily. I really recommend buying new hydraulic lines (#5 and #12 about $80 for both) but I got more time than money and I had a free tap. If you just try to screw them onto the new filter canister, you'll just ruin the $47 you just paid. You'll have to take them both off the tractor first. Here's how I did it. I had a 1" -14 bottoming hand tap at work. They are rare oddballs...order 1 from Amazon or somewhere online to get a cheaper price. Remember, new lines are only about $80. First, I tapped into the female nuts as far as it would go with the stock tap, then I actually had to grind off the bottom of the tap about an 1/8" to get to the first full thread at the bottom face. Then I tapped as deep as it would go again, and this got out all the remnant aluminum. I blew out and cleaned all the shavings and debris and checked that they easily threaded onto the new canister. I used some teflon based anti sieze to hopefully keep things from locking up again.

I would rate this job's difficulty as 3 out of 4 stars, due to the need of custom length punch and weird sized tap needed.

 

[beenthere]

Kyle
Good rundown on your fix of the problem. Sounds like a tractor that is stored out in the weather.. maybe not.

Good tips you gave, but when you discussed using "crescent" wrenches instead of the correct Metric, you lost some points..

All in all, good job and should be useful for others down the line.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Kyle
Good rundown on your fix of the problem. Sounds like a tractor that is stored out in the weather.. maybe not.

Good tips you gave, but when you discussed using "crescent" wrenches instead of the correct Metric, you lost some points..

All in all, good job and should be useful for others down the line.

I USED METRIC CRESCENT WRENCHES....

 

[RoyJackson]

I USED METRIC CRESCENT WRENCHES....

SO DO I!!!
They're quite handy when you don't have the correct metric wrench...

 

[RedNeckGeek]

I USED METRIC CRESCENT WRENCHES....

Those are easy to find at Harbor Freight.

But where did you find your metric sledge? :laughing:

Never tried it myself, but I read somewhere that lye will dissolve aluminum out of steel fittings. Seems like it might take a while, but a can of Drain-O is a lot cheaper than a 1x14 bottoming tap.

To keep it from happening again, what about coating the outside of the threaded fittings with some of that tool handle dip stuff to keep them dry?

 

[whynot162]

does anyone know if this is the same as the 4200? on this 4200 the top shaft is sticking and the pin is broken, So I think it may be the same thing, if these are the same? and which manual do I need for this? all we have is the operators manual.