Joined the MF club - Power Steering question

[CowboyJoe]

Hello everyone. I recently got a MF135 (s/n 9A 111038) from a friend for a great deal, which was I got it running and moved it off his property. I knew it had some issues but nothing time and money can't solve. I have gotten it running enough to move to my property but the power steering is not working. I tried filling the pump reservoir and bleeding it but I think it might have had the wrong fluid in it prior. I got some fluid to flush out for me which was yellow-ish. The manual I have called for ATF which I've never seen yellow ATF before. Should I pull the pump off and clean it all out and is there a higher bleed plug in the system I can crack open instead of the steering cylinders, seems counter intutive to open line lower than the pump to bleed air.

Sorry for the **** photo.

 

[JWR]

It is almost certainly not ATF. Probably many of those hydraulic systems had ordinary tractor hydraulic fluid used in them rather than ATF. And it has a yellowish caste to it. It may have come that way or in that old a tractor someone just used it and had no manual. Oddly enough the very tiny hydraulic system in outboard boat motors (several brands) has been seen with either fluid -- ATF or ordinary hydraulic oil. Tutorials on them say to open the plug and see which one you have (!) going by the color.

My guess is that you have a worn out pump. It is also possible the power steering control valve is shot or the seals in the cylinder. First guess is the pump. So clean out the whole fluid path as much as you can and try to get it moving. It will probably be a process of elimination to see what is bad. Rebuilding the pump is probably a good idea anyway.

 

[CowboyJoe]

Yeah I would guess they did not have a manual. I'm going pull the pump today and drain everything out. Hopefully just cleaning the pump out will solve my issue.

 

[BarryTX]

Welcome! Update us on what you found out.

 

[Dmacleo]

I got some fluid to flush out for me which was yellow-ish. The manual I have called for ATF which I've never seen yellow ATF before.

It is almost certainly not ATF.

many types of yellow ATF out there.
not saying its the correct SPECS for the pump but....lot of yellow ATF around. ATF III is good example of type. german (eg ZF brand pumps) many BMW, Hyundia, Honda, Kia manufacturers also use yellow fluid.