Just picked up a 336.. couple quick questions

[winston1]

Tach and hour meter are mechanical.

 

[walnutman]

Congratulations, very nice tractor.
That finger wheel controls the the rate at which the 3pt hitch drops.
The other thing - the 3pt draft control lever - is probably frozen because nobody ever used it.
In fact, both of these adjustments are rarely used.

I just got the manuals. The finger control... maybe you misunderstood... the valve in front... its a wheel. It's used simply to turn off the the. Draft control is not seized. The little lever on the tph valve is the drop speed control. It's seized on slow

 

[walnutman]

Tach and hour meter are mechanical.

Well that explains that lol. How does a mechanical hour meter work? Parts list shows a cable for the hour meter in the electrical section.

 

[walnutman]

That lever engages/disengages draft control to regulate the ground engagement dept for an implement attached to the 3pt hitch. It's sort of a hold-over from the days when tractors were used a lot for plowing. When plowing it keeps you from having to constantly have a hand on the 3pt lift & lightning reflexes. It's not useful for much of anything else. I don't think I've used that feature on any tractor in 30 or 40 years.
Except once when I left it engaged by accident.....

To see how draft control works, take a look at the top connection of the 3pt hitch on the back of the tractor. See how that top link connection it is actually a pivot and lever?
Well, when the plow contacts an obstruction like a rock underground it puts compressive force onto the top link. That lever is on a heavy spring, but it moves just enough to open a valve inside the rear end that instantly raises the 3pt lift arms an inch or so. If that doesn't clear the rock, it all happens again...very rapidly.

Draft control forces are only crudely adjustable. Most of the time you don't want draft control, so you disengage it with that lever that is frozen up.

Forgetting to disengage draft control when using a 3pt mounted backhoe used to be the cause of many farm-related accidents & deaths.
rScotty

Reading the manual, draft control maintains implement depth when traversing hills and swales. It also reduces depth when the ground gets harder to help maintain power. This lever is not frozen. Looks clean and in working order.

 

[bmaverick]

Reading the manual, draft control maintains implement depth when traversing hills and swales. It also reduces depth when the ground gets harder to help maintain power. This lever is not frozen. Looks clean and in working order.

On the fender wall, there are these decals for the draft control.

The draft control also works with a bottom plow on gradual slopes. Ideal for potato farming on sloped hills.

 

[bmaverick]

rScotty had posted these in an older thread here. It's not often seeing good reference material like this.

 

[bmaverick]

More from rScotty, see the attached

 

[winston1]

Well that explains that lol. How does a mechanical hour meter work? Parts list shows a cable for the hour meter in the electrical section.

Works like an old speedometer. You may not have the time but if a big interest this will show you how it works.

 

[walnutman]

But how does engine rpm mechanically translate to time? At idle time would slow down. At full power time will speed up.

To answer my own question I just looked it up. It's only accurate at 540 pto rpm engine speed. At idle it will register less actual time. The only accurate ones are electric ones. Even with those if you accidentally leave the key on you record false hours.

 

[winston1]

But how does engine rpm mechanically translate to time? At idle time would slow down. At full power time will speed up.

To answer my own question I just looked it up. It's only accurate at 540 pto rpm engine speed. At idle it will register less actual time. The only accurate ones are electric ones. Even with those if you accidentally leave the key on you record false hours.

You got it!