Massey Ferguson 1710 TLB Hydraulic Issue

lorenzg · Mar 9, 2019

I love my MF 1710 TLB. BUT, there is a massive design flaw. I have 189 hours (not much) on the tractor. I just had the hydraulic fluid sight glass pop out of the unit. When this happens all the fluid drains from the tractor and nothing works. You can稚 go forward or backwards. You can稚 use the hydraulics to remove the CB05 backhoe to get at the location where the sight glass needs to be replaced. The tractor becomes a very heavy and unusable piece of field art.

I wonder what caused the sight glass to get blown out. Theoretically the sight glass is in the hydro sump which shouldn稚 be pressurized. The vent should prevent the pressurizing of the sump. I'm concerned about what caused the pressure to build.

I was able to borrow a chain-fall and hook it to the roll hoop and remove the backhoe, but it sure wasn稚 a one-man job. We rolled the backhoe to the right side and gained access to the sight glass location. I'm letting the sealant around the new sight glass cure over night and will fill it and test it later.

Any body have an idea what caused this?
Thanks, Rich

DMW · Mar 9, 2019

Is the filler spout cap for the hydro oil also a breather valve?
3709167M2 Oil Plug

lorenzg · Mar 9, 2019

DMW, If I had to guess I would say yes. When I took a close look at my cap I noticed there was what appears to be a dirt trap on the bottom of the cap. However, there is no pinhole in the cap itself to vent to the atmosphere. I’m thinking about drilling a small hole in the cap. It’s interesting that there is a white dot on the cap where I would think the hole should be.

DMW · Mar 10, 2019

I wouldn't drill a hole, just check the spring is functioning. Don't over tighten to cause deformation, don't use a thread sealant. Check the drain hose on the hst for any obstruction.

Pressure buildup is usually due to oil level overfill or underfill. The cap may work well for atmospheric change, but sudden increases due to air being sucked in and foaming the oil due to underfill may be too much for it. Keep an eye on the condition of the oil in the sight glass. before/during and after use.

irvingj · Mar 10, 2019

I thought I remembered somebody else having the same issue -- check out this thread:

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...question-hydraulic.html?highlight=sight+glass

Langanobob · Mar 10, 2019

Mine has a vent hole in the side of the filler cap. I have a hard time imagining pressure building up high enough to blow the sight glass out. I wonder if it was just installed wrong at the factory and it just fell out.

cdaigle430 · Mar 11, 2019

Has to be a QC issue, mine is always above the sight glass. If enough pressure builds it should come out the filler cap not blow the sight glass out. There shouldn't be any pressure in there its just a sump for the pump.
Please contact area AGCO representative....this is something they must know and fix or recall.

lorenzg · Mar 15, 2019

Well, I replaced the sight glass and took a closer look at the fill cap. I found the vent hole and couldn’t blow air through it. I corrected the problem by running a small drill through the hole. It should release the pressure now. Corrected vent below.