Position control lever STIFF (MF 2660)

[UncleBuck1]

Is there a way to adjust the amount of resistance needed to move the position control lever? The position control on my MF2660 is so stiff that it is almost unusable.

My first thought was that the control lever itself was too tight at the pivot, but when I disconnected the linkage rod that connects the lever and the input shaft the lever moves freely, so apparently it is either the input shaft (actually a tube) or something down in the bowels of the tractor. It seems like there there would be a nut or screw on the end of the input shaft for adjustment- but if there is one I'm not seeing it.

Can anyone give me some guidance on how to at least go about finding the problem WITHOUT removing the hydraulic top plate or - God forbid - splitting the tractor?

One more piece of the puzzel: the problem is just with the position control; draft control moves freely and with just enough resistance .

 

[JWR]

Hey UncleBuck. Sure glad to hear from another MF 2660 owner. Few if any are talkative on here. I have a low-profile platform model bought in 2011 but probably manufactured in late 2010. I've never had a stiff or hard to move position lever. I have a service manual and after some study I see no way to adjust tightness or difficulty of travel of the lever. Early in my ownership I found that running my 7ft Bush Hog all the way from on the ground to full lift height took only a small (maybe 1/2 to 3/4 inch) movement of the control. I called that control sensitivity -- really preferring about 5 times that much lever travel to lift the implements and giving me much better control. I went to a dealer and measured the "sensitivity" on multiple of the 2650, 2660 tractors and ALL had the same design, same sensitivity. I consider that a poor design feature by the way. None of the 3 I messed with including my own had any terrific resistance to moving the lever. The Agco regional rep in central Ohio at the time actually authored a paper on how to get more Position Control lever travel per amount of lift and he instructed my servicing dealer how to do it. Frankly I could see very little difference.
Looking at the service manual, I do not see any way you would have to split the tractor even if something is binding or badly hung up in there. Looks to me like everything connected to the Position Lever is accessible worst-case by removing the hydraulic top plate. That is a monumental mess to tackle however. So much sheet metal and parts has to come off in order to have a prayer of removing the hydraulic top plate.
Suggest a couple of things first: run your "drop speed" control all the way to each extreme (fast and slow positions) and try the Position Lever each time. That may cause it to free up. In general play with all the other controls including the Draft lever just to see if you can affect the friction or resistance of the Position Control to movement. I would even try activating and deactivating the "combined flow" lever at your heel several times and see if that has an effect. It should not.
If nothing else works, it may be feasible [without the large amount of sheet metal and seat area removals] to unbolt the hydraulic top cover and tilt it just enough to reach in with a spray nozzle and lubricate the Position Control.
Don't know how you acquired the tractor but I would definitely interrogate the previous owner, if there was one, and see if he had the same problem and for how long.
As always, an older VERY experienced Massey mechanic is worth his weight in gold in these situations. If nothing else, find one and see if he has seen the problem or has better suggestions.
By the way: I have an oddball situation being past retirement age and having my 2660 about 330 miles from home at my farm. For that (and other much less decent reasons) it took me 3 years to get all the bugs out of mine. Unbelievable list of problems when it was brand new. Now that all of them have been solved I love the machine & find it to be a great tractor but the first 3 years were hellacious.
Good luck with it and please let me know the outcome !

 

[JWR]

Any satisfaction yet on the problem ?