Problem with hydraulics

babzog · Oct 15, 2011

Hey folks

Tractor is a Massey Ferguson MF1533.

The other day, I was cleaning up some dead trees and such. I was approaching a brush pile with a load to add and seemed to have run into a branch that pinched the oil return hose from the power steering motor. Oil was gushing everywhere! I managed to get it out and parked on the laneway.

Today, I removed the little clamp that was pinching the rubber hose and refilled the tranny/hydraulic oil. Started up the tractor and I have no hydraulics at all. No steering, rear arms won't lift, loader is dead. There is no leak after the tractor is started.

The hydraulics were working when I stopped so I'm hoping the pump isn't shot and the problem is something simple.

Do the pumps on these tractors need to be primed? Any troubleshooting steps I can check out?

Cheers!

irvingj · Oct 16, 2011

Hope it's something simple!

I do remember, when I did my first service at 50 hrs (incl. transmission fluid change), I thought I'd really messed something up because nothing would work... but it apparently just needed several minutes of running for the hydraulics to come up again. Had me scared for a bit, for sure. (Curiously, after the second service --@250hrs-- the hydraulics started to work very quickly after start-up....)

How long had you run it after fixing the leak and topping it off?

MFRED · Oct 16, 2011

Is your tractor a sync shuttle or power shuttl? The sync shuttles had a bleed screw by the hydraulic pump you would have to open to bleed the air. Owners manual tells you how to do it.

babzog · Oct 18, 2011

It's a synchroshuttle. I had let it run for about 15 mins and still got nothing. I also saw nothing in the manual about bleeding the hydraulics (I was looking... maybe I'm blind? Page #?)

A poster in the hydraulic section mentioned about bleeding the hydraulics and mentioned a bleeder screw on the pump (see attached). I tried opening the left one, starting the tractor for a few seconds (then shutting down, tightening and restarting) but after seeing a few bubbles escape, i still have no hydraulics.

browny · Oct 18, 2011

I had a 1533 hydrostatic and after I changed the hydraulic fluid, I always opened both bleeder screws with the tractor running.

MFRED · Oct 19, 2011

You'll need more than a few bubbles. I would let it run about 10 seconds or unitll it gets primed. The one on the left is the one to open. Don't take the screw right out.

babzog · Oct 19, 2011

I let it run this AM for about 5 mins till I noticed the pump was starting to feel warm, then I shut it down. Nothing. Starting to feel nervous now.

babzog · Oct 20, 2011

Well, the dealer never called me back to see about service, so I called another farm supply outfit. They came down the next day (today) and quickly located the problem. The return line which had been pinched, was unserviceable. They MacGuyvered a temp fix until a new host can be ordered. They just called to say the tractor is running again. :thumbsup: