Questiongoing down the street at wide open throttle the tractor wanders from one side of street to the other linkage seems to be ok is there a balancing valve that can be adjusted? any instructions would be appreciated
thank you in advance
henry
AnswerA symptom of the piston seal failure would be the inability to have any "feel" of what your steering was doing, and as a result you would end up constantly steering and correcting back and forth, fighting a machine that wants to dart left and right all the time instead of tracking straight with a good solid feel.
Have you checked or changed you hydro oil?
To check your hydro oil: look at the rear of your tractor. There should be a sight glass on the right rear of your tractor. The hydro fluid should be in the center of that glass.
Next thing: How long or how many hours has it been since you changed your hydro fluid and transmission filter? If you can't remember, go to your JD dealer and get the proper hydro filter. Whilst you're at it, get the JD hydro fluid. You can use Type "F" automatic transmission fluid if necessary, but you're much better off using the JD stuff.
The maintenance book says about 4.6 qts for the refill. So get two gallons of JD fluid, and that way you're covered.
Purge the system by hitting your up and down hydro levers, then once you get close, put the tractor in forward, followed by reverse, and so on, and so on until it functions as normal. Make sure you stop every now and then to refill the hydro, but don't over fill.
Oh, draining the hydro usually takes a 7/16" 8 point socket. I had to use a 3/8" drive socket with a 1/2" adapter then that was attached to a 1/2" breaker bar. Usually that plug is in there very tight, so be prepared.
Try to not round off the pipe plug or you'll be very sorry on that account. Pipe plug is located just to the right side of the differential on the bottom.
Once you get started draining the fluid, jack the front end up slightly to get the flow going. It will take a good while to drain all the fluid, so don't get hasty.
You pour hydro fluid into the oil fill cap on the left side of the tractor beside the left pedestal under the hood. It is a flip type cap.
If this doesn't help your steering, you could try to bleed the power steering. This means cracking the fittings near the power steering cylinder or the valve. You're trying to get any air out of there if you can.
To check your hydro oil: look at the rear of your tractor. There should be a sight glass on the right rear of your tractor. The hydro fluid should be in the center of that glass.
Next thing: How long or how many hours has it been since you changed your hydro fluid and transmission filter? If you can't remember, go to your JD dealer and get the proper hydro filter. Whilst you're at it, get the JD hydro fluid. You can use Type "F" automatic transmission fluid if necessary, but you're much better off using the JD stuff.
The maintenance book says about 4.6 qts for the refill. So get two gallons of JD fluid, and that way you're covered.
Purge the system by hitting your up and down hydro levers, then once you get close, put the tractor in forward, followed by reverse, and so on, and so on until it functions as normal. Make sure you stop every now and then to refill the hydro, but don't over fill.
Oh, draining the hydro usually takes a 7/16" 8 point socket. I had to use a 3/8" drive socket with a 1/2" adapter then that was attached to a 1/2" breaker bar. Usually that plug is in there very tight, so be prepared.
Try to not round off the pipe plug or you'll be very sorry on that account. Pipe plug is located just to the right side of the differential on the bottom.
Once you get started draining the fluid, jack the front end up slightly to get the flow going. It will take a good while to drain all the fluid, so don't get hasty.
You pour hydro fluid into the oil fill cap on the left side of the tractor beside the left pedestal under the hood. It is a flip type cap.
Yes, your deck is working off the same hydraulic system. In fact, you have hydro ports on the front of the tractor that can be used for the 4 way snow scrape blade, or for a snow blower. IIRC, the outermost hydro lever controls the right side ports, and also the deck lifting mechanism. The inner hydro lever controls the left side hydro ports.
If this doesn't help your steering, you could try to bleed the power steering. This means cracking the fittings near the power steering cylinder or the valve. You're trying to get any air out of there if you can.
If this fails, it could very well be the valve or the cylinder.
At this time you best get a competent local technician or a hydraulic repair shop to run some pressure tests on the hydraulic supply feed to the steering valve.
Let me know what you find.
Eric
