Farmall 350 Hydraulics Unresponsive

[jkunnari]

My Farmall 350 (1957) hydraulics has been over the past year gotten to be less responsive i.e. slower to raise loader arm/bucket. After running for awhile it has recently gotten to where there's no hydraulic action on any of the 3 main controls i.e. loader arm, bucket, 2 pt. quick hitch. I've drained the hydraulic oil reservoir, cleaned the metal cone screen, refilled the reservoir with fresh (Fleet Farm) Case IH Trans-Hydraulic fluid. Still no hydraulics at all. Ideas? Hydraulic pump vs. Hydraulic Regulator/Safety value in bypass mode or other. Recommended sequence to identify the cause. I don't see obvious fluid leaks. Thank you!

[pokitisme]

What I would do as a quick test and I am a Layman on this subject but it might work. Use a pressure gauge to test the pressure at each point. Test the pressure from where the hoes originally connects. And as I don't know this tractor at all if you understand what I'm saying everywhere that hydraulic fluid flows through hoses and hydraulic operation I would test that with a pressure gauge. Find out from the more knowledgeable people on here what the pressure should be. You could probably get a good pressure gauge for maybe 25 bucks. What I suspect on the Layman side is some kind of clogged or plugged somewhere dark crime or Grit that has restricted the flow of hydraulic fluid. To whichever point it's going to. It sounds stupid but sometimes the simplest things are the simplest answer

[jkunnari]

Hi, I'm follow that general troubleshooting process, when I'm back at family homestead where the tractor is stored. My plan is to begin with checking if hydraulic pump is even creating flow. If not, that's what I focus on replacing. If it does create oil flow to the regulator/safety valve next to the hydraulic valves. I've read & talked to a cousin with considerable experience rebuilding vintage tractors, the bypass value in Regulator can stick, an internal spring weaken/compress so that the valve stick in bypass mode. It must be a central component, as none of the hydraulic cylinders currently function now at all. When I get results from troubleshooting, I'll post the results. It'll be in Jan some time. Thanks!

[randallc]

When my 424 quit working, changed the pump and it took care of it.