SMTA - weak Hydraulic lift and noisy Live PTO

Also live PTO is quiet when engaged, but noisy (rolling sound in PTO and drive train) when disengaged. LPTO leaks fluid around engaging lever.

Need advice on solving both problems. Thanks in advance for assistance. Great Site, I learn new things every day.

Could the issue be in the female hydraulic connectors on the tractor? The rake's connector fits new tractors (Deere) as well as the old M, (whose female connector has been changed to a universal type, per my Dad). If the SMTA female connectors were not letting enough fluid pass through, this could be the cause of the slow lifting, and apparent pressure build-up, causing the squealing. Perhaps I need to consider changing the female connectors? What do you think?

Suggest removing the rod end pin from the rake cylinder then operating the cylinder unloaded. If it still moves slow and you get squealing from the tractor hydraulics, good chance the problem is restriction at the connectors.

Have you ever lifted this rake with this tractor before? If not, the answer may be as simple as the rake is too heavy for the tractor. Modern tractors have 2000, 2500, or even 3000PSI hydraulic systems, and modern implements are designed to take advantage of this, cutting costs by using smaller diameter cylinders and relying on the high-pressure hydraulics to compensate.

Larger-diameter hydraulic cylinders can help you in this regard, as the larger pistons can lift more weight with less pressure.

Another possibility is that the relief valve is getting weak after 50-odd years in service, and not allowing the tractor to even develop 1250PSI.

I am sure that there is an oil seal at the lever (been a while since I had mine apart). Another thing is that there is an oil seal on the input shaft to the LPTO unit that divides the LPTO from the final drive. When this seal is bad oil from the final drive leaks into the LPTO and over fills it. The evidence of this is oil leaking out of the breather on the left side. There should be a check plug on the left side so that you can drain the oil down to the proper level. I run Hi-Trans in mine so the bad seal really leaked bad. The seal is not too hard to change, you just have to remove everything. When I did mine I also inspected bearings in the final drive and noticed one of the inner axle bearings was going bad.

Sorry....I have no experience with SMTA LPTO problems...