Farmall 504 power steering

The power steering on my row crop 504 recently stopped working (it steers really hard). It looks like one pump on the side of the engine runs both the power steering and the aux hydraulics. My aux hydraulics still work ok. Any ideas why the tractor won't steer? I'd appreciate your ideas.

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Have you checked that the fluid level and tire pressure are where they should be? Either one being low can cause steering to be hard.

Yes, the tires are up and the rear end is full of hy-tran. It's not just stiff to steer now, it takes ALL the strength you have just to turn the front wheels a little bit to the right or left. It used to steer quite easily, but would wander down the road a bit.

Sounds like your pump is gone .The 504 probably has two pumps like the 656 one for the hydrolics and one for the power steering.

The 504 should have a
'piggyback" pump in the rear housing, below the TA. This "piggyback" pump should have a 12gpm pump to work the power steering and remotes and a 4gpm pump to work the hitch. If your remotes seem to be working fine than your pump is not the problem, since it's the same pump for both. You might want to check the priority valve. This valve is used to send a "priority" of 3gmp to you power steering at all times, the left over is then used for remotes. The I&T manual for the 504 covers this system with enough detail to trouble shoot and repair the problem you describe relativly easily. Hope this helps. contact me if you need more info.

What you are describing does not match with the IH parts listings. To make sure we are all on the same page, you said Row Crop so I am assuming that you mean a Farmall 504 not an International 504.

Is the steering system a manual that has been converted to power assist? Factory power steering should be hydrostatic style. There will be no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steering cylinder on the front axle. Manual steering will have shafts and U-joints running fron the steering wheel to the front bolster assembly.

The hydraulic system should have one pump that provides oil to the auxiliary valve(s). If you have draft or lift control or power steering there a second pump piggy backed on the main hydraulic pump to supply oil to those items. Both of these pumps are inside the clutch housing.

Oil from the power steering pump goes to a priority flow divider to supply oil first to the steering and the excess flow to the hitch controls.

If you indeed have a separate pump on the engine for the power steering my guess would be that some one has added an after market system. Another option might be some one using parts off a different style tractor to add/repair/replace the power steering system that was on the tractor from the factory.

The 504 did use a hydrostatic power steering system. However, the F-504 also came from the factory with power steering that used a "hand pump" located behind the steering wheel that did have linkage from the steering wheel to the front bolster. Another thing to check would be that linkage from the steering wheel to the front bolster, this linkage uses four U-joints, make sure those joints are in good shape and are not binding. The "hand pump" itself could also be binding inside. Be sure you have a diagram before attempting to disassemble the "hand Pump", they can be very tricky.

Yes Owen, my tractor is a Farmall row crop tractor that was originally fitted with a Danuser belly mower and used by the state of Ohio to mow roadway ditches. The power steering is indeed hydrostatic. It looks to me like there is a hydraulic pump driven off the right side of the motor (gas) that has plumbing that goes back to a series of distribution blocks that are near/under the steering column. My tractor has no 3-pt, and no rear hitch at all. It does have one aux hydraulic lever near the seat that raises and lowers the mower deck. As I mentioned, the deck still raises well. I just can't steer the tractor. It takes all of my strength to move the steering wheel an inch or two at a time with the engine running. How would I identify the priority valve?

--Lee

This priority valve should be located right in front of the clutch pedal and right below the voltage regulator.

Machine 249--
Would the type of hydrostatic steering that you describe that has a mechanical linkage w/U-joints, still have the hydraulic cylinder attached to the front axel for steering assist? Mine has that front-mounted cylinder.

--Lee

The hydrostatic type power steering does not have linkage. I assumed you were talking about the type of steering with the Hand pump, such that mine has. I think your problem lies in the priority valve or one, if not both, of the steering units themselves. Let me know if I can be any help to you. I have a '62 F-504 with a trike front end.

This sounds a lot like mine very very hard to steer and wanders a lot down the road and the tires seem to lean more to one side than another and the steering wheel actually locks up sometimes I am thinking its a king pin or a bearing of some sort any ideas??

It's been too cold and snowy for me to work on my tractor so far. Some suggested that one or more of the universal joints on the steering linkage might be binding. I think there are about 4 universal joints on that model. Others thought that the hydraulic priority valve might be stuck and is not sending enough of the hydraulic oil (power steering fluid) to the steering system. I plan to disassemble and clean the priority valve when the weather moderates.

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