F-400 Hydraulic Filter...

Is that metal screen the ONLY hydraulic filter on my 400? I've heard of oil filters for cars that use a roll of toilet paper, yet IH couldn't design a paper element type filter for this system? Am I being too critical & this is an instance where tolerances were considered for the dirt that might end up in the system? The way the service manual goes on about cleanliness, I doubt it. If anyone has installed a filter, I'd appreciate knowing the details, pro's & con's. Also, what's the best way to clean/flush the system? The screen is awful dirty & I would hate to see the rest of the internals.

Mike

The screen is the sum total. Clean it, flush it, put in new fluid, and GO to work. There are filter systems you can buy and splice into the suction side, but be sure the flow rate is 3 times the pump GPM, do not try to refine the oil, just get particles out of it. Jim

It isn't a great filter but you have to realize that is the first filter IH used as previous models had no filter at all. Also, the biggest failure problem with hydraulic system as used on farm tractors is cavitation, and the suction is the worst possible but necessary place to install a filter which restricts the flow and causes the cavitation at the pump. Even modern tractors use a screen filtering system, but they are using it on a high volume, low pressure charge pump that feeds the main pump that has filters in the charge line after the charge pump.

All the cast iron IH reservoirs will have a black sludge deposit on the bottom of the reservoir, It could be charred oil. That's the same black stuff that caves in the screen. Once the screens go to a triangular shape, they become hard to remove without damaging them. That fruit-loop Marty2374 on eBay is parting out a 400 right now. After half a dozen 400-450 destroyed tractors, he still hasn't figured there is a filter in the reservoir. He could probably get $30-$40 for each one instead of tossing the reservoir in the dumpster. You could email him but I think it might be a waste of time.

Because his pictures are so bad, I thought I was bidding on one last year. He called it an "element" but he sent me a complete engine oil filter canister. I sent it back.

I usually install a return line 10-20 micron filter from the Surplus Center on most tractors. The steel lines on a 400 make that option difficult without destroying the lines. Marty is selling the lines if you want to modify a set. But that would be a suction/inlet filter. Auction ends Thursday evening.

There is no good place to install a return line filter on a 400.

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Maybe something like this would work for filter ports. These are seen on 300 Utilities. Pete, Owen, or D Slater would have to advise.

That he is, bought a pre-cleaner for a Super H 5 or 6 years ago, took damn near 2 months to get it and on top of that the description was a pure lie.



Andrew