Couple years ago, I bought a used tractor and it came with a front end loader and 6' bushhog. Noticed the clutch was slipping a little, but figured I could adjust it. I was wrong! I dont have a shop set up to break a tractor apart, so I got a friend that works on tractors on days he's not at his job, to change the clutch for me. Gonna cost me, but not nearly as much as a dealer.

But that aint all.....

Tractor has power steering, but not like any I've seen before. Instead of having hyd. cylinder(s) on the steering arm(s), this tractor has a cylinder assembly that sits crossways just behind the front axle. No hyd. lines running to the steering sector. Anyway, while bushhogging last week, the steering hung up, while turning left and climbing up out of a ditch. I rocked the tractor back and forth and finally the steering unlocked, but then I had about 1 1/4 turns of slack in the steering wheel. Ok, steering sector gone bad.

A friend has a 3600 he is parting out, and online it says the steering sectors are the same. So I pulled the one off his tractor, but when I took it to the shop, they are not the same. Fellow that is putting in the clutch had the covers off my tractor and I got a good look at the steering sector. Come to find out, it has the same steering sector as my old tractor that doesn't have power steering. So today I pulled the one off my old tractor.

When the other parts come in, hopefully today, I should have everything needed to put the tractor back together. If everything goes smoothly, we can put the tractor back together in a day.

It's been a pain in the wazoo, but it's still a whole lot cheaper than a new tractor. Besides, all I do is a little bushhogging around the place and disking for the garden.

Old tractors. Work them an hour and work on them eight hours. BTDT

Fortune has been with me this season as far as breakdowns after I shelled out a water pump that turned into a nightmare in the shop and emptied the wallet on the repair... (About $5k to get fixed)

After that fiasco, I took it right down to my New Holland dealer and traded it in on a 75hp New Holland. Trouble free with everything since. Been running hard all summer with them.

Now if my cutters will just keep holding up.

Hope you get that lined out, Randy. It seems like once you get the major stuff working, you will be GTG for many more hours.

But the thing about old tractors is that most anyone with an adjustable wrench a pair of vice grips can work on them. New tractors, that's an entirely different subject.

You wouldn't think a clutch, pressure plate, pilot bearing, and a release bearing (throw out bearing) would be a problem, but it's turned into a nightmare. Ordered parts thru NH dealer and whoever sent the wrong bearings and clutch. Dealer spent 2 hrs on computer and phone, trying to find the right parts. Finally found the right clutch, but no luck with the bearings. I'm headed to a bearing place tomorrow, taking the old bearings with me, and let them have at it.

But on the bright side, the steering sector from my old tractor, fit like a glove. Saved a few hundred right there.

Parts are a nightmare all over...

Even for current model tractors.

How 'bout ole 'Tractor Joe' for parts ?

https://www.tractorjoe.com/

Never heard of 'Tractor Joe', but I looked up the throw out bearing and what was listed is not what I got. And, what I got is a OEM bearing. No numbers on it, but it does have FoMoCo stamped on the race. Also, they don't list a 13" clutch for my tractor.

Thanks for the site. Next time they might have what I need.

Indeed, but the last one, I was changing out a starter in10 degree weather and no heated barn

So..... after finally finding the right clutch in Ga. and finding the pilot bearing in La., I'm found out I'll have to use the old throw-out bearing. After going to 4 places looking for the bearing, I was told that it is a Ford product and no one else uses it. It's not in bad shape, I just hate not putting in a new one, while replacing the clutch.

Anyway, the steering is fixed and by tomorrow afternoon, everything should be put back together.

I like my old tractors.

But there's days that a new compact really temps me.

It beats walking behind a team of mules.

That's for sure

I feel for you Randy. My lift arms quit on my 150 Massey day before yesterday. Have not looked for the problem yet except to check the fluid. It was low, so maybe that is it. Usually not that easy for me. Good luck. miles

Moved my Massey to burn a brush pile yesterday, and the lift arms worked. Enough oil must have drained down to make them lift, as I put no oil in before I moved it. I have oil to put in before I use it again. miles