Newbie (dumb) questions

[Thermoguard]

Hi all,
The MF300 now has clean engine oil and I've drained the sludge out of the final drives and flushed them ready for some clean 80W90. The hydraulic, power-shift and central reduction/steering clutch oils all look remarkably pristine, so given the volumes involved, I'm going to spend a few $ having them tested to check their condition. Also gathering an assortment of second-hand gauges and fittings to check the various system pressures.
To the questions: these may scare experienced plant operators, who will wonder about the wisdom of letting a novice loose on a machine like this, but I though it better to ask than learn the hard way:

. Can anyone suggest a suitable "Idiots Guide" to using a four-in-one bucket? What jobs it can do and techniques to use?

. What happens if a torque converter/power-shift machine losses engine power on a steep slope? Will it just freewheel downhill with no engine braking and no hydraulic assistance to the band brakes? [Just re-read the manual and the centre (both sides) brake pedal has no hydraulic assistance - just mechanical. So I feel more comfortable about this now.] What do you do in this situation? Ground the bucket and/or ripper?

. The backhoe the machine came with is marked "Husco Owen", "Rubery Owen & Co Ltd". The slew actuator, which doesn't hold position is a cylindrical housing (vane type actuator?). Any ideas where I might find a repair manual or other info on this?

As they say, "Experience is that property you acquire a few seconds after you need it most", so I'd much appreciate any advice you can offer. Thanks, Ian

[martyn williams]

I left all my MF books behind when I moved back to Wales .Operating a machine with a four in one bucket is down to experience, and a skill that won't be picked up overnight.You have got to take into account soil conditions,ie in scraping mode,it works perfectly, when in say topsoil,but much harder if there are bricks or rock within the soil. There is an I H Drott film on CMN that will show what can be done with the 4 in 1, a very versitile bucket. If travelling down a slope I would use the bucket as a "brake " and take a bit of stress off the machines brakes,keeping it in drive and at low engine revs.A common fault with the back hoe was that the support claws tended to crack.Always make sure that the nuts are tight on the anchor rods Everyone is a novice at the start,getting on the machine and working it is the best way to learn,supported with some tips picked up from a operator book or an experienced operator.The slew motor may need resealing or maybe just a little sloppy.
Good luck with it and have fun
Martyn

[martyn williams]

The Drott 4 in 1 film.
[video]http://youtu.be/7Tztj9lZLus[/video]

[Thermoguard]

Thanks for your advice Martyn. I'll have a look at your film clip later - our horrendously expensive mobile broadband 1GB limit is almost up for this month, so I might have to wait a week or so.

Just pulled out the 2 x powershift filters and 1 x steering clutch filters to see what I need to buy this week. All three were Fleetguard LF594 - which seem to be the same as the filter cartridge for my Grey Fergie! (TED-20) [MF 1882916M91 / Ryco R205P / F'guard LF594 / Baldwin P177 / Bare Co. B7700]. Does this sound right?

The steering clutch filter looked OK but on the powershift filters, the outer perforated paper cylinder was disintegrating and there looked like rust stains on the steel bottom end cap - water in the oil?? I might drain a little out of the drain plug to check. This machine has been sitting out in all weather for years. There was ~100 ml of water in the bottom of the diesel tank, so it wouldn't surprise me if there was some water in everywhere.

Thanks again, Ian

[martyn williams]

When I stripped down a MF300 that had been underwater I was very surprised at the amound of sludge that had found its way into the transmission,after an engne rebuild and a flushout,I came across a drive problem.It was caused by a trans. pump that had drawn crap.this pump is situated at the top right hand side of the transmission ( inside the cab looking towards the rear of the machine.) That machine went on to give many years service after its swim. I must find those photos,the location of the underwater exploits was Cockwood harbour Devon.There was a nice pub at that location as I remember
Martyn

[martyn williams]

You can see the slipway on the right where the machine was dragged up.

[Thermoguard]

Hmmm, looks like it would have been in seriously deep water at high tide...