After the great success of getting the engine running it was time to move on to the gearbox and hydraulic system. In which I was aware that there was a fair quantity of water.
No probs I thought, a quick oil and filter change, draining as many low points as possible will do the job. All went to plan athough there was even more water in the oil than I had expect, as you can see!
and I had to make a new gasket for the sump as I couldn't easily get a new one.
20 Litres of gear oil later and I was ready to go, but could I get the hydraulic system to bleed. Nope, not a sausage.
I very kindly and very helpfully recieved the full workshop manual as a christmas present. Referring to this suggest that it's almost certainly one of the valves in the control valve block that's stuck. Hardly surprising with all the water and all those years sitting outside.
That left me no option but to remove the control valve. As I followed the manual through the process I began to realise that I was removing quite a lot of tractor.
First the sink rate adjuster was off, then the control lever,
then the top three point bracket exposing the PTO drive.
Then the cover for the lifting pivot bearings and actuator, follow by the lifting arm complete with control valve.
The red bit is the control valve, dissapointingly small considering how much I had to take off!
The dismantling, cleaning, rebuilding and adjusting procedure involves taking out lots of little springs, ball bearings, valve spools and so on, getting them immaculately clean, putting them back together in the correct order and some fine adjusting using a dial gauge (fortunately work has on I can borrow).
Think I'd best get my work bench spotless before I begin!