Ford 3000 hydraulics

[Soundguy]

Fyi, ambra didn't exist in 1958 when SOS came out.. Thus it defacto cannot be said to be the only oil you can use.

Over the years old ford oil specs have been updated and added to. Sticking to a utg oil that met ford specs post SOS will be fine. Generically, meeting the m2c134 spec is fine, and letter suffix, as even 134a was out decades after SOS was.

Hard to find a generic utf that does not meet the spec. You have to shoot low and get 20$ pails of un spec'd utf to find something marginal even.. And then, its usually only a com viscosity issue.

 

[sd455dan]

:laughing: yeah- well aware that Ambra didn't exist back then.

I was not willing to take any chances with questionable compatibility.

I do remember reading a post or to about people changing their SOS oil and filter with some generic - oil that said it met 134a . IIRC the oil filter change resulted in a non functioning SOS...

Can't seem to find that thread??.

Maybe I am being superstitious- i do know Ambra costs a lot more- maybe i just wasted the extra money- but the old SOS is working very well.



Soundguy have you or know someone who has successfully run a generic 134 A in an SOS??

 

[Soundguy]

Remember, 134a was out years after sis was, and that's what dealers sold.

I havnt picked up a SOS myself, however there are about 4 in hands of people I know, a 4000, 5000, a 4000 prior, and another prior mutt. We all live in warm Florida where cold viscosity is not an issue. When cheap 303 marked fluid could be had for 19$/5g,bit was bought.

At work we use universal fluid too .. A cheap one used to be torque fluid 56 from fina.

That ran in many machines with hydrostats, and torque converters for years.

Heck.. We have some old cat machines from the 60's and 70's and sae 30weight and 40 weight was the Only oil listed for engine, hydraulics and torque converter tranny.

This stuff isn't as picky on lube as you might think.. It is picky on maint.

Those SOS are a full powershift tranny requiring periodic adjustment, filter and oil service. I get a kick out of people buying a 55 year old machine that may have never had its filter serviced or servo/ bands checked it adjusted, and maybee an oil change a decade.. MAYBEE!

Then it fails 55 us later of abject neglect, and the 25$ tractor supply or WalMart oil gets blamed. Its not the 55 year old filter or absence of maintence.....

 

[sd455dan]

Remember, 134a was out years after sis was, and that's what dealers sold.

I havnt picked up a SOS myself, however there are about 4 in hands of people I know, a 4000, 5000, a 4000 prior, and another prior mutt. We all live in warm Florida where cold viscosity is not an issue. When cheap 303 marked fluid could be had for 19$/5g,bit was bought.

At work we use universal fluid too .. A cheap one used to be torque fluid 56 from fina.

That ran in many machines with hydrostats, and torque converters for years.

Heck.. We have some old cat machines from the 60's and 70's and sae 30weight and 40 weight was the Only oil listed for engine, hydraulics and torque converter tranny.

This stuff isn't as picky on lube as you might think.. It is picky on maint.

Those SOS are a full powershift tranny requiring periodic adjustment, filter and oil service. I get a kick out of people buying a 55 year old machine that may have never had its filter serviced or servo/ bands checked it adjusted, and maybee an oil change a decade.. MAYBEE!

Then it fails 55 us later of abject neglect, and the 25$ tractor supply or WalMart oil gets blamed. Its not the 55 year old filter or absence of maintence.....

I guess my fear of not using the Ambra was fueled by the Ford -Now New-Holland /kubota dealer. And some posters over on YT
I purchased the tractor from the original owners son. He told me to talk to this dealer- which is still owned by the family that sold the tractor new in 1967 And rebuilt the SOS after a few decades and several thousand hours of use .
When i last talked to them, they were very specific about using the Ambra and not the generic 134. Of course they are the only ones who carry it locally that i know of...

Next oil change i will probably consider the generic but will probably fork over the extra cash - again

That is one advantage of the chinese tractor- Walmarts bottom of the line oil is better than what they put in it at the factory...

 

[Texasmark]

re so if the standard transmissioned 3000 has seals between trans/rear axle it must be to control fluid level in the transmission??

So :confused3:

That's what I thought too but looking at the full screws on the side of the housing, they are both at the same height. So maybe it's just old school theory and decided to keep the tranny separate like in the early days. Or maybe the tranny gets the fluid dirtier than the hyd and diff. Course there was a kit at the time you could put on your hyd output and use an engine oil filter to filter the hyd fluid.

 

[Texasmark]

:laughing: yeah- well aware that Ambra didn't exist back then.

I was not willing to take any chances with questionable compatibility.

I do remember reading a post or to about people changing their SOS oil and filter with some generic - oil that said it met 134a . IIRC the oil filter change resulted in a non functioning SOS...

Can't seem to find that thread??.

Maybe I am being superstitious- i do know Ambra costs a lot more- maybe i just wasted the extra money- but the old SOS is working very well.



Soundguy have you or know someone who has successfully run a generic 134 A in an SOS??

I do. Me!

 

[Soundguy]

I guess my fear of not using the Ambra was fueled by the Ford -Now New-Holland /kubota dealer. And some posters over on YT
I purchased the tractor from the original owners son. He told me to talk to this dealer- which is still owned by the family that sold the tractor new in 1967 And rebuilt the SOS after a few decades and several thousand hours of use .
When i last talked to them, they were very specific about using the Ambra and not the generic 134. Of course they are the only ones who carry it locally that i know of...

Next oil change i will probably consider the generic but will probably fork over the extra cash - again

That is one advantage of the chinese tractor- Walmarts bottom of the line oil is better than what they put in it at the factory...

If i sold 80$ oil I want you to buy that vs WalMart 40$ oil too...