160 3pt Problems!

Hi all, I have a 160 that will lift implements but not at idle and slowly even if your reving her to the moon. With nothing on the 3pt it will lift at idle and position control works. Now what I know doesn't work correctly is the traction booster lever. A previous owner somewhere down the line wired the TB lever to where it can't be moved but even if you take the wire off you cannot move the lever more than halfway down. It's like there is something stopping the lever from going any further down. Also if you let go of the TB handle or don't have the wire on it. while running it will climb on it's own to the top position. I've cleaned the pickup filter, change the entirety of the hydraulic/trans fluid, and the pump is relatively new and like I said even with weight on it, it will lift but slowly and it takes a lot of rpm. One last thing, I had seen a post about another 160 with hydraulic problems (shocker), I can't find the post anymore but one of the commenters asked if the tractor had a piece of railroad track for a front bumper and well mine does, so I figured whoever it was knew the tractor before I got it.

Thanks, any info to help steer me in the right direction to fix this thing would be awesome. P.s. I do have the complete, owners, repair, and parts manuals for this tractor from agcopubs.

Never been around a 160, but I do know this: they are world famous for 3-point hitch hydraulic issues. So, good luck and hope you get it working.

Don't know if this will help, but when I raise the lift arms, with or without an implement on them, I move both the traction booster lever and lift arm hydraulic lever up.  When I lower the implement, I move both levers forward/down.  Seems to work fine for the up or down.  Never have tried to separately use the traction booster like with a plow or something, as whatever implement I had on the 3-point was used either up or down.  Dave

Look under the front of the seat base - there is a cover there with a strainer underneath. Remove the strainer and clean it  - we take an ice pic and open up the screens with a few pokes for cold weather flow.  If the pump doesn't get supply and then provide pressure to the lift valve system - all kinds of weird things happen.

Dave (NE) wrote: Well, as it had been several years since I purchased my one-sixty, I thought it would be prudent to clean the hydraulic screen discussed above.  Pulled it out, cleaned it, put it back in, started the tractor and the 3-point would not function.  Oh, boy, that "don't fix it unless it is broken" adage hit me.  Took the screen out again, made sure it was properly in.  Still didn't work.  Added fluid.  Still didn't work.  Crawled up on the shelf, got a cylinder down, connected it to exterior hydraulic outlets.  Went slow to start with, but then worked properly and the 3-point lifted up.  Really relieved.  Must have been something peculiar that needed to be moving in the hydraulics, but now seems to be working.  Dave

^I have that problem any time I remove the cover on that filter.  The pump loses prime and i end up using a brake bleeder to pull fluid up to the pump.  The pump is pretty much brand new as ire all the seals in the system.

Will get to experience shortly if I have hydraulic issues after I get my rebuilt engine running in the next week or so. I know the hydraulics worked well when I bought it but I have drained all fluids to put new in the trans and power steering. Previous owner told me he always used the remote to clear air out of the system after doing a oil change. However, I’m sure there was still some oil in the pick up line which would have assisted with priming the pump. So I will let you know what I will have to do when I finally fire it up. Waiting on a hydraulic line to arrive from AGCO for the PS that broke when I went to install the PS pump to the frame.

Not sure that would be a possibility unless you found a parts tractor to convert it. I should have filled the sump pipe with oil before final assembly as the tractor is higher in the front than the rear. So the oil will flow back to the trans when drained. You are correct, I have 2 different repair books and neither talks about the best way to prime the pump. A shame it doesn’t have a plug on top of the pump to pour oil into it to prime it. I will soon find out, really don’t like the idea of a rag over the hydraulic outlet with a open plug in it to bleed the air. Quite dangerous with the high pressure it provides. Will be a trial and error I guess.
Otherwise I’ve enjoyed this rebuild, just hope it turns out well. Ive put a lot of cash and time into it. It was a really good tractor before, now I hope it will be a great one.

Just spoke to the service manager at my local AGCO dealer and he said they put Lucas hydraulic treatment in the pump gears before start up. It’s thicker and provides good suction as well as preventing dry start up on the pump. Remove the attachment that is connected to the hydraulic filter and pour it in there. Sounds like a good idea so I will try that and let you know how that works.

A picture of the filter area would be helpful asI have only seen the vertical type like I have that goes down in the transmission from the top. It is a fine mesh screen attached to a plastic frame. Mine is in excellent condition so I will continue the maintenance per the owners manual. The top cap has a magnet attached to it to catch any metal shavings the screen didn’t catch I assume. I don’t recall the shape of the o- ring because all was well when I disassembled it. Go to YouTube and search AC160 transmission filter cleaning. That tractors 3 point stopped working. You will be shocked when he removed the screen. He cleaned it and the 3 point started working again properly. That screen when clogged blocks the suction to the pump. No oil to the pump and it doesn’t take long for it to fail.

i'm having the same trouble

I’m gonna check that one tomorrow, I was thinking that I don’t remember really looking at the caps oring when I changed the strainer but I’m basically gonna start over from there and make sure I have no suction side leaks and when I get the seals for the rear axle then I’ll dive into the 3 point hydraulic components cause it all has to come off anyway

First picture is where the transmission filter is located, 2nd picture is where you check the oil level and add transmission oil. Make sure all connections are tight especially the sump tube rubber hose connection as Brian stated.