Farm Equipment - Series 1 D-17 slow hydraulics problem

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Series 1 D-17 slow hydraulics problem

Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=195466
Printed Date: 15 Sep 2025 at 1:56am
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Topic: Series 1 D-17 slow hydraulics problem

Posted By: Farmer_Steve
Subject: Series 1 D-17 slow hydraulics problem
Date Posted: 31 May 2023 at 12:20pm

I have a 1957 series 1 D-17. When I bought the tractor at auction a few years back the 3-pt appeared to work as expected. Lately within the last year or so the operation has slowed down. It now lifts but so slow you can't really use it. Once lifted it holds the level so I know it's not the valve leaking. And it will lift a heavy load (snowblower) but does so very slow so I think the pump is ok since it's building pressure. Just wondering if anyone might know what to check,replace to get it moving faster. I have checked the hydro fluid level and it appears to be full.

Replies:

Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 31 May 2023 at 1:24pm

Where are you checking the hydraulic oil ??

Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 31 May 2023 at 6:27pm

I bought a D17 at an estate auction that was the doing the same thing. Hydraulics were full and fluid was relatively clean.

My problem ended up being inside the hydraulic pump. When I looked for replacement parts, they were no longer available. I ended up buying a used hydraulic pump. Dropping the old pump was a relatively quick, easy job. Reinstalling the replacement pump expanded my vocabulary considerably, with a lot of adjectives!

By the way, I have the old pump, that has a lot of good parts, that I would sell pretty cheap, if anyone needs parts.

Posted By: Farmer_Steve
Date Posted: 31 May 2023 at 7:56pm

Fluid is being checked using the cap with included dipstick on the right side of the transmission right below the battery.

Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 31 May 2023 at 8:36pm

OK. Correct place for the oil check/add. With warm hydraulic oil and the engine throttled up, if the lift arms are clear down and you raise the long LIFT/LOWER hydraulic lever all the way to the top of the quadrant, the lift arms should go from fully down to fully UP in no more than 3 seconds. Provided there's not a lever/linage problem and the correct SAE weight of hydraulic oil is being used, the problem is in the pump.

Posted By: MACK
Date Posted: 31 May 2023 at 8:48pm

Sounds like it is time to pull the pump for some new springs, orings, and a good cleaning. MACK

Posted By: JC-WI
Date Posted: 31 May 2023 at 10:28pm

Might be the leakage worn too.... If your just setting it up to the lift position and latches...

Got a D17 that you have to raise the lever all the way to the top to lift fast. and if you just lock it in lift hole, it lifts very slow. Someday it needs to be looked at so it will work as it is suppose to.

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He who says there is no evil has already deceived himself
The truth is the truth, sugar coated or not. Trawler II says, "Remember that."

Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2023 at 11:36am

I would have to say, that most any time I dropped one of those pumps out for rebuilding, the amount of DIRT in the bottom of the sump made you wonder how the pump ever worked right. There's no filter. The oil is to be changed every year (no one ever does that). And hoses always get plugged in without wiping the dirt off the end of the hose coupler.

Posted By: DaveKamp
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2023 at 10:28pm

I don't know if the D17 pump is similar, but in a cam-poppet type pump, if a poppet gets jammed in the full-up position, it no longer moves fluid, while the others DO... and if dirt has been sucked up in on ONE, then it's getting sucked in on the others... I would drain, clean out the sump, drop the pump out, disassemble it for a serious cleaning-out, check internals, reassemble with new parts, seals, and fasterners as necessary, and then add fresh oil, but disconnect every hydraulic circuit return, and divert them to a catch bucket to extract all the stray crud, before reconnecting it to the reservoir/pickup again.

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Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest.