Hello. I am new to this forum but I have spent a good bit of time reading posts regarding the Ford 5500. I just purchased a 5500 from the original owners family. I know this because I used to run this machine back in the eighties. It has been sitting for several years now. I was surveying it yesterday trying to figure out if it is okay to try and start it. When I checked the hydraulic oil using the dipstick it appears to be completely empty but then I removed the filter cap next to the dipstick and it is completely full. I am very puzzled how the dipstick can show empty but right next to it is completely full to the very top. Does anyone here have any idea what is going on here? I am going to try and start the machine next week so I am just trying to prepare for that. Thank you!
When you say "filler cap" is it a cap about 8" in diameter with a bolt in the center? If so, that is the top of the filter housing. There should be a filter there. I would add oil through the dip stick hole until it reads full, or get a longer dipstick and see where the oil actually is. It is conceivable that oil is trapped in the filter housing.
Yes I was referring to the large cap where the filter is supposed to be. When I was removing the bolt I heard something fall into the tank so I figured then I was not supposed to keep loosening it...lol...Apparently the bracket that holds the cap on fell to the bottom. The fluid was right up the the edge of the cap and ran over when I stuck my hand in there. I will have to get a magnet and retrieve the part that fell into the tank. I looked down into the dipstick hole and it appeared to be some oil in there but I was very confused how that area could be full yet the tank appeared to be empty. I did not realize at the time that there was supposed to be a filter in there. Is that a return filer for the hydraulic system? Thank you for your help!
should be a hyd fill cap tank on top of hood near the raditor,, thats where u put hyd fluid cap a fill mark sticking into hyd fluid,, ALL! hyd cylinder rods should be closed to get the right reading on fluid lever
I pulled out my parts manual for my 5500 and looked at the picture for the saddle tanks. The picture shows both saddle tanks are plumbed together. I'm not sure what is going on with the reading on your dipstick, but I would crawl under the machine and crack the drain plug on the saddle tank and see if there is water in there. Looking at my manual it looks like the dip stick just hangs down into the tank. I would also pull the filter completely out of the tank and see if somehow oil is trapped in the middle of the filter and that is what you are seeing for the oil level. My 5500 is completely disassembled so I am pretty familiar with how things are put together on my machine. If you are getting your machine ready to use, I would strongly suggest that you pull the grill on the radiator, tip the hydraulic oil cooler out and check to see how plugged up the radiator is. The radiator has a transmission oil cooler built into the bottom of it. This cooler is the only thing that keeps your torque converter from getting too hot. I am planning on putting an auxiliary transmission cooler on mine to keep the torque converter from getting too hot. The 5500 is a heavy built machine, but the torque converters are the down fall of this machine. After pulling my converter out and taking it apart i am convinced that heat is what kills these converters. Hopefully you will figure out your oil level problem and you can just use your machine with no further trouble.
oops on my advice on tank location, rust farmer info is good, my method of checking final level, all cylinder rods should be closed GL was thing of my 555a. got wiring diagrams for 555 if you want them
I have a 5550, which is a little newer version of your beast. The dipstick for the hydraulic system is in the top of the left hand tank; there is a 3" diameter breather inboard from the dipstick. This is the part with the diamond plate you step on to get up to the seat. Hyd filter is mounted on the left front side, near the radiator. I'm pretty sure most of out hoes are the same, I need to do some research to find out what they changed for the 5550.
Rust farmer, Thank you for the information. The filter had been removed before I got the machine. I am not sure how the filter is plumbed into the circuit. I am guessing that the filter is somehow separated from the rest of the tank and the return line is plumbed into the filter "housing" part of the tank. Since the pieces are missing that hold the filter in I will have to find them in order to install a new one. I understood from the owners son that the hydraulic cooler may have a hole in it so I am going to take a look at it to see if I need to remove it and weld it up. While I am in there I will inspect the radiator also. I agree that heat most likely damages the converter and probably other parts of the transmission. There is allot of heat generated when using the front bucket to dig because the converters stall speed is pretty high. All the stall is converted to heat that is absorbed by the fluid. I am going to add an external cooler to mine also. I think it needs to be on the return side of the radiator. Do you happen to know which line is the return?
El Hombre there is a vent on my left side tank and everything else is on the right side. My filter is internal to the right side tank. It sounds like Ford moved it to an external filter on your model. I think I would like that better. Thanks for the information!
Hello Rust Farmer, I have a pre-1970 Ford 5500 backhoe and have been research where all the water has gotten into the hydraulic system. In the parts list pictures the hydraulic oil cooler is separate from radiator and power steering pump feeds off the side of a hydraulic tank. Has anyone have a known Idea where the water could be from besides maybe condensation? Thanks for your time. JAM
relook at parts list the hydraulic oil cooler should be mounted in radiator GL
Hello jimg984, My parts manual for the transmission oil filter & cooler tubes page 7-15 shows the transmission lines plumbed to the radiator, which explains that there is probably a leak between the cores or rotted out. The transmission is its own reservoir/case separate from rear-end and hydraulic tanks on each side of the cab. I confused transmission filter for the power steering unit filter which is from the tanks and a inline screen type strainer that I hear gets plugged up because of access to it. Also trying to understand where water could be getting into hydraulic loop since it uses an air-cooled coil in front of the radiator to supply oil to power steering, hydraulic cylinders and torque converter. Thanks for your time, I will eventually get there in my knowledge. Are there any folks that still know how to rebuild the torque convertor if I need to go that route in business?
on 555a the power steering filter is inside of power steering pump also the 555a power steering uses the same oil as the converter, transmission, and rear end
A 5500 power steering pump and filter is nothing like the one on a 555a
So does the Ford 5500, now that they have better lubricating fluids now.