41flathead - hmmmm. Wonder if that's a Chevy or Ford? Anyway, I have a JD 322 myself. Your 318 and my 322 have essentially the same hydro/differential/steering system. To check your hydro oil: look at the rear of your tractor. There should be a sight glass on the right rear of your tractor. The hydro fluid should be in the center of that glass. Next thing: How long or how many hours has it been since you changed your hydro fluid and transmission filter? If you can't remember, go to your JD dealer and get the proper hydro filter. Whilst you're at it, get the JD hydro fluid. You can use Type "F" automatic transmission fluid if necessary, but you're much better off using the JD stuff. The maintenance book says about 4.6 qts for the refill. So get two gallons of JD fluid, and that way you're covered. Purge the system by hitting your up and down hydro levers, then once you get close, put the tractor in forward, followed by reverse, and so on, and so on until it functions as normal. Make sure you stop every now and then to refill the hydro, but don't over fill. Oh, draining the hydro usually takes a 7/16" 8 point socket. I had to use a 3/8" drive socket with a 1/2" adapter then that was attached to a 1/2" breaker bar. Usually that plug is in there very tight, so be prepared. Try to not round off the pipe plug or you'll be very sorry on that account. Pipe plug is located just to the right side of the differential on the bottom. Once you get started draining the fluid, jack the front end up slightly to get the flow going. It will take a good while to drain all the fluid, so don't get hasty. You pour hydro fluid into the oil fill cap on the left side of the tractor beside the left pedestal under the hood. It is a flip type cap. Yes, your deck is working off the same hydraulic system. In fact, you have hydro ports on the front of the tractor that can be used for the 4 way snow scrape blade, or for a snow blower. IIRC, the outermost hydro lever controls the right side ports, and also the deck lifting mechanism. The inner hydro lever controls the left side hydro ports. If this doesn't help your steering, you could try to bleed the power steering. This means cracking the fittings near the power steering cylinder or the valve. You're trying to get any air out of there if you can. If this fails, it could very well be the valve or the cylinder. Hope this helps.

OK, you just bought this tractor and don't really know it's past. Have you raised the steering axle off the ground and tried turning to see if it turns free when unloaded? If you have any steering components that are on the verge of seizing or locking up, you will find it somewhat difficult to turn even unloaded. With the steering axle off the ground you should be able to turn the steering wheel with your little finger. With the steering axle off the ground you should be able to grasp either of the front wheels and turn the steering from lock to lock also. If you can't do either of these, you probably have some part of the steering system trying to seize. Check the king pins, tie rod ends, drag link, and the steering column bushings. It may well be necessary to separate or isolate steering components in order to confirm which component is "binding". Another thing that can (but rarely found) cause "hard" steering is a differential with locked up side gears and spider gears. Have you ever driven a farm tractor equipped with a differential lock? If you answered yes you may recall how the steering goes to blazes if the differential doesn't unlock when you let up on the actuating pedal. That condition will not affect the steering effort on a parked machine so I really doubt it is your problem since you say it is hard to turn when sitting still.

It would simplify things if your son could identify exactly where the leak is. The leak may be at one of 4 places: 1) Shaft seal of the pump, 2) low pressure hose, 3) high pressure hose, and 4) the filler cap. It could be nothing more than a loose hose clamp. But then, it could be the hose or the pump seal which would require service in a heated shop. (Its cold in Duluth right now. I live about 250 mi SE of Duluth and its too cold here to work on a vehicle our-of-doors - danger of frost bite.) If its not a loose hose clamp, bite the bullet and have your son make a reservation with a local repair shop. From the information of this post, I assume the leak is at the pump location and not at the power steering unit. it will not heal itself and your son will have to keep adding fluid. That fluid is going somewhere and in this case, its wetting the engine compartment. The longer this goes on, the bigger the mess. Power steering fluid is a solvent for a number of automotive coatings, the paint being one.

The special tool is a puller for the pump pulley, and then the re-installer. The bolts that hold the pump to the bracket are behind the pulley, and the bracket also only has an opening sufficient for the pump shaft to stick through, so no matter what, the pulley has to come off in the car, and then be pressed back on in the car. Yes you can buy the tool, for a cheap version, you'll be spending about $50. For one that will last over many uses, figure about $200. As far as your local small shops not already owning this tool, that directly comes from the very likely possibility that they are underpriced, and therefore have to control expenses to the point that they cannot purchase tools like this. I can only imagine what else they SHOULD be buying in scan tools, DSO's DVOM's, information sources, and above all training. But they have themselves caught in a downward spiral. Seriously, expect them to go out of business fairly soon, and at the same time you can almost be assured that no one will be there to replace them. The reason for that is for someone to be able to get another shop going, they would have to price correctly. Which means not like the two you presently have. Then they will have to struggle through all of the endless times that they will hear "but Henry down the street will do that for half that price". Yea, your in for a rough ride when it comes to keeping your vehicles running.