its a Jinma for sure.. but there's some part i cant figure, i need HELP (

[Jose G]

Hi, im new to the site, its my second thread

i need help to figure out what parts i have on my tractor, i need your help, i search a lot and cant say for sure what exactly compose the tractor.

ive read many website (the whole internet if you ask me!!) and never came accross a huge amount of KJT, i soon realised it was probably a dealer in Quebec that just put a sticker on a Jinma 254/284 (dont know exactly since they are the same), i have a joystick inside the cab (with cables)... the fenders and cab are fiberglass.. i want to know what loader i have and also i have a leak under the tractor coming from a big "can", i dont know what it is for ? do i have to drain all the hydraulic fluid before unscrewing it? i need to clean the whole underside to point where the leak is from exactly.


here's some pictures:

the leak... i need to stop it, tired of scrapping cat litter on the garage floor. i have another little leak from a fitting on a cylinder but i know what to do.


the rest with the found joystick over the net and the zl20 valve












































if someone could say what is the FEL i have exactly (the Jinma, the koyker or another brand?), i know i got the ZL20 valve and it lack the float and react terribly...i cant raise/lower really slowly, i have to get my rpm to 800 and then raise or lower with a very little push on the joystick, maybe there's an ajusting screw on the joystick, i should look into that.

any other information you may know on this tractor would be great, if you have a comment, dont be shy, i want to talk about it.

thanks in advance

Jose G

[RonMar]

In the first pic with the circle, that may be a inline strainer. That line right behind the circled item going to the left, does it enter the circled can on the side? If so, the other end of that line running to the left probably goes to the hydraulic reservoir under the seat. Is there another line exiting the right end of the circled can that runs up past the starter to the side of the hydraulic pump? If this is the case I would say thet there is a mesh strainer screen inside that can. Since it is probably a siphon up to the reservoir under the seat, taking the end off the can will most likley drain the reservoir. Since it is exposed like it is and you can get a drain pan under it easilly, that may actually be the best way to drain the fluid as draining it out of the reservoir drain plug on the back of the tractor can be messy.

Inside I would guess you will find a mesh screen to strain out any forign contaminants from the fluid. If the leak is comming from the can, since it is on the suction side of the pump, it is most likley admitting air when the engine/pump is running. Sucking in air here would be a possible explanation for the control issues you described in your post.

[greg_g]

I think you have a little Foton there, and that the "can" underneath is the hydraulic filter housing. Best place to actually start a model search though, is with the nameplates. Most Chinese tractors have the chassis nameplate either inside one of the rear fenders or alongside the transmission housing. The engine nameplate is typically on the valve cover or on the side of the block

//greg//

[Jose G]

Hi Ron,
thanks for your input, you are right, the left line enter the circled can on the side and come from the reservoir. The right line goes directly to the hydraulic pump.
ill drain the fluid to have a look, i just hope there's no special gasket as i dont know where to order this part. i know i dont have a mesh filter under the seat (just a cover with 3 bolts with nothing under, still a great window to have a look inside), i had understood i didnt have any mesh filter and just the regular hydraulic filter near the hydraulic pump, i wish its a strainer since i was disapointed (more filtration = cant be bad).

the issues about not being able to move the FEL really slowly (with precision) isnt due to the old ZL20 valve? in my comprehension it was because of it being a cheap valve. (maybe i should understand the leak could make that worse?)
Still, even with the leak i can fill the bucket with sand enough to tilt on my front wheels while having my 300+lbs blade on the 3pts, this is when im glad to have a 4x4 because i would not be able to move with my rear tires in the air, i may get a bit more force on it when i fix the leak!

anyone on the FEL brand? maybe a thing you hate on the tractor ? (i hate the blue inside lol)

[Jose G]

Hi Greg,

thanks for your input, i have looked for nameplates and they are all from the place that sold them (not in business anymore), im pretty sure its a Jinma 254/284, the engine look the same from other internet pictures (i should take it in picture), the transmission is 1-2-3-R with High and Low + Creeper grear. I have the same hydraulic knob between my knees, same levers, same pedal, same dash board, even the muffler is the same. the Drains plug are in the same location (i bought 2 Jinma manual and can identify most of the parts). The ones i cant is the cabin, the FEL, the can under it (now ill look into it, im pretty sure you and Ron nailed it on it being a filter can).

nice JD you have, i wished i bought one because they ride really well, but they arent cheap either, you get what you pay for hehehe
maybe when my left knee will yell in pain at me... ill think about selling the jinma hehe (after 8 hours of loader, my knee hurt me bad, even have difficulty to walk lol) and i am used at racing clutch from my mustang. cant beat the jinma... so hard to push.

[Rich Waugh]

One thing to keep in mind on tractor clutches: they are either all the way in or all the way out - no slipping them to adjust power or speed, or you'll quickly burn it out and have to split the tractor to replace it.

[RonMar]

A small air leak in the suction line leaves a train of bubbles to the pump. At low RPM it is passing a bunch air as well as fluid and causes the loader to be slow to respond, untill the RPM's are upped far enough that you get a smoother flow of mostly fluid. Air in the system can also cause it to be a little abrupt and jerk around when in operation.

I doubt it will add any additional lifting force as the pump is probably delivering full pressure at high RPM. The lift force of the loader is usually limited by the relief valve on the loader valve...

[erj]

Jose,
Another comment - DO NOT load up the FEL and use primarily the front wheels to move it. You will blow up the front wheel drive.
Wait till we get your problems sorted out before any more heavy hauling.
RonJ

[greg_g]

pretty sure its a Jinma 254/284,

You may be right, but I'm going by the hydraulic strainer housing underneath, and the missing nameplate in the center of the black plastic grille. I owned two JM254s, and neither had that inline hydraulic housing underneath. And neither had a placeholder for a nameplate on the nose. Jinma didn't use a horizontal side steering cylinder. They had no backing plate behind the operator seat, nor have I seen one with rear hydraulic remotes. Here's what an image search of FT254 brings back. Note some of them have the ZL20 loader as well.

The main issue with the ZL20 control valve wasn't speed, it was erratic response to operator input. And if I'm not mistaken, that was with the 2 lever controller. Your joystick controller would seem to be something added by a previous owner. Matter of fact, your photos show a lot of post-purchase modifications. If I had to guess right now, I'd say the joystick controller was probably just dirty. Don't spend any time trying to fix it until you give the entire hydraulic system a thorough kerosene flush. But I noticed a label in your photo taken from beneath the controller. Unfortunately I can't read it.

Also - I'm pretty sure erj meant "use the rear wheels to move it". Using 4wd during loader work with the JM254 put too much stress on the front drive components. But if this turns out to be a Foton, they were built a bit stouter than were the counterpart Jinma.

Oh, and when going through your photos a 2nd time, I noticed Y385 cast into the engine block. So at least we know your engine is a YangDong Y385T. That too is consistent with some of the older FT254 models. I think the 2007 EPA regs saw them change to LuzHong engines (LD385)

//greg//

[Jose G]

Well, you are right, i didnt notice the steering cylinder on normal jinma (in the front under the axle), mine isnt there... did foton used the same dash board ? Foton and jinma seem to share a lot... the FEL seem to not bolt where mine is bolted on. ill do some research to know more about the foton... i have a leak on the left front wheel (probably a seal) and i have to know if i order a Jinma or a foton part.
with the Cabin, it makes impossible to use the stock handle on the valve for the FEL (its standing outside), thats probably the reason why i have the joystick, the backing plate behind the seat is just the end of the cabin at the rear also.
i said the FEL was tough enough to make the tractor tilt on the front axle but i may have roll like that for 2-3 buckets at max... i know its not good.
ill do a kerosene flush when all the leak will be fixed, i still dont know where to buy kerosene but ill ask the Napa/carquest guy.


the "modification" were done by KJT probably (the compagny that sold it with the KJT 3530 sticker) i even have 35 hp on my registration that came with the tractor (i know its only a 25-28 hp max).

@Rich Waugh: even on a car, its never good to slip the clutch, i dont slip it on the tractor, its just tough to push on it every 10 seconds when you load a 8 ton trailer with Sand (reverse, forward, reverse, forward, etc...), this is where i wished i had bought a hydrostatic tractor hehehe...thanks to point it out, it always good to remind thing like that anyway.

keep the comments going guys, do you want more pictures of it ? maybe a particular angle or something?

thanks its really appreciated

Jose G