TedLaRue
Gold Member
I hope Scott (swigginton) gets back to us eventually. He's probably busy messing with his stabilizer cylinders, or wishing he could and anxious for the weekend. We're all wondering what the heck the problem was...
Stabilizer Arm stuck
- Thread starter swigginton
- Start date
OP
swigginton
New member
Finally got a night I could get out there and look at this thing!
I decided to go the route of isolating the joint from the cylinder, not as easy as I had expected! Some liquid wrench, a 24 oz hammer, and eventually my sledge hammer and me going muy loco got the bolt out and presto, free movement of the jiont and of the cylinder.
I guess I always assumed it had to be an issue with the hydraulics is because I knew it puts out 2800 psi which should overcome any minor frozen joints, what I forgot was basic dynamics. The cylinder is pushing up to go down, so gravity is the real force behind the schenes, the hydraulic was actually just holding it up.
Thanks again for all the suggestions and knowledge. I'll have a better understanding as I use my backhoe in the future.
-Scott
I decided to go the route of isolating the joint from the cylinder, not as easy as I had expected! Some liquid wrench, a 24 oz hammer, and eventually my sledge hammer and me going muy loco got the bolt out and presto, free movement of the jiont and of the cylinder.
I guess I always assumed it had to be an issue with the hydraulics is because I knew it puts out 2800 psi which should overcome any minor frozen joints, what I forgot was basic dynamics. The cylinder is pushing up to go down, so gravity is the real force behind the schenes, the hydraulic was actually just holding it up.
Thanks again for all the suggestions and knowledge. I'll have a better understanding as I use my backhoe in the future.
-Scott
TedLaRue
Gold Member
Scott,
I fear you may still have a problem.
If I'm reading your last post correctly, you freed one end of the cylinder and then the stabilizer arm moved freely up and down. You say the cylinder was free too. Do you mean it pivoted on the other end freely? or that the rod moved freely in and out of the cylinder?
It sounds like you think the arm goes up under hydraulic pressure, and down under the force of gravity (forgive me if I misread your post). In fact, it moves both ways under the force of hydraulics. Your cylinder is "double acting" meaning that when pressure is applied by the hose at one end of the cylinder, the rod moves away from that end, and when pressure is applied at the other end of the cylinder, the rod moves away from that end. The picture you posted earlier shows the two hoses attached to opposite ends of the cylinder.
So...if the arm moves freely with one end of the cylinder detached, then you have a hydraulic problem. If you can (with a little effort) move the rod in and out of the cylinder, then you probably have a crushed or blocked hose/pipe or a problem with your control valve.
3RRL had a good suggestion earlier when he said to try running the tractor with the at least one end of the cylinder free and moving the control lever back and forth to see if the cylinder will operate in both directions. This is a safe and easy thing to try.
3RRL and AndyinIowa posted a sequence of things to try.
Also, Willl's earlier question about whether the engine RPM dropped or you heard any squealing when you tried to lower the arm is important. You should have heard the engine RPM drop and possibly heard the hydraulic pressure relief valve squealing. If you didn't hear that, then your control valve isn't applying pressure to that cylinder. It could be as simple as the linkage from the lever to the valve came apart, but I think you'd have felt that in the way the lever worked.
Or maybe I misunderstood your last post and all's well now. For your sake, I do hope that's the case.
I fear you may still have a problem.
If I'm reading your last post correctly, you freed one end of the cylinder and then the stabilizer arm moved freely up and down. You say the cylinder was free too. Do you mean it pivoted on the other end freely? or that the rod moved freely in and out of the cylinder?
It sounds like you think the arm goes up under hydraulic pressure, and down under the force of gravity (forgive me if I misread your post). In fact, it moves both ways under the force of hydraulics. Your cylinder is "double acting" meaning that when pressure is applied by the hose at one end of the cylinder, the rod moves away from that end, and when pressure is applied at the other end of the cylinder, the rod moves away from that end. The picture you posted earlier shows the two hoses attached to opposite ends of the cylinder.
So...if the arm moves freely with one end of the cylinder detached, then you have a hydraulic problem. If you can (with a little effort) move the rod in and out of the cylinder, then you probably have a crushed or blocked hose/pipe or a problem with your control valve.
3RRL had a good suggestion earlier when he said to try running the tractor with the at least one end of the cylinder free and moving the control lever back and forth to see if the cylinder will operate in both directions. This is a safe and easy thing to try.
3RRL and AndyinIowa posted a sequence of things to try.
Also, Willl's earlier question about whether the engine RPM dropped or you heard any squealing when you tried to lower the arm is important. You should have heard the engine RPM drop and possibly heard the hydraulic pressure relief valve squealing. If you didn't hear that, then your control valve isn't applying pressure to that cylinder. It could be as simple as the linkage from the lever to the valve came apart, but I think you'd have felt that in the way the lever worked.
Or maybe I misunderstood your last post and all's well now. For your sake, I do hope that's the case.
OP
swigginton
New member
All is well and working. Here is a better explaination (I'm not watching a movie this time 
)
First I fired up the tractor and tried to lower/raise the arm, I heard the same amount of engine strain as lowering the opposite arm and saw the cylinder move by perhaps 1/8".
Next step was to remove the bolt on the end of the arm to release the cylinder. This bolt was frozen and required a pretty good beating to force it free (I was careful not to bend the side supports). Once out the arm came down easily and I ran the tractor again. With the cylinder detached on one end it extended/retracted just fine.
I cleaned the bolt/holes and it was able to fit in properly without any sticking so I reattached the cylinder and this time the arm is moving up and down properly. I extended the arms enough to raise the rear tires and returned both sides to the up position, and the bolt does not appear in a stuck position.
My best guess is that with the dirt pushing against the arm as I lifted it up, the bolt got turned cockeyed and froze the joint. Now that it is back to perpendicular it is working fine. The great news is that now I know to keep those cylinders clear when retracting them.
Now I just have to pickup a toothbar and get my FEL level (the left side is about 3-4" low).
Thanks again everyone,
-Scott
)First I fired up the tractor and tried to lower/raise the arm, I heard the same amount of engine strain as lowering the opposite arm and saw the cylinder move by perhaps 1/8".
Next step was to remove the bolt on the end of the arm to release the cylinder. This bolt was frozen and required a pretty good beating to force it free (I was careful not to bend the side supports). Once out the arm came down easily and I ran the tractor again. With the cylinder detached on one end it extended/retracted just fine.
I cleaned the bolt/holes and it was able to fit in properly without any sticking so I reattached the cylinder and this time the arm is moving up and down properly. I extended the arms enough to raise the rear tires and returned both sides to the up position, and the bolt does not appear in a stuck position.
My best guess is that with the dirt pushing against the arm as I lifted it up, the bolt got turned cockeyed and froze the joint. Now that it is back to perpendicular it is working fine. The great news is that now I know to keep those cylinders clear when retracting them.
Now I just have to pickup a toothbar and get my FEL level (the left side is about 3-4" low).
Thanks again everyone,
-Scott