question on 430 FEL

   / question on 430 FEL #1  

jrdellaratta

Silver Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2000
Messages
101
Location
Howard County, MD
Tractor
JD 990
We've been using the FEL on my 990 an unusually large amount in recent weeks, and I've noticed that the bucket has not been dumping as smoothly, and I can now hear a faint popping/clicking sound each time I move the FEL lever, coming from the hydraulic lines down behind the left front tire. No leaks that I can see (I checked with cardboard), but as I'm not too experienced with hydraulics, I am wondering what is the cause of this faint pop: low fluid, low grease, etc.?

Please advise,
Raphael
 
   / question on 430 FEL #2  
Hi Raphael,

I, too, have the 990 with 430 loader. The last 2 weeks I've made at least 200 trips moving dirt. In this frenzy of loader activity, my eye was drawn a few times to the hydraulic lines behind the front tire. I wonder if the sound you hear is from lines flexing. In digging the dirt, I've been running higher RPMs than when just raising and lowering for hauling stuff. I think this flexing was making a sound down there and drawing my attention.

I don't know that this sound would necessarily be related to not dumping as smoothly. (Unless a tube was pinched causing poor flow?) I've been hitting the grease fittings on the loader about every 10 hours.

Just my thoughts.

Dave
 
   / question on 430 FEL
  • Thread Starter
#3  
I'm due for a thorough greasing, once I can get another pair of hands to help with the grease gun on that front. I'll re-check the lines and look for any pinches. When I first got the 990, a fellow TBNer warned that these lines and their plugs tend to hang low, and are uncomfortably close to the steering linkages for the left front wheel. I secured the plugs and such with snug, but not tight, electrical ties, and I've been good about checking on them after cutting in any high stuff.

Thanks for the insight,
Raphael.
 
   / question on 430 FEL #4  
Jerking and noise sounds like low fluid. Check the level and top off.
 
   / question on 430 FEL #5  
Assuming you have the proper level of fluid, I think what you are hearing is the 'grease' popping in the pins at the joints. I hear that on my 430 loader, and it is just the 'slack' being taken out or the slight movement at the joint 'smacking' the grease. Yours could be different, but that is where my 'noise' comes from, which I would describe similar to how you described yours.
Not sure why another pair of hands are needed to grease the FEL. One hand to hold the grease gun fitting onto the zerk, and the other to close the handle. At least that is how I do it. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
   / question on 430 FEL #6  
When mounted on a 990, the 430 loader specifies that some sort of flow restrictor be placed in line with one set of cylinders. I don't remember whether it is the dump/curl or lift/lower cylinders, but wherever it is, I *think* it is a one way sort of device. It restricts flow only when lowering (or dumping). I think it's purpose is to help prevent cavitation when dumping/lowering a load. For some reason this flow restrictor is not used when the 430 is mounted on a 4000 series machine.

In any event, I have heard the same clicking sound once in a while with my 990/430 combo and I believe it is related to that flow restrictor. Perhaps the one way mechanism in it (if I'm correct on that point) involves a ball moving back and forth or something. I've only ever heard it when first moving the SCV and it definitely isn't grease popping or mechanical noises from the mounts. I'm not worried about mine, and if yours is the same noise, you probably don't need to worry either.

As for the bucket not dumping as smoothly as before, is is possible there is some air in the lines? I often get a bit of air from somewhere (sucked in past seals when parked maybe?) and have to bleed it off. I've found bleeding works best if you run full throttle while cycling all the hydraulics full stroke. Running less than full throttle doesn't get the air out as well (oil doesn't get stirred up in the cylinder as much I guess). For the curl cylinders, I raise the loader until the cylinders are horizontal so air doesn't get trapped under the piston as much.
 
 
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