BX issues/troubles?

   / BX issues/troubles? #1  

grizzjeeper

Bronze Member
Joined
May 31, 2005
Messages
97
Location
Fairfield Maine
Tractor
Kubota l3400 HST
Bought a 2004 BX2230 with 134 hours on it and have a few questions concerns. The manual states that the hydraulic control lever will automatically go back to the neutral position. This one won't and just makes a relief valve like noise when left up.

Secondly the hst peddle sticks in forward occasionally. When off the peddle moves freely and has been greased. Any thoughts?

Also the Hydraulic lift makes a funny noise when slowly moving lever to up position. Almost like a faint grining noise, doesnt do it everytime but enough to make me wonder if its normal. Of course you never know what normal is when you buy used.
 
   / BX issues/troubles? #2  
I have a BX23 with a 54" MMM...The lever for the hyrdaulics for the deck do not automatically go back to neutral postion on this one either...Have noticed the pedal for the front/rear movement tends to "kinda want to return" in the forward mode...Love the tractor and have learned to work with this.

Don
 
   / BX issues/troubles? #3  
grizzjeeper said:
Bought a 2004 BX2230 with 134 hours on it and have a few questions concerns. The manual states that the hydraulic control lever will automatically go back to the neutral position. This one won't and just makes a relief valve like noise when left up.

Which control lever?????? The FEL or the 3PH?
 
   / BX issues/troubles?
  • Thread Starter
#5  
No the 3pt lever. In the operator manual it says lever will retern to nutral position (middle) if left in either up or down position. If I raise the mower deck up, the 3pt arms also raise up and if left in the up position it will make a noise until the lever is brought back to center. I have never seen a draft lever do this. My l3400 certainly doesnt.
 
   / BX issues/troubles? #6  
There is an adjustment for the 3ph return position. Can't remember too much, except there was a nut on a long spring shaft shaft accessible from the rear.

Sorry for the senile response, but my point is it can be adjusted. Mine (2005 BX23) goes down when the 3ph hitch gets to the top.
 
   / BX issues/troubles? #7  
I have both problems on my 2001 BX 2200... minimal annoyance though, although the pedal worries me with the kids mowing. I understand the pedal is a design flaw on the 2200 (tight "cradle bearings") which I would think would have been fixed on your later model 30, so perhaps you just need to clean and lube the pedal linkage (as opposed to the pivot).

- Patrick
 
   / BX issues/troubles? #8  
I have 2004 BX2230 that I bought new and is pushing 300 hrs. It has the exact same issues as you mention. There is an adjustment for the hydraulic lever return to neutral problem. I've never tried to adjust it. If you leave it at the top without pushing back down to neutral it dead heads the hydraulics which is the noise you're hearing. It doesn't do this if you leave the lever in the down position. The grinding noise you're hearing is normal and usually happens when you have the lever pulled only part way back.

The pedal sometimes sort of sticks in forward but I just use my heel on the reverse side of the pedal and it's OK. There may be an adjustment for that too. I keep it greaed but it doesn't help.

This is actually my wife's tractor she uses to mow with. It has the 60" MMM and does a great job. We are very happy with it all in all.:)
 
   / BX issues/troubles? #9  
3ph lever not returning:
Going by memory as I don't have a WSM at work.
There is a rod that runs from the lever assembly back to the right side of the HST that connects to the upper 3ph arm. The rod has two springs, one on either side of the bracket that attaches to the 3ph arm and there are two lock nuts that can be screwed in/out to adj the spring tension. This spring tension is what "returns" the 3ph lever to neutral. You can access this assembly in the gap between the top of the right rear wheel and the fender.
Your best bet is to shine a light in this area and work the 3ph lever to see how it works. You shoul dbe able to adj accordingly.

Sticking HST treadle peddle.
There are two main causes of this and either can be corrected w/PB Blaster and grease.
1) The pedal has a grease zerk which is visable just above the floor board on it's inboard side. I normally give mine a shot or two every 10 hrs when I'm greaseing the MMM and/or FEL.

2) The linkage from the pedal back to the HST could be dirty/corroded of have debris in the moving surfaces. Give all those working parts a good cleaning w/a garden hose set to it's highest pressure to get all the debis out then give every moving joint a generous soaking w/PB Blaster or similar lubricant/degreaser/ etc.
The pedal will always have some return resistance and will sometimes stick but generally it should return to neutral on it's own. There is also a spring adj for the return for the pedal and it is located on the linkage where it connects to the HST assembly.

re. tractor hydraulics in general:
All hydraulic implement controls on just about all tractors are plumbed in series. Meaning that hydraulic pressure leaves the pump and must pass through all the controls and return to the sump that inturn feeds fluid back to the pump. This is refered to as a closed system and allows the hydraulic fluid to be at it's rated pressure and circulating throughout the system ready to work.
With this setup all the hydraulic controls must be a "power beyond" type control meaning hydro power flows it and out of it when the control is in neutral. This way it feeds the other controls on down the line.
When one works the FEL, it's using the majority of the available hydro power to work the implement which means theres very little to no power available to work any additional down stream implements simultaniously.
So when the 3ph control doesn't return to neutral, it is actually diverting power to the 3ph assembly which causes the squealing your hear. This squealing because the 3ph is usually already all the way up or down and the relief valve is opening. This also causes a very common situation with other implements like the FEL or BH not working because all the hydro power is being inadvertantly used at the 3ph.

Clear as mud? :D

In larger tractors, they'll actually have 2, 3 or more pumps and separate hydro circuits. One to provide for PS, another for the 3ph and yet another for the FEL & BH. Obviously they won't have the above situation like our single pump BX tractors.
Not to muddy up the above explanation but our BX tractors do have a diverter valve that separates the power steering circuit from the "working" hydro circuits (FEL, MMM, BH etc) which provides the BX's the ability to both steer and work an FEL and/or 3ph simultaniously. But theres a slight tradeoff in performance, the steering will get harder (and sometimes jerky) and the implement will raise/lower slower since both are working and using the same hydro power at the same time. So if you encounter this situation be advised that it is normal.

I HIGHLY recommend getting the owners manual for your model if you don't have one as all these maintenance items are covered in it as well as other important maintenance items.
Well breaks over, time to get back at it.
 
   / BX issues/troubles?
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Thanks for the responses guys. Yes this makes alot more sense now. I wish the deck and 3pt arms would raise at idle, seems I have to throttle up. I dont know why? Is this normal too?
 
 
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