3PH wont raise completely

[mcouey]

I have a Mahindra 2615 HST with 150 hours on it. So I go out last weekend to get her ready for spring cleanup, checking fluids, wires, battery, fuel, grease, etc. Everything is up to snuff except that my 3PH doesn't seem to raise as high as it did before.

I noticed that the 3PH control lever, (a flat steel bar) has bent from torque (twisted) between the 90 degree bend and the connection point beneath the tractor seat. It will still raise and lower, but it does seem to be a bit harder to move than it was last fall.

I'd like ideas and recommendations as to what the problem could be and how to troubleshoot and/or repair it. It's obvious that I need to replace the control lever, but what made it twist??

Please help.

 

[George2615]

I lost my balance getting on my 2615HST one day and sat on the lever that raises the 3 pt. hitch. Bent it right over enough that I couldn't move it by hand. The bar can be removed and straightened. Just put a pipe wrench on it and bent it back up where it is supposed to be. Check your fluid after you warm it up, you may be a little low on fluid if the 3 pt. wont raise all the way. You don't have your drawbar getting in the way preventing it from going up do you?

 

[mcouey]

No the drawbar isn't on the tractor. Now that you mention it, I have never even used the drawbar! Mostly because I don't know what I'm supposed to do with it, I've only used my Box Blade, RFM, and Loader.

But the bend in the Lever is actually under the seat, near where the lever connects to the hydraulic controls. Is there another place to check/add Hydraulic fluid other than right in the middle of the tractor forward of the seat? That fluid is full.

 

[LAWALLSTRACTOR]

I wish I could answer your question, but I haven't run into this problem. Lubricate all of the joints & bushings on the linkage. The only thought I can come up with is something, on the linkage,set up during the winter. Other than that thought, I don't have any idea, without looking at it. Wish I could be more help. Good Luck with it.

Galen LaWall
Your Mahindra Tractor Dealer
Batavia, NY
585-343-0770

 

[George2615]

No, thats the fill location. With only 150 hrs. are you the original owner? If so you may have to ask your dealer. If the flat bar is bent the way you describe, then Galen may me right about the linkage may have froze up or possibly rusted from non use. I spray mine down with PB Blaster penetrant. If the linkage froze the arm may have bent when you tried moving it. Either way the arm can be straightened. Are the stop locks at the full up and down positions which would prevent the lever from going up all the way. The drawbar is used to tow or drag with but most people use the 3 pt. hitch arms with a cross drawbar. I went out and looked at my lever. It has a right angle bend (pic attached). Sorry pic is a little blurry, its due to the 100k size limit here for pics. What is bent on yours? Does it look different than the pic?
George

 

[mcouey]

My handle is bent right between where the numbers 29 and 30 are pointing on your picture. Those numbers are pointing toward the nuts, but if you continue the lines through there, they will bracket the portion of my handle that is bent, twisted actually.

I sprayed all the linkages with WD-40, because that's all I had, but I will pick up some PB blaster tomorrow and hit them again. The handle seems to move a bit more smoothly now.

The stops for the handle are all the way to the ends of the slots, so they aren't interfering with the handle motion.

Oh, and yes, I am the original owner of the tractor, I bought it September 2004, and this is the only problem I've had so far.

 

[George2615]

The handle can be straightened. I had a similar thing happen with the Kubota at work. The tractor sat all last winter and the linkage froze up from lack of use. The 3 pt. handle got bent by the superman trying to raise the rotary mower so he could take it out for the first mowing of the season. After straightening the handle, I sprayed all the linkage with PB Blaster and physically had to tap the linkage back and forth with a hammer and block of wood till it freed up. Then clamped vise grip pliers on the linkage and worked it back and forth. WD-40 did not work. PB penetrates very well. CRC makes a penetrant as well. I just noticed in my garage that my own tractor is dripping wet with condensation in the air from the rain and warmer weather we are currently having. I'll be spraying mine again before the next use. Hope you get yours freed up soon.
George

 

[ttowne66]

mcouey

On my kubota the rod described as #17 has a nut on both sides at the end that #22 is at. This adjusts the height that the 3-pt will lift to. Looks very similar to your Mahindra. Keep in mind that you can go too far with this adjustment and reach the mechanical limits (stop) of the lift. I went to this point and backed it off just a touch so the lift did not seem to labor at the top of it's travel like it did when the mechanical limit was reached. Hope this helps.

 

[mcouey]

*** UPDATE ***

Sorry for the delay, I've been out of town on business, not that that excuses my failure to update the thread on how my bent handle and frozen linkages worked out.

PB Blaster worked. My linkages now move much more easily. I removed the handle, beat it back to it's original shape, repainted it and put it back on. Now that is just dandy.

New problem, I probably should start another thread on this, I will if experienced TBNers advise such. I was on the tractor yesterday for the first time since I repaired the handle and linkage problem. I was moving some mulch from our pile to a flower bed and the tractor revving down, kinda like it would if I was trying to move something heavy in High. So I selected the lowest gear and it kept happening. Even after I dumped the load of mulch it continued. I parked the tractor and came to TBN to search for why this would occur.

I really haven't found an answer for it, so I'll see if anyone here can help.

Mahindra 2615 HST, 150 hours shouldn't need a fluid/filter change on the Hydraulics for another 100 hours. I'm definitely stumped.

 

[firemanpat2910]

Parking brake?
Stuck Wheel bearing?
Differential locked while turning?
3pt hitch rubbing tires?
Thats all the quick checks I can think of