Long with intermittent/ weak lift at 3PT

[ws6tester]

I recently acquired a Long 445 that I know very little about. It was purchased from someone who couldn't lift a hay bale with it after it sat for a while so they changed the fluid with no luck. My uncle did some light misc. work including flushing it out and bleeding it. He applied weight to the lift and it didn't lower overnight. It lifted attachments. So I got it and it sat a while and water got into the fluid turning it milky. I flushed it out and found some metal flakes/slurry in filter housing (about a tablespoon) and cleaned them out. Fluid is clear now and first attempt to raise a bale lifted the bail up fully at kind of a slow/medium speed with engine at full throttle. Lowered the bale and tried a second time and it almost cleared the ground and front tires did not try to raise either, third time just lifts an inch or two. It lifts implements ok and holds them without lowering but not a hay bale. Are some metal bits moving around creating internal fluid leaks holding something open? When trying to bleed air it will spray fluid pretty good but I haven't pressure tested with a gauge yet nor would I know where to or how much pressure to look for. I have worked on autos a lot and know how much I could damage out of ignorance. Any help would be appreciated. Also I have tried it with rotating lever under lift controls with ball head in different positions and rotating the flat ended lever on the right side of the control valve assembly between my legs. Don't know what each position of that little 4"-5" lever does yet, but anyway. One other question, what is the function of the PTO lever in the position that when engaged the pto turns 1:1 with the tires? Thanks to all who will help.

 

[beenthere]

Welcome to the forum.

The 1:1 PTO is for some rare attachments that require (or benefit from) that function.

I'd suggest getting a pressure guage and getting some readings. I've heard of things (debris) getting plugged in the lines, and limiting pressure. Wish you luck with it, and you will very likely get better help directly from others.

 

[kenstrac]

You are probably sucking air into the system,check O-ring on the filter make sure the filter is absolutely clean check suction side of O-ring on pump.
You can check flow an air problems by taking a funnel and placing it in the oil fill hole on transmission remove QD from a remote and pump it back into transmission,if the fluid is still aerated then the front seal on the pump is bad or pump is out of spec.
Front seal can be repaired with a Speedy sleeve.
Another problem I had with 1 was a flex line was installed on suction side and that collapsed internally also check for air leaks on that.

 

[ws6tester]

Thanks for replying quickly. I don't have an enclosed space to look it over and we're expecting snow overnight so it might be a while before I gauge it. I'll post back again when I work on it.

 

[Scotty370]

Metal Chips/Pieces/Flakes, as you know, are not a good thing. Unfortunately that's exactly why I've got a 50hp Evinrude Lower gearbox torn apart on my work bench. I think you've got more trouble than just changing fluid/filters! Darn machines just don't heal like skinned knuckles!! ~Scotty

 

[J_J]

ws6tester, One other question, what is the function of the PTO lever in the position that when engaged the pto turns 1:1 with the tires? Thanks to all who will help.

I have never heard of 1 : 1 ratio with the tires. Does it turn in neutral or when not moving?

 

[Redneck in training]

I bet he means proportionally with traveling speed.

 

[kenstrac]

Older MF's and Long's have GRND PTO lever,lever forward GRND PTO center Neutral back IND PTO, 1 rev. of tire = 1 rev of PTO I used it for a spreader where I could get good ground speed also used it to unplug mower and removing tire chain that was wound up in my rototiller.
FWJ said on a previous post that MF had a manure spreader that was used on GRND PTO.

 

[ws6tester]

Sorry I've been quiet over here but I don't have a regular ol' 9-5 job. The pto is 1:1 with tires like stated above. It will spin by hand in neutral but not in the 1:1 setting. I haven't been able to check the pressures yet because my brother-in-law borrowed the tractor and blade to rebuild his driveway. He has about 600' of mud, dirt and holes.

 

[ws6tester]

J J, I wasn't being a jerk when I said "as stated above". I meant the post by another member because I figured I left that out of my original post.