Loader FEL loses up / down power temporarily

[rarvesen]

I have a new L3200 and noticed an issue when using the FEL. After using the FEL for around 4 hours, it all of the sudden lost lift power. It could dump / roll back fine, but the up / down was very slow, slower than when running at idle. Then it worked fine in 5 - 15 minutes.

The same problem happened the next day after 1.5 hours up / down was all of the sudden very slow, but dump / roll back worked fine. Up / down worked fine after 5 - 15 minutes. I have put 16 hours on the tractor. Do you know what the problem could be?

I read that you should 'not move the control lever into the float position when the bucket is off the ground'. I can't say for sure, but I may have mistakenly put it into float position when tipping the bucket all of the way down and raking backwards (using a light weight rock bucket). Do you know if this is considered 'bucket is off the ground'? The tip is on the ground, but the rest of the bucket is in the air. Do you know if this could cause the behavior I'm seeing (lose up / down power for several minutes)? Again, I may not have even done this.

 

[J_J]

Sounds like air in system. Cycle the FEL several times.

The bucket is not floated. The lift arms probably has float. Floating does not affect anything except when in float. Bucket weight is on the ground. You can pull it out of float at any time.

Does your valve have regen in the curl circuit?

 

[rarvesen]

Sounds like air in system.

Does anyone know how air gets into the system? Can it be how the loader is operated (moving bucket around too fast), leak in the hydraulic fluid somewhere, etc.?

Does your valve have regen in the curl circuit?

I'm not sure, but I'll find out. It's a L3200 with LA524 loader.

 

[J_J]

How does air get in? Well, when you operate the hyd in a certain condition, air is drawn past the rod seals. Air could also be drawn in through a loose hyd hose, via the pump.

 

[wdchyd]

If your problem is the lift and not the tilt then the first thing I'd do is double check/recheck those quick connects on your FEL......uncouple them and check inside for dirt/debris then recouple......

If it's doing goofy things for both then check to make sure the 3PH lever is not in the "UP" position going into relief not allowing return to move FEL cyls...

 

[Tx Jim]

How does air get in? Well, when you operate the hyd in a certain condition, air is drawn past the rod seals. Air could also be drawn in through a loose hyd hose, via the pump.

In all my years associated with farm equipment I've never heard of air being drawn into a cyl. from around a seal nor do I choose to believe that theory. If air could be drawn in the cyl from a seal I would think that oil would leak out.

Air normally enters a hyd system from a hole in the suction side before the pump or low hyd fluid level. Also R&R of a hyd component such as pump or hose.

 

[Tx Jim]

rarvesen
Is hyd fluid level at the full mark?

I've witnessed a full bucket being dumped that the oil gets pushed out of rod end faster that oil comes in butt end that will cause bucket cyl's to kinda lock up but not boom cyl's.

 

[Dead Horse]

If your problem is the lift and not the tilt then the first thing I'd do is double check/recheck those quick connects on your FEL......uncouple them and check inside for dirt/debris then recouple......

If it's doing goofy things for both then check to make sure the 3PH lever is not in the "UP" position going into relief not allowing return to move FEL cyls...

yep, over extending the lift will cause these symptoms.

There is generally a moveable "stop" on the top of the lift lever shroud that people sometimes remove, (for no good reason). With that stop set above the top limit, the lift lever is able to overrun the top limit and has the lift circuit trying hard to overextend the lift cylinder.....

"don't do that" is the best advice I have.

 

[beppington]

I have a new L3200 and noticed an issue when using the FEL. After using the FEL for around 4 hours, it all of the sudden lost lift power. It could dump / roll back fine, but the up / down was very slow, slower than when running at idle. Then it worked fine in 5 - 15 minutes.

The same problem happened the next day after 1.5 hours up / down was all of the sudden very slow, but dump / roll back worked fine. Up / down worked fine after 5 - 15 minutes. I have put 16 hours on the tractor. Do you know what the problem could be?

Try letting your 3PH control lever down just a tad, & see if that fixes it. Mine was doing almost the same thing, & it turned out the 3PH was "bottoming out" at the very top of its travel, dead-heading I think it's called, causing the hydro pump to bind up or go into its bypass valve .. I don't know all the terms, but that's the gist of it.

I read that you should 'not move the control lever into the float position when the bucket is off the ground'.

I think the only reason they say that is so you don't DROP you loader from a high level ... & either kill somebody or damage your tractor or loader.

 

[J_J]

In all my years associated with farm equipment I've never heard of air being drawn into a cyl. from around a seal nor do I choose to believe that theory. If air could be drawn in the cyl from a seal I would think that oil would leak out.

Air normally enters a hyd system from a hole in the suction side before the pump or low hyd fluid level. Also R&R of a hyd component such as pump or hose.

You may be totally correct, but I am not convinced that air and water can not be sucked past rod seals. There are a lot of comments on the net, and here is just one of them.

Quote:

Another lesser known but major source of air is air that is sucked into the system past actuator piston rod seals. This usually occurs when the piston rod is stroked by some external means while the actuator itself is not pressurized.

Fluid Contamination