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[Joe Liter]

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[rScotty]

Is the shuttle shift working correctly? How about the hydraulic pump? Power steering??

If so, give thanks for having good luck and about all you can do is what you have done. I'd monitor the hydraulic oil temperature to make sure that it is staying in bounds, and hope it eventually washes everything through. You may have to flush it several times. Probably will. That high sulpher gear oil is sticky and hard to remove. Especially hard to flush out when there are parallel paths like in the hydraulic radiator or any control valves.

The proper oil is a lightweight trans/hydraulic oil - there are many brands of trans/hydraulic and all will work. Or at least all will work better tha either gear oil or hydraulic oil. Those are both very different fluids than the recommended oil.

If you can still smell the gear oil, chances are that the first gear oil you put in it was the old style single weight - probably 90 wt. - gear lube. And the smell means you didn't get it all out. Those old style gear lubs were high sulphur oils - hence the distinctive and powerful smell. They were deliberately thick sticky oils designed to still be useful at low temperatures and nobody ever expected gear lube to be used in high heat operation like a hydraulic pump and FEL.
In fact, I doubt gear lube would even flow tevenly hrough a hydraulic radiator. It might just sit there blocking half the tubes. So check that - check If your system has a hydraulic radiator, it might still be plugged with gear lube. Anyway, gear lube would certainly cause a hydraulic system to overheat and overheating could affect the joystick as well as other things. .

Assuming it has the right oil now, it sounds like the big problem is more flushing, watching the hydraulic temperature, and that sticky joystick. Are you considering replacing that joystick? A joystick is minor compared to what could have happened.

rScotty

 

[rScotty]

thank you for responding
Is the shuttle shift working correctly? Yes
How about the hydraulic pump? It appears to be
Power steering?? yes
hydraulic radiator - the best I can tell there isn't one on my tractor but willing to double check
Joystick - at first startup the joystick is fine, its just when it gets hot is when it gets hard to move & feels like it has pressure built up in it
What would be the best way to continue flushing & or how often?

Interesting question on flushing. I don't know. I do know that there are incompatible fluids that will cause all kinds of oddities because it happened to me two days ago. I've got some gear lube in the shop right now that I must have gotten something incompatible from the funnel I used to pour the extra back into the bulk container. I started to use it two days ago it had jelled!! Big chunks of what looks like clear jello in the container floating in what was left of the lube. Oddest thing. I've never seen that before.

I don't know how you would get that kind of crud out of a system.

So... lets backup. before you decide on flushing, look up and find out whether you have a hydraulic cooling radiator because that is a likely problem. All HST have them, but only half the shuttle shifts do. If so, task one would be to figure out how to purge that radiator.

LATE EDIT: check for a cleanable sump filter in the bottom of the transmission. That might be better than the experiment that follows...

Next, you need to see what happens when you mix those oils and lubes.... We need to know if we really have some sort of oil incompatibility problem or are we barking up the wrong tree.

Here is what I would do. Hopefully you have some of that old gear lube left from the initial screw up. And some of the hydraulic oil you used as well. And some of the new oil the dealer used.
Get some mason jars with lids and check what happens if you mix those oils together. Does one dissolve the other? Do they form jello? Gear lube is high-sulfur petroleum oil with lots of odd additives. Some hydraulic oils use an alcohol base instead of petroleum. I've no idea what mixing that combo might do. Maybe gently heat them in hot water (that's why you want lids) and see what happens.

What you want is to see that the new oil from the dealer can dilute or dissolve the worst case mix of that old stinky gear lube you used and/or hydraulic oil. If so, then everything is fine and we know several changes might fix it. If you get jello - like I just did with my gear lube in my shop - there is lots of bolting, cleaning, and maybe some swearing in your future.

There may be no hope for the joystick. They are full of parallel passages and tiny orfices and not made to be taken apart and cleaned. How much are joysticks these days?

I wonder if looking at the hydraulic filter might tell you anything? Does it have a cleanable sump filter in the transmission? If so, that is as good as a mason jar experiment.

rScotty

 

[duffer]

All great suggestions from rScotty.

I'd call a local hydraulic shop and see what they say as well. Somebody who works on excavators, big trucks, etc. IMO they are more qualified to diagnose your problem than (most) guys in the back of a dealership that are prepping tractors and implements for delivery.

 

[D&D]

Have you (or someone) checked the loader control linkages for sticking/binding?

 

[oldnslo]

Like D & D I suspect a problem with the mechanical linkage of the joystick control. Once warm if you shut the tractor off is the joystick still hard to operate?

 

[D&D]

Like D & D I suspect a problem with the mechanical linkage of the joystick control. Once warm if you shut the tractor off is the joystick still hard to operate?

Too often we get hung upon what happened last vs what’s broke now. I’ve certainly been trapped on that hamster wheel before.

 

[oldnslo]

Yes

Yes still hard to operate when warm with engine off?

Can you see the control valve? If yes one end would be connected to joy stick. Is this connection direct mount or via push - pull cables?

Other end there are caps or covers usually held on by two or four screws. Is there any evidence of oil leaking out around these covers?

 

[rScotty]

Like D & D I suspect a problem with the mechanical linkage of the joystick control. Once warm if you shut the tractor off is the joystick still hard to operate?

That would tell us something.... but I'm not sure what. Certainly it is worth trying though. I wonder what that will show?? Hope he makes the experiment.

The problem I'm having is that the joystick has a bunch of parallel return passages & I can't figure out how to separate which passages do what functions.
That's why I'm opening the door on the possiblity of replacement.

For example, opening the flow to extend the bucket cylinders simultaneously opens a set of parallel - probably dogleg shaped - small return passages inside the control valve. Double that number of potential blockages for when the valve is moved the other way, and double it again it if any regeneration is involved.

I think a few old hydraulic guys can figure out how to test the pressure side of the control valve, but testing the return side when the passages are parallel is more difficult. Especially without knowing exactly how it is plumbed inside.

Maybe we will know more over the next few days.

rScotty

 

[oldnslo]

I doubt any extra passages on this valve for pilot oil since it is mechanically operated and also doubtful the gear lube would cause failure with increased temps. If anything the increased temps would allow oil to flow easier.

Is this valve multiple sections held together via tie rods or bolts? If these were took apart was it assembled in a manner that is causing mechanical binding as it heats up such as tie rods tightened to tight? This can and will cause spools to bind.