3-point question

[sweettractors]

Getting ready to head home and get some work in on it and pictures of it. Quick question, how tight should the sway chains be? Mine keep it off the tires now, but they still have a little give, should they be rigid?

The PTO is not hooked up yet, i wanted to get it mounted right before messing with the PTO, the shaft according to instructions is the correct size, it will have an over lap of about 9 inches and never gets anywhere close to full overlap.

I would probably want a little play in my sway chains. Not rigid. Ken Sweet

 

[TGF]

I have both good news and bad news to report.

First the good news

I can lift it off the ground, it doesn't rub the tires and it works, cut about 1/3 of an acre after lubing it up and connecting the PTO.

--------edit---------------
Guess I should tell you why, the tire rub was fixed with the sway chains, and the not lifting problem was fixed by shortening the top link by about 4 inches, had it way out there. Thanks everyone for the assist.

3-point lift is 1356lb
The RC weighs 590lb
------end edit-------------

Why only a third?

The bad news.

While cutting I kept having this sensation like bugs were landing my back then it turned into a wet sensation, I reached back to have a scratch and low and behold I am covered in a slippery clear coating of hydraulic fluid. It was spraying out in all directions.

I shutoff the PTO dragged the cutter back into the outbuilding dropped it to the ground and called it a day.

This is very annoying I have about a mile of trails in the woods I want open for this Sunday when I have guests coming. I am not sure how to repair the darn thing, I have never had a hydraulic leak before.

I think I am just going to take a wrench to the fitting and crank it down a bit more, if this is the wrong approach please let me know by morning. Thanks.

 

[wmonroe]

Thats very frustrating when you finally get moving only to have something else go wrong. What fitting is leaking? If it is leaking bad enough that it is spraying out then my gut feeling is tightening more won't help. Was it leaking at all before or did it just start?

 

[TGF]

I think that it was a slow drip when I started because occasionally I would find drips but couldn't find their source, now that I am working it with the rotary cutter its a gusher.

If I take it off to teflon tape it, (is that even the correct way to fix it? Do I need to be concerned about air in the line like a break line?

 

[Nitro-Fish]

Where is the fluid coming from? Remember, if it's hydraulic fluid (like a leak from your power beyond etc) don't try to find it using your hand; hold a piece of cardboard close to where you suspect the leak to be. Hydraulic fluid in the bloodstream (due to the high pressures which can cut right through your skin) is not a good thing. If the spray is from a leaking seal on the cutter, check to make sure the gearcase vent is not clogged; this won't stop your leaking seal, you'll still have to replace it, however if the vent is clogged and it is building enough pressure to escape past the seal, you may be able to continue after clearing the vent as the pressure in the gearcase will not build up and cause blow-by, just a small leak. If the problem is the cutter, the gearcase is not overfull is it?

 

[TGF]

The leak is on the back of the tractor that goes to the three point. It is coming out of a fitting I can see it very clearly, it only sprays when the three point is being raised or under load.

 

[Nitro-Fish]

Without a picture, I would hate to guess. Maybe somebody on here more familiar with your model tractor will chime in with a bit of advise.