300cx FEL Removal from 3520 with Cab

[coglesby]

I need some help. I removed my 300cx FEL today for the first time. It was not as easy as removing the 430 FEL from my 4310. The manual instructions for removal states that the bucket should be rolled out approx. 10-20 degrees before lowering to the ground to release the locking clips. I like to store by FEL on a concrete pad when not in use but this creates a problem. Once the clips are unlocked and I begin raising the unit to separate it from the tractor, it wants to slide foward instead of lifting off of the mounting posts. Also, I have to be extremely careful because the arms of the FEL that sit on the mounting posts are very close (1") to the lower windows on the cab. I was able to remove it but only on grass, which prevented the bucket from sliding forward. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Am I doing something wrong? I'm a little nervous that I am going to break the lower cab glass. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Nuru]

I need some help. I removed my 300cx FEL today for the first time. It was not as easy as removing the 430 FEL from my 4310. The manual instructions for removal states that the bucket should be rolled out approx. 10-20 degrees before lowering to the ground to release the locking clips. I like to store by FEL on a concrete pad when not in use but this creates a problem. Once the clips are unlocked and I begin raising the unit to separate it from the tractor, it wants to slide foward instead of lifting off of the mounting posts. Also, I have to be extremely careful because the arms of the FEL that sit on the mounting posts are very close (1") to the lower windows on the cab. I was able to remove it but only on grass, which prevented the bucket from sliding forward. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Am I doing something wrong? I'm a little nervous that I am going to break the lower cab glass. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

You are definitely right to be careful, as I removed it in my shed and pop! it shattered my left lower front window. My problem was that the shed was not level so my left loader are smacked the lower window. I was able to replace the window myself so I at least learned how to do that. I have removed the loader on multiple occasions on grass, on dirt, on concrete and finally the shed with a wooden floor (on hindsight, which was not very smart at all.)

 

[vic654]

I put down a couple pieces of rubber ice and water dam that we had left over from a job we did.I stuck it to the concrete floor in shop where i take the loader off.The arms come down on the rubber and there is no slipping.I almost busted the window as well the first time i tried the removal on concrete as it slid and hit the window a bit but i got lucky i guess.

 

[cowboy_79_1999]

Make sure the tractor is in neutral when you take the loader off. The tractor will move backward just a bit when you start to raise the arms and the frame will come right off the mounts as soon as the front arms touch the ground. Good Luck

 

[WH401]

Make sure the tractor is in neutral when you take the loader off. The tractor will move backward just a bit when you start to raise the arms and the frame will come right off the mounts as soon as the front arms touch the ground. Good Luck

And be sure that the parking brake is off, the rear axle needs to be able to pivot when you lift the front tires off the ground to release the latches on the loader masts.

What I do is stop on the surface where I'm going to take the loader off. Make sure the parking brake is off. Raise the loader up and tip the bucket forward slightly so that the front is facing down by about 20 degrees. Now, lower the loader to the ground and keep doing that until the front wheels of the tractor have lifted off the ground. Alright, since you have a cab, set the parking brake real quick, get out, and release the latches on both sides. Now, get back in the cab, release the parking brake, and start raising the loader so the masts of the loader begin to lift off of there mounting posts, (after the front wheels of the tractor have touched back down on the ground). When they've lifted off by about 6 inches, (maybe more), then start folding the bucket back up all the way so that it can be properly set on the ground in a level fashion. Now, since you've begun to extend the loader, the parking stand of the loader will start to come down towards the concrete. Before it does, get 1 or 2 pieces (this will depend on the size) of card board and place them under each "foot" of the parking stand. The cardboard will allow the feet to slide easily and not "grip" on the concrete and bend themselves or break a window on the cab (or that is the idea, it works for me, but I don't have a cab though). After that continue like you would raising the loader until the parking stands are fully extended. Then shut the engine off, move the loader joystick forwards, backwards, right and left numerous times to be sure you've released all of the hydraulic pressure from the system. Then disconnect your hoses like normal and properly store them.

 

[coglesby]

Thanks everyone for the quick responses. I believe I have figured out my problem from the information received. I have not been placing the tractor in neutral. This is preventing the tractor from rolling as the loader is being raised from the mounting posts. I haven't tried this yet, but I'm confident this will elimiate the problem.

 

[Acolar]

The tip about placing the trans in neutral seems like a good one. Never done it that way before. I will try it next time. I remove the loader so infrequently that it takes some thought everytime. A step by step utube video would be cool. I removed my 300CX for winter storage and placed it on reinforced furniture dollies and able to move it around the garage to help improve storage space efficiency.

 

[Nuru]

I put down a couple pieces of rubber ice and water dam that we had left over from a job we did.I stuck it to the concrete floor in shop where i take the loader off.The arms come down on the rubber and there is no slipping.I almost busted the window as well the first time i tried the removal on concrete as it slid and hit the window a bit but i got lucky i guess.

The first few times I did it, I had no issues at all, no parking brake, tractor in neutral. Now that I think about it, I probably had the unit in gear as I had just pulled into the shed and was positioning the tractor where I wanted it to go. That won't happen next time.

 

[Nuru]

The tip about placing the trans in neutral seems like a good one. Never done it that way before. I will try it next time. I remove the loader so infrequently that it takes some thought everytime. A step by step utube video would be cool. I removed my 300CX for winter storage and placed it on reinforced furniture dollies and able to move it around the garage to help improve storage space efficiency.

You know i was thinking about doing the same in my shed to position the loader in a different spot to provide more room in the shed for other stuff.
what type of dollies did you use? What did they cost and where did you get them?

 

[JB4310]

Thanks everyone for the quick responses. I believe I have figured out my problem from the information received. I have not been placing the tractor in neutral. This is preventing the tractor from rolling as the loader is being raised from the mounting posts. I haven't tried this yet, but I'm confident this will elimiate the problem.

I don't have a cab so not sure if that's the difference but I never had to put tranny in neutral, once the bucket is on the ground the masts start lifting off the posts. The bucket and loader do slide forward on the ground maybe a foot or so, but I don't see that as any worse or better than the machine rolling back away from the loader.

Having in neutral may be necessary for the close clearance of the cab models as there is a slight pop on and off the posts, being in neutral might smooth that transition just enough to make it less hair raising, worried about the glass.

I timed the removal last time I took it off, 4 minutes with out rushing and that was with wiping fluid off the hands.

JB,