bandit67
Veteran Member
- Joined
- May 27, 2004
- Messages
- 1,610
- Location
- Lake Hartwell, SC
- Tractor
- 2012 B3000 HSDCC 2020 Z251 Zero Turn
Ok, I'm stumped. Last weekend, after running my flail mower for a couple hours, my loader boom stopped being able to raise after I finished mowing. All other functions are working fine - loader boom lower under power, bucket curl & dump. When mowing, I do have to raise & lower the loader often to get around trees, etc, and all was fine while mowing. Initially, the loader boom raise issues were a bit sporadic, but I could not duplicate exactly how to fix the issue. It started out that if I dropped the loader all the way to the ground in float mode to remove any line pressure, I could then raise the boom back up, but that "trick" doesn't seem to be working on a regular basis. Hydraulic fluid did not seem to be too hot, as I've noticed in the past (odor) while running the backhoe for a few hours on a hot summer day.
I can get the loader boom to raise only occasionally, but there seems to be no rhyme or reason behind what works to "reset" and what doesn't. I checked hydraulic fluid level, and it was fine. Hydraulic fluid is still about as clear as when it was last changed at 100 hours. Machine has 175 on it now, and is not due for fluid or filter change quite yet.
When the issue occurs, the loader valve seems to go into bypass mode, like you hear when the boom is raised all the way to the top before releasing the joystick. The boom will raise about a half inch up the hydraulic ram, then stop and go into bypass mode. No change removing 3pt implement (wondered if the load and the 3pt valve may have been affecting things).
While messing with it this morning, I did get a leak at both boom ram fittings at the same spot on each of the hydraulic lines at one point, and thinking that was the problem, I wiped the fittings off to determine exactly where the leak was, and then no more leak. That one instance today was the only time I have found any hydraulic leaks over the last 2 weekends worth of messing around with it.
I unplugged the hydraulic fitting at the loader valve just in case there was something going on there, but that didn't appear to be the problem. Also checked the rear fitting at the back where I hook up the backhoe. Backhoe has been off since last fall. Loader has only been off the machine once a few years ago after I got it, just so I could say I've taken it off at least once.
Any suggestions?
I've included a couple pics of the one-time fitting leak that I so far have not been able to duplicate. The leaks (onto the tires) happened after lowering the boom to raise the front tires off the ground and then was able to raise the boom. Subsequent sporadic rasing (when I can manage to get it to go up) and lowering of the boom has not duplicated the leak.
Was going to try to make an adjustment to the loader boom cable going from the cab joystick to where it enters the loader valve, as that's the only adjustment on that one, but since I can actually get the loader function to work properly every so often, I'm not sure that adjustment would help.
I can get the loader boom to raise only occasionally, but there seems to be no rhyme or reason behind what works to "reset" and what doesn't. I checked hydraulic fluid level, and it was fine. Hydraulic fluid is still about as clear as when it was last changed at 100 hours. Machine has 175 on it now, and is not due for fluid or filter change quite yet.
When the issue occurs, the loader valve seems to go into bypass mode, like you hear when the boom is raised all the way to the top before releasing the joystick. The boom will raise about a half inch up the hydraulic ram, then stop and go into bypass mode. No change removing 3pt implement (wondered if the load and the 3pt valve may have been affecting things).
While messing with it this morning, I did get a leak at both boom ram fittings at the same spot on each of the hydraulic lines at one point, and thinking that was the problem, I wiped the fittings off to determine exactly where the leak was, and then no more leak. That one instance today was the only time I have found any hydraulic leaks over the last 2 weekends worth of messing around with it.
I unplugged the hydraulic fitting at the loader valve just in case there was something going on there, but that didn't appear to be the problem. Also checked the rear fitting at the back where I hook up the backhoe. Backhoe has been off since last fall. Loader has only been off the machine once a few years ago after I got it, just so I could say I've taken it off at least once.
Any suggestions?
I've included a couple pics of the one-time fitting leak that I so far have not been able to duplicate. The leaks (onto the tires) happened after lowering the boom to raise the front tires off the ground and then was able to raise the boom. Subsequent sporadic rasing (when I can manage to get it to go up) and lowering of the boom has not duplicated the leak.
Was going to try to make an adjustment to the loader boom cable going from the cab joystick to where it enters the loader valve, as that's the only adjustment on that one, but since I can actually get the loader function to work properly every so often, I'm not sure that adjustment would help.