Bucket has a mind of it’s own

rScotty · Oct 23, 2024

JwrightD said:
Oh good, glad to hear. I went onto the John Deere website and they want close to $2200 for one! I’ll search else where. Thanks!

The better quality loader valves with the features yours has are available as a standard unit from many suppliers online. Expect prices to be ten to twenty percent of what the JD valve lists for. These control valves have been a standard hydraulic item for half a century.
You probably want a standard two lever loader control valve, 10gpm, with power beyond - don't forget to orde rthe BYD sleeve converter, and get a control valve with the float function on one valve.
Be prepared to specify the thread that you want in the ports to match your hose ends.
Start at SurplusCenter.com & go from there.

Tx Jim · Oct 23, 2024

JD purchased their FEL control valves from hyd component manufacturers. I suggest checking with Surplus Center or Summit Hyd's for new 2 spool control valve. Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com Hydraulic Valves - Summit Hydraulics

JwrightD · Oct 23, 2024

Harry in Ky said:
One more thing that comes to mind. You stated there is another fitting somewhere on the valve. The two ports I can see in one photo are marked in and out. Is the the third port marked as well? If so with what? I'm wondering if it's BYD or something similar. I see three hard lines in one photo, two of which have hoses connected to ports back near the lift housing and one to a fitting (presumably to transmission case?). I'm wondering if there may be some restriction in the flow through the rear hydraulics that may be causing the problem with the loader valve. It's a long shot, but maybe worth looking at. Before condemning the valve, I would consider first removing the hose going into the port on the back. Whichever hose that is that comes from the valve port not labeled "in". In theory, that should be the power beyond line carrying fluid back into the rear hydraulics. Remove that line from the fitting, cap the port it came from. Jury rig an extension of sorts and direct that flow back into the tractor eliminating everything beyond that port from receiving any oil flow from the pump. Then try the loader valve again and see if anything changes. That will effectively narrow down the problem (if it still exists) to the loader valve.

The third port is on the bottom and is labeled PB which I take is power beyond and probably goes to my backhoe. I should be able to just disconnect the two quick disconnects that go to my backhoe and plug them into each other like I do when I remove the backhoe and will do the same thing you were talking about?
Thanks for your time,

JwrightD · Oct 23, 2024

Tx Jim said:
JD purchased their FEL control valves from hyd component manufacturers. I suggest checking with Surplus Center or Summit Hyd's for new 2 spool control valve. Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com Hydraulic Valves - Summit Hydraulics

Thank you!

Harry in Ky · Oct 23, 2024

JwrightD said:
The third port is on the bottom and is labeled PB which I take is power beyond and probably goes to my backhoe. I should be able to just disconnect the two quick disconnects that go to my backhoe and plug them into each other like I do when I remove the backhoe and will do the same thing you were talking about?
Thanks for your time,

Not exactly. That may eliminate the backhoe hydraulics from the equation, but it still leaves the tractor's rear hydraulics in play. (three point, and whatever else might be there)

I can't see how all the plumbing is laid out, so I can't speak to specific lines, fittings, or hoses. All I'm suggesting is to (basically) run the hose/line from the PB port on the loader valve directly to sump. This eliminates anything from causing restriction and/or back pressure in the loader valve. The reason I would do that is because I can see a possibility where the loader valve could have enough age and internal wear in places such that limited return flow might cause pressurized oil flow (where there should be none) to sneak off internally, and somehow find its way to the work ports. The result could be exactly what you have. Cylinders moving while all spools are in neutral. It's not that hard to do, and might just shed some light on what's going on here.

JwrightD · Oct 23, 2024

Harry in Ky said:
Not exactly. That may eliminate the backhoe hydraulics from the equation, but it still leaves the tractor's rear hydraulics in play. (three point, and whatever else might be there)

I can't see how all the plumbing is laid out, so I can't speak to specific lines, fittings, or hoses. All I'm suggesting is to (basically) run the hose/line from the PB port on the loader valve directly to sump. This eliminates anything from causing restriction and/or back pressure in the loader valve. The reason I would do that is because I can see a possibility where the loader valve could have enough age and internal wear in places such that limited return flow might cause pressurized oil flow (where there should be none) to sneak off internally, and somehow find its way to the work ports. The result could be exactly what you have. Cylinders moving while all spools are in neutral. It's not that hard to do, and might just shed some light on what's going on here.

I see what you’re saying now, thank you! Really appreciate everyone’s help on this, I may not be able to work on this for a couple of weeks but as soon as I can I’ll try all the suggestions everyone is given me.

JwrightD · Nov 11, 2024

Update,
I switched the hoses going into my control valve and it did the same thing but the levers were just the opposite. So we then bypassed the rear hydraulics like someone suggested but that didn’t make a difference. I decided to try to rebuild the control valve, John Deere makes an o-ring kit for it so we took the old one all apart, changed the o-rings, put it back together and it’s working great, hopefully it will last! We did find a piece of an o-ring in one of the couplers so I bought a new coupler set and switched that out as well, not sure where it came from or if it was even part of the problem. Thank you everyone for your help, this is great forum for people who don’t have a lot of knowledge about tractors.