bucket not staying up

[mpsmith60]

Looks like my bucket not staying up after a bit it goes back down .Can this be a leak but I don't see any wet spot on the floor. Any info be helpful . My b2650 ony 2 years old.

This is bound to happen with the use of the FEL. I have an L3901 with a LA525 loader and it now drifts down slowly, but I have used it a lot in the last two years. If I leave bucket up about level with the grill it will settle to the ground overnight. That's not too bad. If yours is leaking down in just 30 minutes, that's a bit much. If you are not seeing a leak, it is most likely wear on the inner piston seal. Like some else commented, it will start affecting your lift capacity because it is acting as a pressure relief valve.

 

[rScotty]

I was reading this thread out of curiosity, and that got me to wondering about our own tractors.....and I realized I didn't know if our loaders leak down or not. Certainly they don't leak down quick enough to be noticible when in use. That may be because when we are driving around I'm always adjusting the loader arms & bucket for visibility, or to miss a tree, or just messing with it.

Anytime I'm not on the tractor, the loader & bucket are lowered to the ground either in a neutral position - a bucket edge makes a dandy parking brake. So I don't really know if our modern tractors FEL will leak down. And I can't imagine leaving the FEL up when I'm not using it. Not even for a few minutes.

OK. some real data. I just went out and tried the old John Deere with a model 46 loader. This ia a older loader with a smallish bucket but with a long lip. It's the QA type mount, in fact it was the first QA loader I ever saw. The whole FEL is really heavily built with long skinny double-acting cylinders and capable of some heavy lifting.. With about 500 lbs of rocks in the bucket, it didn't move an inch all afternoon. I bet it would stay up for days. The hydraulics use motor oil run about 1200 psi.

Also I have noticed that on all three of our backhoes the backhoe bucket will slowly uncurl when parked. On our old hoe It may take a week or sometimes two to uncurl - new ones don't leak at all - but as they get older all seem to slowly leak internally & uncurl.
rScotty

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Viagra

And then it doesn't work either

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I have over 1500 hrs on my BX and it still takes all nigh,t or longer, for any of the cylinders to bleed out. I have not always been gentle with it either. It is a working beast not a garage/barn queen.

Ron

 

[Diggin It]

OK. some real data. I just went out and tried the old John Deere with a model 46 loader. This ia a older loader with a smallish bucket but with a long lip. It's the QA type mount, in fact it was the first QA loader I ever saw. The whole FEL is really heavily built with long skinny double-acting cylinders and capable of some heavy lifting.. With about 500 lbs of rocks in the bucket, it didn't move an inch all afternoon. I bet it would stay up for days. The hydraulics use motor oil run about 1200 psi.

Also I have noticed that on all three of our backhoes the backhoe bucket will slowly uncurl when parked. On our old hoe It may take a week or sometimes two to uncurl - new ones don't leak at all - but as they get older all seem to slowly leak internally & uncurl.
rScotty

My tests have been inconsistent. Sometimes the FEL bucket will stay up for a day or more, other times it will settle to the ground overnight. There is never anyone else on my property, so I can leave it up a foot or so as test with little risk. Normal practice is to lower it though.

On the BH, the arm and outriggers will settle if not locked, but the bucket will not uncurl even if full of rainwater. I had to manually do that a few days back to drain it. I prefer to keep it fully curled due to the digger teeth.

 

[Tx Jim]

If you are not seeing a leak, it is most likely wear on the inner piston seal. Like some else commented, it will start affecting your lift capacity because it is acting as a pressure relief valve.

If FEL boom cylinder piston seal is leaking where does the displaced oil go except past control valve spool/valve housing due to the fact the rod end of cylinder inside area is smaller than butt end of cylinder area
because the rod takes up space(area) inside cylinder??

 

[Professor Marvel]

Yes i was wondering about control valve/manifold leaking and causing drop/release