Did I break something? Need help from the hydraulics gurus!

[UncleBuck1]

I was mowing some fairly thick brush this weekend and was running the front end loader fairly low for maximum visability. While mowing the front end went into a shallow ditch that had a stump on the other side; the FEL rolled up on the stump and lifted the front tires. Fortunately I was going very slow and backed up with no problem.

Once I was back on flat ground I attempted to raise the FEL with no luck, it went straight down. I curled the bucket forward until the front wheels were off the ground, and this time when I attempted to raise the loader the front wheels dropped and, after a shudder, the loader lifted normally. A little while later I attempted to raise the loader and it just dropped again. After using the curl function to get it back up I noticed that one end of the bucket may have been slightly higher than the other. Now the loader works sporadically when I try to raise the boom; one time it will raise, the next time it just loses pressure and drops. The loader - a MF DL260- has quick attach couplings, so I popped them and bled the pressure off but it didn't make any difference. I thought maybe I had blown one of the seals out in a lift cylinder, but I don't see any hydraulic fluid.

Any guidance?

 

[Fawken]

It would be hard to say without photos. You say you did bleed the lines? I was thinking you may have knocked something out of alignment and the hydraulics is working against an imbalanced resistance.

 

[UncleBuck1]

There's really nothing to show with pictures; one corner of the bucket might be higher than the other, but its not enough to show up in a photo.

I did bleed the lines, but the bucket was sitting on the ground so I just got a dribble of hydraulic fluid. In hindsight I should have raised the boom then bled.

 

[Fawken]

I did something similar last summer. I was coming into the driveway from about 4 hours of mowing, with the bucket low, going pretty fast. It was hot as Haiti's and the bucket banged into the concrete/steel curb. It almost threw me over the steering wheel because I was basically in relax mode and just putting the tractor to bed. Didn't bend or break anything but one side did hang lower. I didn't bleed the lines because it wasn't that bad. It took a good 3-4 months to finally level back out.

Edit: forgot to mention; bucket was low so approaching cars could see my head lights and flashers.

 

[Soundguy]

you can always do 'the bucket test'

and take hoses off of functions on the loader control and see what they do in a bucket, that way you can see if it is a valving or cyl issue.

I'm betting on something in valving.. especially check/relief.

 

[UncleBuck1]

you can always do 'the bucket test'

and take hoses off of functions on the loader control and see what they do in a bucket, that way you can see if it is a valving or cyl issue.

I'm betting on something in valving.. especially check/relief.

I didn't mention it, but the curl circuit works just fine. I didn't think about possible damage to a check or relief valve; any suggestion on how I would check that?

 

[Soundguy]

observation

 

[Billrog]

Measure the rods to see of their still equal in length one may be bent or the loader frame cockeyed. I don't see the relief valve being damaged unless you hear it squealing when you try and lift the loader.

 

[s219]

May have bent the rod or wrecked an internal seal. Something has to give, and it's not going to be the fluid!

 

[Soundguy]

Measure the rods to see of their still equal in length one may be bent or the loader frame cockeyed. I don't see the relief valve being damaged unless you hear it squealing when you try and lift the loader.

i was thinking more something sticking open, like a relief or check valve, as sometimes he goes to do a function and gets a drop instead. not sure what type of spool he has, if it uses pilots, etc..