FEL hydraulic problems in cold B7500

[firemarshal]

The first accumulating snow of the year was in my driveway this morning. I decided to run the rear blade down the driveway a few times before heading to work. The first thing I notice after starting the tractor was that the FEL could not be raised. The control lever had been pushed forward into the float position when the tractor was parked the previous night. The bucket would curl upward at normal speed and curl down painfully slow. I ran the tractor up and down the driveway for 15 minutes before the control lever could be popped out of the float position.

Questions:

1) Has this happened owners of similar machines?
2) What is/are the likely cause(s)?
3) What can be done to prevent the problem going forward?

 

[Egon]

Did you check the position of the three point controller?

Egon

 

[WayneW]

Yes, I had a similar thing the other day. I could not raise the snowblower. It lowered fine, but would not raise.
Egon is on to something with the 3pt position. I don't know why, but I raised the rear 3pt and then all was well with the front. Weird. Could anyone explain this?

My 7610 wasn't even that cold. It was in the garage, prob about 48-50 degrees.

 

[surfran]

I could see a few scenarios that could cause your problem.

1) You didn't let the tractor warm up before trying to operate and the cold hydro fluid doesn't move things well. Also if your using UDT instead of SUDT could make worse.

2) You have water/condensation in your joystick control valve that took time for the warm circulating hydro fluid to thaw enough to be able to move.

3) As Egon said the 3 point was engaged effectively diverting fluid to it instead of to your FEL.

There may be other reasons as well, but these are the ones that come to mind.

 

[btolle]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( 3) As Egon said the 3 point was engaged effectively diverting fluid to it instead of to your FEL.)</font>

Entirely possible since the same thing happened to me yesterday and it was in the 50's here in East Texas.

I was moving dirt using the loader and box blade. Would fill the loader and then drag the box blade on my way to the dump site. When I would get to where I was dumping it I would push the 3PH handle to the "Quarter Inching" raise position (B7510) to start dumping the dirt from the box blade slowly so I wouldn't have to back over such a big pile of dirt when I backed up.

Noticed on one trip that loader was not responding. After some tense moments (30 hours on a new tractor) I finally figured out that I had not pulled the 3PH handle back to the neutral position. If I use the 3PH full lift position it automatically returns the handle to neutral when it tops out but in the "Quarter Inching" position it does not.

Apparently the 3PH was getting nearly all the pressure and the loader was getting very little pressure. As soon as I returned the 3PH lever to neutral the loader started working perfectly again.

I can't tell you how many times I have started to back up and forget the box blade is down and wonder why the tractor refuses to back up!

Bill Tolle

 

[kew3710]

I have a 3710hst, with front blower and had similar problems. Not sure what the problem may be if above freezing. THere are several possible spots where you may have ice. In the cable from the joy-stick at the low spot is one. Another is inside the aluminum sleeve at the bottom of the valve body. And finally at the top of the valve body inside the aluminum cover. This is where mine froze up due to condensation. I drilled a small hole at the top center, squirted lock antifreeze/lubricant in the hole, then sealed the hole with a rubber stopper. Hole is about 3/16. No problems since I did this, and I use the tractor almost daily, with subject to freezing each night. 4 degrees F today, and no problem.

 

[MarkV]

Kew3710, I am not sure I understand what you drilled on your valve body. Are you saying you are holding the hydraulic pressure with a rubber stopper? That doesn’t seem possible to me so I am thinking I must not understand.

MarkV