FEL Popping Out of Float

Turfman · May 22, 2002

My 15 hour B2710 has an FEL that pops out of float position when I move forward or back-drag with the bucket. Anyone else have this problem? Any solutions short of a trip to the dealer? Happened a lot today as I was moving dirt in the rain. Put the bucket on the ground, set it to float and pulled forward only to have it pop down to the center (at rest) position. Happened 8 or 10 times.

Turfman

Pks · May 22, 2002

Turfman,

This winter, I serviced my linkage and valve block. The detent for the float position was sticking so badly that I could not get it into float.

I cleaned the rust away from the valve detent groove, the ball and the spring. The I added grease to those parts to make sure they would resist rusting.

Now, it pops out of float. It goes into float very easily, but it pops back out almost as easily. I now need to hold the lever in the float position.

I believe that if I cleaned out some of the grease from the detent groove and rod, the problem would go away. I cannot yet prove my hunch, but I'll bet a stack of home made cookies that I'm right. Especially since the problem began right after I greased everything.

Turfman · May 22, 2002

Thanks for the tip. I have not greased mine or played with it in any way. Maybe the rain wet it enough to make it slick and that allowed it to pop out.

rbargeron · May 22, 2002

I don't think the valve should be trying to move out of "float" at all, by itself. The fact that the detent sometimes holds it is masking the fact that there is pressure finding its way to the end of the valve where there shouldn't be any. Doesn't seem that a new valve should do this - maybe one with a LOT of hours, but not a new or recent one.

kevincook · May 22, 2002

Is it possible that you were going over some bumps? Mine will do this if I drive over any bumps. I think it is just due to the weight of the control lever being bounced around.