Hydraulic lines frozen in cold weather

beenthere · Dec 21, 2004

I doubt it is 'frozen' as meaning 'water turned to ice'. The oil may be thick and moving slow, but that should warm up with running the tractor.
Possibly there is moisture around the control valve causing it to hang up due to the cold, but your patience and warming the tractor seems would solve the problem. Possibly, if I were to guess, moisture may have accumulated when just running the tractor in the past for short periods of time.
A complete hyd. oil and filter change may help too, but I wouldn't rush that unless something specific about the oil is discovered to be a problem.

rlw · Dec 21, 2004

I don't have the specs for Kubota's UDT, but I did a quick internet check on some other brands of hydraulic fluid, and the pour point was -40F. I suspect that Kubota's is the same or close; therefore, it is unlikely that it was "frozen".

KC_Kubota · Dec 21, 2004

( Put a tarp over the tractor and put an electric heater under it till everything is warm. Then try it and you will know if it is frozen.

Egon )

Thanks everyone for all the replies. This did the trick. Took two hours under a tarp with an electric heater, but now everything is working the way I expected it to. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

KC

Grassgod · Dec 21, 2004

KC - I have an 04 L3130 kubota with the same exact problem. Although mine will work from left to right, curl up & down & lift but it wont lower. I let mine run for over an hour & it finally worked. I had to put somewhat strong resistance on the loader joystick & it started to lower slowly then suddenly it lowered quickly & worked normal from there. However, I shut the machine off & it sat for about an hour, then the same problem reacurred! SInce them I have been parking my truck next to the tractor with the exaust blowing on the valve. It sucks to have to take the time to do this in a snow storm. On my old John Deere i never had this problem no matter how cold it ever got /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Egon · Dec 22, 2004

Now the problem is to figure out what caused the joystick control not to function properly.

I'd suggest you work the tractor and loader controls hard for several hours. Long enough to get the oil good and hot and circulated through the entire hydraulic system. This means lowering and raising the three point hitch also. Then shut down for a few days to let all get good and cold and see if the problem is still there. When shut down make sure the loader is not in the float position.

Egon

Grassgod · Dec 22, 2004

I did your suggestion & unfortunaly as soon as the temperatures get below freezing...the problem reocurres /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif!

Henro · Dec 22, 2004

Maybe you could use a hot air gun to just heat the loader control valve and see what happens then?

If that doesn't prove anything, perhaps run the heat along the hydraulic lines to the loader cylinders...

One step at a time and you will eventually figure it out. Hopefully, anyway.

Do keep us updated...

Grassgod · Dec 22, 2004

Do keep us updated...
I definitly will.

I dont have a float position on my loader joystick though. You said to leave it in float position.....No matter where I put the joystick it spings back to the center when I let go of it. I was thinking about bungie cording it up (in the lowering position since thats where it freezes every time) & see if that cures it.

Egon · Dec 22, 2004

Think I meant not to leave it in the float position.

Does the joy stick move freely when the loader does not respond?

Egon

MadReferee · Dec 23, 2004

( I dont have a float position on my loader joystick though. )

Grassgod,

Assuming you have the Kubota loader on your 3130 you DO have a float position. If the joystick doesn't lock in the float position you have a real problem and it should be covered by the warranty.

The no float could be what is contributing to your freezing problem in that you may have a broken or defective loader valve.