sporteus
Bronze Member
Here's my scenario. Several weeks back, I had started up my infrequently used tractor, warmed it up, and run it around the block a couple of times to get the fluids moving and charge up the battery. Everything worked fine. I parked it and let it sit for a couple of hours while I was working on other things. When I went back and started it up, the hydraulics didn't work and it sounded like the pump was not able to draw fluid (cavitating). I decided to change out the transmission/hydraulic fluid and clean the filter even though it only had maybe 20 hours on it since I last changed it. When I pulled the filter screen it was completely clogged with very fine metal debris and there was a fair amount of debris in the sump. Cleaned the screen, wiped out what I could reach in the sump, and refilled it. Everything worked perfectly including some cylinders that were noisy before. Problem solved....right?
I've put about 3 hours on it since then and just had the same thing happen. Started it yesterday and heard the same thing in the pump with very sluggish hydraulic movement. Sigh. (I think the hole in my yard that I throw money into just got bigger.)
Something obviously isn't right, but knowing that the fluid is going through both hydraulics and transmission, I don't know where to start with tracking down the source of the metal debris. I did have one of the hydraulic cylinders on the backhoe rebuilt earlier this year, but I haven't been using the backhoe so I don't think the debris is coming from there. My loader bucket drifts quite a bit, so I'm thinking those cylinders might be shot and shredding internally. My other thought is that this is a transmission or clutch issue causing all this debris, which would send me down a path I'm not prepared for.
I need some advice on how to proceed. My current thinking is to replace the loader bucket cylinders (assuming I can find suitable replacements), flush the system with something (not sure what), and then refill and see what happens. But, that's just guessing. Knowing that this tractor was used/abused/neglected prior to my purchase, maybe this is a bunch of debris that was sitting somewhere in the system and I've just freed it up by actually changing out the fluids and trying to maintain it?
Your input on this situation is greatly appreciated.
I've put about 3 hours on it since then and just had the same thing happen. Started it yesterday and heard the same thing in the pump with very sluggish hydraulic movement. Sigh. (I think the hole in my yard that I throw money into just got bigger.)
Something obviously isn't right, but knowing that the fluid is going through both hydraulics and transmission, I don't know where to start with tracking down the source of the metal debris. I did have one of the hydraulic cylinders on the backhoe rebuilt earlier this year, but I haven't been using the backhoe so I don't think the debris is coming from there. My loader bucket drifts quite a bit, so I'm thinking those cylinders might be shot and shredding internally. My other thought is that this is a transmission or clutch issue causing all this debris, which would send me down a path I'm not prepared for.
I need some advice on how to proceed. My current thinking is to replace the loader bucket cylinders (assuming I can find suitable replacements), flush the system with something (not sure what), and then refill and see what happens. But, that's just guessing. Knowing that this tractor was used/abused/neglected prior to my purchase, maybe this is a bunch of debris that was sitting somewhere in the system and I've just freed it up by actually changing out the fluids and trying to maintain it?
Your input on this situation is greatly appreciated.
