Kioti nx4510 hst cab, front end loader stuck in float

[VictorW]

I don't think the corrosion entered through the top. It is more likely that it entered through the bottom at the detent. Packing it with grease and using silicon to seal it sounds like a good idea. But, the dealer led me to believe, that in this instance, the corrosion entered the valve assembly before it was assembled to the tractor.

The two sliver colored caps, about 2 inches long and an inch round, are held in place by two allen head bolts each to the front of the loader valve. The end of each of the two rods, called spools, go into these caps. The cables from the loader control stick attach to the opposite, rear side, of the loader valve block to control/move the spools. These spools control the fluid flow in the loader valve block. The front end of the spools also have springs attached in order to center the spools when you don't want the bucket or fel arms to move. Your dealer, after seeing the corrosion upon dis-assembly, would be the best to know why it may have occurred. In my instance, I only had moisture and the start of corrosion in the caps and ends of the spools. Even though the loader valve block is machined and the mating ends of the caps appear machined, their mating surfaces must not have been 100% waterproof. The factory had a small amount of grease on the end of the spools and in the caps but not enough to protect it. There was no sealer of any type where the caps meet the valve block. I used a liberal amount of grease in the caps along with coating the end of the spools and springs. The part that I believe made the biggest difference was using a very thin amount of silicone gasket maker on the end of the caps where they mate to the block. I remember one post where a member was hunting for a new cap because corrosion had completely destroyed the steel balls in the one cap and his fel control would never lock into float.

 

[ishiboo]

Interesting. Are you anywhere near the sea air where (from my Minnesotan perspective) weird rust happens?

FWIW, as one of the zillion things I did as prep after finding a corroded bolt on my transmission, was to bolt on a sacrificial anode.

I don't know if the corrosion was from sitting next to highway 10 over a winter or from sea transport.

This is the anode I used.

Amazon.com: Martyr Zinc Alloy Verado 6 Trim Cylinder Anode: Sports & Outdoors

Anyway, here in Minnesota our MNDOT uses zinc sacrificial anodes to slow corrosion on our bridges (see p. 36 at link).

Um, that anode is not doing anything for you unless your tractor operates under water...

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Um, that anode is not doing anything for you unless your tractor operates under water...

I does when everything is wet with our salty snow. Not as effective as an anode sitting in salt water, but worth a shot.

If I lived next to the sea, I'd bolt on an honest rust protection system that sends a current through anodes strategically placed around the vehicle.

Anyway, my tractor, my experiment.

 

[s219]

This isn't the first post on TBN where moisture collected in the spool end caps of a loader valve, and it seems to affect many brands. I wonder what the deal is? Maybe just a bad location and angle when stored outdoors and getting rained on?

 

[ksbrdmkr]

Hot oil and then covered with snow, as the parts cool the water is pulled in. Our custom dozer operator tried to keep his bulldozers out of the snow to save the tracks/rollors.