L3130 Bucket Leaks down fast.

[Tractor Dr.]

I have a newer L3130 with the 513 FEL that I bought in April 2007 with 65 hours on it and am noticing the bucket leaks down very quickly. When I first took delivery of the unit I noticed a very tiny amount of leakdown, and knowing that SOME bucket leak down is acceptable, I didn't pursue fixing it under warranty. Having grown up on a farm I knew that a very small amount of leakdown is a normal anomoly that is considered OK. Recently I was moving some dirt and I noticed that the tiny leak has turned into a huge leak. The bucket (not the boom) unfolds so quick you can see it, especially when the bucket is loaded. I called the dealer and they told me that the loader "attachment" has only a 12 month warranty on it and the repair will be on my dime. Ofcourse I didn't put it on record with the dealer that the bucket leaked so I have to face the music and get this fixed at my expense.

Before I pay $75+/HR to have the dealer diagnose does anyone have some things to check first? If I unplug the quick connects from the valve and still get leakdown that should tell me it is a seal issue with the ram in one of the cylinders correct? OR, will this cause a hydraulic lock in the circuit meaning there will be NO FLOW regardless of a bad seal? If so, are there other ways of isolating?

My other thought is the fact that the tiny leak went huge literally overnite makes me think possibly the pressure relief valve went over relief and didn't reseal properly. Does anyone have a hydraulic schematic of the bucket circuit along with pictures showing which is the pressure relief valve on the loader control valve?

Other ideas are welcome.

BTW though I would show off a bit with some pictures of the tractor and my property. Other than the bucket issue I really like the tractor!

 

[jimainiac]

I read your post with interest because I was about to post a similar question. We have an L3830 with an LA723 loader, and the loader arms leak down at what I consider to be an unacceptable rate. I assume both of our problems are in the control valve. Our leak down rate isn't as severe as yours, but we have Quick Attach pallet forks that we use for various chores such as lifting bundles of shingles up to eave level, or using it for a platform for repairing our business' sign. As it sits there, you really notice it going down. I used to think it stayed up better if the motor was left running, but it doesn't seem to matter. Seems like if the three point hitch can stay up for months with a rear blade attached to it, the loader should be able to stay in place for a decent amount of time. I just wonder whether the loader valve can be repaired, and if it's hard to do. I hope some knowledgable person weighs in...

 

[art]

We will remove the hydraulic line on the opposite side of the load to see how much the cylinder is leaking before ever touching a valve. Most times it is the cylinders.

 

[Tractor Dr.]

Art - Thanks for the response but I'm not sure I fully understand what I should be looking for once I crack the line. I understand what you are saying but I don't understand what this will tell me. When the valve is operated oil is trapped between the piston in the cylinder and the control valve. How will opening the line opposite of the load help me determine if the leak is at the piston or the control valve?

If I understand the system correctly I shouldn't see oil out the non-loaded side with the line cracked. If the leak was at the cylinder the moving piston prevents oil from being displaced out the non-loaded side. If the leak was at the control valve oil would return to sump. Am I missing something? My knowledge on hydraulics is obviously not real strong so please set me straight if I'm wrong.

Thanks,
TD

 

[jimainiac]

I respect Art's opinions and thank him for responding. If his experience shows it's usually the cylinders at fault when there's a leak-down problem, I guess both cylinders would need to be repaired? In other words, would it still drop (bucket or loader arms) if one cylinder was good and one bad? Maybe that's a dumb question.

 

[art]

Both cylinders feed off the same line. The cylinders are normally 98% of the time the culprit. There often is only one leaking which is causing the problem. Tractor loaders do not use check valves on the loader control valves and they can leak by but it is rare to see them be the reason. It won't make any difference in which circuit that is leaking when testing the cylinders. You will get some oil drain off with loosening the line, the thing to watch is the drop rate increase when the line has bleed out and the cylinder drop rate is increasing faster.

 

[Tractor Dr.]

I agree that it is likely not the valve and everyone I speak to says the same thing. To confirm, I am going to swap the boom and bucket quick connects on the valve to see if the leak stays with the bucket or goes to the boom. If it stays with the bucket then I have confirmed that it is not the valve and likely is the seal inside the cylinder.

Next question is how do I isolate out which cylinder?

Thanks,
TD

 

[N80]

I may have missed it, but does this leak down occur when the tractor is running or just when it is off?

 

[Tractor Dr.]

The leak down occurs at all times. Running or not.

 

[art]

Tractor Doc, if you loosen the line on the back side of the ram it will leak down faster as the oil will just keep running past the leaky seals! Yes, it will cause a bit of a mess but it's how we diagnose the job quickly!