loader bucket floppy mf1533

redfishtd · Jan 20, 2014

Lifts okay ,but when I put on bucket or forks to push down the bucket or forks just come up . Another words it ain't stiff anymore. If you tilt bucket all the way down and try to go backwards to pull some dirt back when grading
with the tractor it just folds flat. I think the control valve should hold the pressure on the rams to keep them in the position you have it in right? I have a massey 1533 tractor and it was working fine for the last 8 years. They tell me the control valve is only available new for 500 bucks -no rebuild kit. Any input would be welcome.

J_J · Jan 20, 2014

Try bleeding the hyd.

oldnslo · Jan 20, 2014

Will the bucket hold a load or dirt or does it dump by itself? If it self dumps your cylinder seals could be leaking.

FYI: For bleeding like JJ suggests. Cycle the curl cylinders full dump to full curl several times. This should purge the majority of the air from the system.

redfishtd · Jan 21, 2014

I also can stand in front of the bucket and lift it by hand and the bucket lifts and the front rams go back in, that's a problem , I should not be able to force the rams in . . Bucket lifts dirt okay with dirt in it . I have cycled it lots of times to purge air no luck . Both rams retract when i lift bucket by hand , doesn't that say hydraulic pressure not holding it stiff. When I let go of bucket rams return to start position before I lifted it making bucket very floppy. What device holds bucket in position , control valve? Hydraulic fluid level seems okay .

oldnslo · Jan 21, 2014

Do you have quick disconnects between the control valve and bucket cylinders? If yes, lower the bucket until it is resting flat on the ground. Disconnect both of the quick disconnects. Raise the loader, is the bucket now locked in place or does it still flop around? If it is locked in place you have a control valve problem to diagnose. If it still flops around your bucket cylinders are bad. Depending on cylinder design one of the pistons may have come loose from the rod, very bad seals, etc..

Gary Fowler · Jan 22, 2014

redfishtd said:
Lifts okay ,but when I put on bucket or forks to push down the bucket or forks just come up . Another words it ain't stiff anymore. If you tilt bucket all the way down and try to go backwards to pull some dirt back when grading
with the tractor it just folds flat. I think the control valve should hold the pressure on the rams to keep them in the position you have it in right? I have a massey 1533 tractor and it was working fine for the last 8 years. They tell me the control valve is only available new for 500 bucks -no rebuild kit. Any input would be welcome.

Could be a bad control valve or perhaps you are pushing it too far forward and it is going into float position. That sounds like what it is doing to me.

J_J · Jan 22, 2014

Try this test,

Place bucket flat on the ground.

Tilt the bucket down and don't go into regen. If regen is in the first part of lever movement, go past the regen to the full force mode with the lever and see if the tractor front end lifts and wheels come off the ground..

With the bucket set at full down, the lift arms float mode should not fold the bucket back as the cyl fluid is blocked. .

The bucket tilted down should follow the conture of the ground if float is engaged.

redfishtd · Jan 25, 2014

Found the problem-- the one quick disconnect for the fel was barely making-- it had a weak flow- intermittent flow . It finally quit in the curled position and would not tilt down at all.we pulled the hydraulic line off the front rams and they were dry. No flow when calling for bucket un- curl.
Finally pulled hard on all four quick disconnects under tractor step - one came out . Very difficult to get it to re-seat . All this after we had drained the hydraulic fluid to make sure we had the proper levels --we didn't-- it was over filled . We had been through the linkage to the control valve and lubed it up first. Now to change all the filters and put new tractor fluid back in it . Pricey filters too.
Several years ago I had put new o rings in female quick disconnects to stop them from dripping , sand and vibration are rough on these fittings. I will check these fittings more often now , never have taken the fel off. Wasn't looking forward to a new 500 buck control valve ,so we were checking to see if one of the front rams had gone bad ,they are in parallel-- so if one was by-passing pressure the other wouldn't work either-- didn't end up being the case.