Loader Won't Tilt

[Pricklypete]

Hello, I recently broke something on my tractor, and I need help. I have a ford 540 tractor loader, and I was moving some dirt with it the other day, I had the bucket tilted almost all the way down and was trying to push a pile of dirt. There was a faint clunk sound and then I was unable to curl the bucket up, clearly I did something wrong and something broke but what ? It's possible to get the bucket tilted all the way up by lowering the boom until it begins to lift the front end of the tractor off the ground then pulling the lever to tilt, but once you tilt it down again it won't curl back up with just the hydraulics as it should. I have very little experience working on hydraulic systems, so I don't want to just start ripping into things. I did some reading online which lead me to checking the hoses, all of the hoses for the loader are the threaded on type, not quick disconnect. There are no external leaks at any hose connection or anywhere else. All the other hydraulics work fine, the boom raises and lowers as it should, the hydraulic fluid dipstick says its full. Other than visually inspecting and forcing the bucket back up with the weight of the tractor I haven't tried anything. Where should I go from here ? What did I most likely break, something in the cylinders or the valve ?

 

[k0ua]

Hello, I recently broke something on my tractor, and I need help. I have a ford 540 tractor loader, and I was moving some dirt with it the other day, I had the bucket tilted almost all the way down and was trying to push a pile of dirt. There was a faint clunk sound and then I was unable to curl the bucket up, clearly I did something wrong and something broke but what ? It's possible to get the bucket tilted all the way up by lowering the boom until it begins to lift the front end of the tractor off the ground then pulling the lever to tilt, but once you tilt it down again it won't curl back up with just the hydraulics as it should. I have very little experience working on hydraulic systems, so I don't want to just start ripping into things. I did some reading online which lead me to checking the hoses, all of the hoses for the loader are the threaded on type, not quick disconnect. There are no external leaks at any hose connection or anywhere else. All the other hydraulics work fine, the boom raises and lowers as it should, the hydraulic fluid dipstick says its full. Other than visually inspecting and forcing the bucket back up with the weight of the tractor I haven't tried anything. Where should I go from here ? What did I most likely break, something in the cylinders or the valve ?

Swap the hoses on the loader valve that control the lift function with the curl function. Then operate the lift function if the bucket will curl, then the problem is in the valve, and likewise you can do a double blind test by operation the curl function and see if the lift raises. You will have your answer.

 

[J_J]

I am thinking you popped the nut of the shaft that holds the piston on.

The nut could also have come loose and the piston is floating on the shaft allowing fluid to bypass.

Do you have one curl cyl or two?

 

[pmsmechanic]

I'm with J_J

 

[Pricklypete]

Thanks for the responses, I will try the hose swap thing, that makes sense. there are two cylinders controlling the tilt. Is popping the nut off the shaft a common thing, I'm guessing the whole shaft would have to be replaced if that were the case. I was really hoping it was just an o-ring or other seal issue somewhere.