Massey Ferguson 1740M Hydro: LOSS OF POWER when hot!

[TopSpeed1]

I have a MF backhoe also that I put on this Spring. Same as mower, awesome power to pull stumps early on, but that brute force is minimal towards the end of the job. I haven't timed that loss of power however.

I also have a Snow Pusher that is rather large for this size tractor. We haven't had any big snow dumps in a couple of years help. Here's my video of my (this) tractor killing it a few winters ago, I mean it was a beast as in the title....

 

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@JWR
My leftover 5gal pail says Permatran 821XL. It's got about half full left, and I know I used another full one as I looked up my purchase from Amazon. So I got about 7.5 gals changed?. I do remember when filling the site glass was not good to actually see the level, and I struggled with this. Can't remember much more other than the filters were under the Left Rear wheel cover, and, I thought I was doing this maintenance ahead of time and it really wasn't due till 250hrs?. I probably am wrong on this, my memory has gone to crap ever since I hit that magic 50!

Should I have used another oil? I thought I searched it back then, but maybe I screwed up and took a cheaper route.

 

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@JWR
I will order in and change Hyd oil again, what oil should I be using? I'm at a point where 400$ in oil and filters is an easy assurance and a sure checkoff from my list.

....I really didn't relate this problem to the hydrostatic drive, I was focusing more on a direct engine issue like bad injectors that get hot and do not compress and mist the fuel for combustion/ efficiently.

 

[seville009]

Maybe I missed it, but had it been running fine, and then this issue just started, say, a month (or whenever)ago?

If so, what, if anything may have been done to or changed on the tractor around the time that this problem began?

 

[TopSpeed1]

I see my last order I had this for $129, it's up to $179 now. Not surprised, everything has gone up but if it's not the Hyd oil everyone is using right now, like a total synthetic, I'll go that route.

Amazon.com

 

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@ seville009

It might of been active this winter during snow plowing?, but where I live, we really didn't have much snow fall to actually use it beyond the 40 min mark. SO, I'm not sure it was something I did, or something that progressively has shown up.

My first route of thinking after having the issue (it was basically idle over winter and in my pole barn). Did a critter get into the air intake/filter etc? That was checked, okay. I then went the route of engine failure or maybe turbo failure, my dealer didn't pursue any of this. I've been pulling my hair out for the last 2 Months.

I'm now going to re-change my Hyd oil, I think!?. Maybe I'm grasping at straws at this point. But my dealer is stumped as well, so I need to try anything right now and oil I can do myself. A turbo or injector replacement, not so.

 

[JWR]

@JWR
I will order in and change Hyd oil again, what oil should I be using? I'm at a point where 400$ in oil and filters is an easy assurance and a sure checkoff from my list.

....I really didn't relate this problem to the hydrostatic drive, I was focusing more on a direct engine issue like bad injectors that get hot and do not compress and mist the fuel for combustion/ efficiently.

Oh No ! I did not mean that you should change your hydro fluid again ! I do not think that is needed nor would it do any good. You certainly used very well recognized hyd fluid and not accidentally some other fluid. The issue MIGHT relate to the hydrostatic drive but that is just one more possibility, not necessarily a likely one. Did you try running in low range when this happens? What was the effect ? Did you have an opportunity to cut heavy grass (say a foot high or so) for long enough to see if that produces the problem or not?

 

[loggin]

@ seville009

It might of been active this winter during snow plowing?, but where I live, we really didn't have much snow fall to actually use it beyond the 40 min mark. SO, I'm not sure it was something I did, or something that progressively has shown up.

My first route of thinking after having the issue (it was basically idle over winter and in my pole barn). Did a critter get into the air intake/filter etc? That was checked, okay. I then went the route of engine failure or maybe turbo failure, my dealer didn't pursue any of this. I've been pulling my hair out for the last 2 Months.

I'm now going to re-change my Hyd oil, I think!?. Maybe I'm grasping at straws at this point. But my dealer is stumped as well, so I need to try anything right now and oil I can do myself. A turbo or injector replacement, not so.

This may have been asked already and I missed it but is the tractor still under warranty?

 

[JWR]

This may have been asked already and I missed it but is the tractor still under warranty?

Yes, really !! The OP said the dealer had had it for around 4 weeks, I think, and was baffled. A baffled dealer does not end a warrantee. The Regional Service Reps are in place for those things AND they have access to backup help beyond what the dealer does. The OP needs to request /insist on the involvement of the Regional Service Rep at some point. That would be a valid thing to do even if the warrantee has run out but way more important cost-wise to get that done while still under guarantee.

 

[TopSpeed1]

Oh No ! I did not mean that you should change your hydro fluid again ! I do not think that is needed nor would it do any good. You certainly used very well recognized hyd fluid and not accidentally some other fluid. The issue MIGHT relate to the hydrostatic drive but that is just one more possibility, not necessarily a likely one. Did you try running in low range when this happens? What was the effect ? Did you have an opportunity to cut heavy grass (say a foot high or so) for long enough to see if that produces the problem or not?

Hi JWR,
No worries, I would never pin any suggestion on anyone! I just want to nix out all possibilities that I can correct myself. This is one of them, well minus the $500 bucks, but at least this is now done at/around the 250hrs and at the Agco suggested rather than my 100 hr previously done one.. I guess I will be good on this now for a long time. So not a total loss even if it doesn't fix the issue. I also still need to change the front axel, so this with my leftover Permatran should cover this as well.

I looked up from the last Hyd oil change and found my ipad notes; and already placed my Amazon order a few hours ago. The beauty with Amazon, I can return it w no problems. I'm still thinking of carrying it out however. Here is a post I just made with my notes basically to help future 1740M seekers of this process.

So yes, I did go down to turtle (slowest) mode, it certainly helps, but at that speed there really is not much of a load on the engine, so I think a 20hp tractor could pull that off w ease.