Backhoe Problem with BH75 backhoe

[Wshovlin]

There are quite a few hydraulic fittings in the block of valves and it's crowded - but there's probably one that needs tightening up.

Yea...the block is definitely crowded. So crowded that I'm thinking of living with the very small leak until some day when I decide to remove the backhoe and then try to tighten things up. I'm also thinking the leak might be coming from somewhere at the top of the control block where the joy sticks are attached. That would also make sense because gravity would then cause the control block to be covered with the leaking fluid. Watcha think?

 

[astavakra]

Just spray it down with brake cleaner and move the stick one position at a time and look to see where the leak is. Be sure to leave the swing lock pin in, if you are standing behind or in front of it or whatever.
The valve body is not any big deal to remove, just mark the lines with tape. It is heavy though.

Update. I used the backhoe after surgery this summer for approximately thirty hours with no problems. (No leaks and the riggers worked perfectly) I changed the hydraulic filters and one was half full of water. So somehow water go into the system, I think it was from the riggers when I was digging in the wet mud last year.

 

[shadman]

Somehow this doesn't make sense to me. If there was water getting in from digging in a wet environment then wouldn't hydraulic fluid be able to get out? Unless there is a seal problem the issue I think is condensation. Is there any dramatic temperature changes that could cause this? The fact that the back hoe was sitting covered for most of the year might be the issue. There needs to be sufficient air circulation to prevent this. I'm no expert but there has to be some way the water is getting in without a leak at the points that were under water at the time of use.

 

[Wshovlin]

Thanks much for the tips and help! I think I'll wait and give the brake cleaner tip a try next Spring, as long as the leak just remains a few drips after each use.

 

[astavakra]

Good questions. So, if the hoe is covered up with the lines connected together, how does condensation get in? The original problem was the riggers were hydro-locked. There was water in both valve cups causing the lock. There was no water or fluid in any of the other valve cups. There are no hydraulic leaks and the fluids and filters have been changed more frequently than required. The rigger arms are lifted fully and tied with stored, so they are not in contact with the ground, the hoe is about 1 foot off the ground. The tractor is stored in a heated garage.
I am not expert either, but I believe the water somehow entered the riggers digging in the watery mud, because the other valve cups were dry.
I live about 15 clicks from the Canadian border and am close to you, so you know how harsh the environment is.