Removing GC2310 2450 Front End Loader and 2375 Backhoe

   / Removing GC2310 2450 Front End Loader and 2375 Backhoe #1  

exohomestead

Bronze Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Messages
55
Location
Midwest
Tractor
MH CG2310, White GT205, Cessna 140
I've used my 2006 GC2310 for 2 years now. I never removed the FEL or the BH, and now I'd like to. Looks easy to connect and disconnect but I know there are always gotchas waiting to happen. Can you direct me to a simple step-by-step about how to do this? I have all the GC2310 books, but they say nothing about the attachments.

Okay, I know this is probably easy stuff for all the experts, but I have some simple thoughts on my mind:

Are the attachments self-standing when they're disconnected or do I need to be able to lift them?
How do I position the bucket an the backhoe controls so they will stand freely and not move when disconnected?
Do I have to lift these up, or done correctly, should I be able to drive away and later drive back directly to hookup?
Regarding hydraulic hoses, what connects to what when the attachments are removed?
Any concerns about hydraulic fluid running out of the lines?
 
   / Removing GC2310 2450 Front End Loader and 2375 Backhoe #2  
AGCO sells books for both, apparently only online using a propriety software reader to prevent pirating. You can print 5 pages at a time, so that is what I did with both, to put into a binder for the toolbox.

I only bought my CG2310 this March and have only removed the backhoe. The stabilizer arms go down, the bucket goes out extended with the teeth on the ground. Downforce on the arms relieves the pinch on the pins, which I found easy to remove. The harder part is lifting the upper pins out of the holding cups, but pressing the BH bucket down does the trick. I have not yet remounted the BH after replacing some hoses on it.

Good advice I read here, is to have extensions fabricated to connect the tractor hydraulics to the BH. Stock hoses are just a *might* too short to easily get your hydraulics running with enough room between the two to get in there and sort things out when reconnecting. Not enough space between tractor and BH. Instead of extensions, I replaced the two original BH hoses with ones 18" longer.

I placed an oak firewood round under the main plate of the BH in case of settling, but even so the rams did not hold up under gravity pressure and it sank a little unevenly. I am confident that when remounting I can lift it back up by downward force on the stabilizer arms with hydraulics connected. But what do I know?

I only have two hydraulic hoses to connect to the BH: pressure and return marked with blue and yellow wireties. I have read where some were supplied with three hoses, and additional (red?) which I understand is an overpressure hose that dumps recirculating fluid back into the transmission sump.

Hope this helps. I can find the link again for buying the books if you want.

-Phil
Virginia
 
   / Removing GC2310 2450 Front End Loader and 2375 Backhoe #3  
Phil is correct... those down rigger arms will settle, so best not to rely on them to hold things up. I also use a chunk of a log to put under the BH. Last winter, I had the down riggers fully retracted for storage; this will work, as long as your base is stable.

If you have hydraulic line extensions (or even better-- longer hoses; great idea, Phil!), you can back up near the BH, connect and then use the hydraulics to raise the BH for re-mounting. I won't lie, re-mounting the BH can be tricky -- it just takes practice. I also have a concrete pad to set it on, which makes it easier, but I've also set it down (on the log piece) on the ground, too.

The bucket loader (FEL) is very easy to remove and attach, again if you have a concrete area to do it. I use a flat 4-wheel dolly, which allows me to position it in the garage after removal. After setting the two storage legs down, I lower the FEL on to the dolly. I now have it down to 3-4 minutes to drop it or re-mount it.

Just remember to ALWAYS relieve the pressure in the system before attempting to disconnect hydraulics. If you have residual pressure in the lines, you won't be able to re-connect them.

Here's a few pics of "storage" mode-- hope this helps.

BH parked.JPGDSC02706.JPGDSC06709.jpgDSC06708.jpg
 
   / Removing GC2310 2450 Front End Loader and 2375 Backhoe #4  
Question I missed, exo: After disconnecting the BH, you simply hook the blue and yellow hoses together on the tractor and drive away.
 
   / Removing GC2310 2450 Front End Loader and 2375 Backhoe
  • Thread Starter
#5  
pcwolf and irvinj,

Thank you for the explanation. The pictures really help, too. I'll plan for some sagging of the outriggers. I can't really tell if the FEL bucket or BH bucket are in a stable position or if they will sag, too. I imagine if I pull a hydraulic line to replace it, that will relieve all pressure on the BH. I hope it doesn't do some magnificent drop. I'll have to put it under a tree so I can use a block and tackle to pull it back up if need be!

I think my 2006 GC2310 does have 3 hydraulic lines. I'll have to go check tomorrow. The colored zip ties were gone before I got the tractor, so I'll have to make an equivalent marker somehow.
 
   / Removing GC2310 2450 Front End Loader and 2375 Backhoe
  • Thread Starter
#6  
pcwolf and irvinj,

Thank you for the explanation. The pictures really help, too. I'll plan for some sagging of the outriggers. I can't really tell if the FEL bucket or BH bucket are in a stable position or if they will sag, too. I imagine if I pull a hydraulic line to replace it, that will relieve all pressure on the BH. I hope it doesn't do some magnificent drop. I'll have to put it under a tree so I can use a block and tackle to pull it back up if need be!

I think my 2006 GC2310 does have 3 hydraulic lines. I'll have to go check tomorrow. The colored zip ties were gone before I got the tractor, so I'll have to make an equivalent marker somehow.
 
   / Removing GC2310 2450 Front End Loader and 2375 Backhoe #7  
In my experience, all of the cylinders will leak, some faster than others. I know that when I park mine with the FEL on and raised, the curl cylinders will quickly (2-3 days) begin to drop; the main lift cylinders also leak down but are a bit slower. There are also pins on the BH that can be engaged to lock it in a retracted position.

As far as removing pressure before disconnecting, all you need to do is cycle the FEL control back & forth several times with the engine off; that'll do it.
 
   / Removing GC2310 2450 Front End Loader and 2375 Backhoe #8  
Exo ... there are little ball bearings in the disconnects that jam the openings when you disconnect. They are captured and won't fall out. There won't be a big spray of fluid! The reason you relieve system pressure by working the FEL joystick is so you can connect again. Without high pressure, connecting the two ends presses the ball bearings into a detent so the fluid flows again.

Connect feed and return lines after removing BH to make the tractor system intact, the third overflow line dangles or can be capped.
 
   / Removing GC2310 2450 Front End Loader and 2375 Backhoe
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Question I missed, exo: After disconnecting the BH, you simply hook the blue and yellow hoses together on the tractor and drive away.

With the BH disconnected, I read from pcwolf, that the blue & yellow from the tractor should connect together. I have no yellow, and I have three lines between the tractor and backhoe on my 2006 edition. On the tractor side, there are two with no color and one blue. They connect to the backhoe like this:

T nocolor <--> BH nocolor. Connects to the left BH valve control block

These two lines disappear along the tractor frame right side.
T blue <--> BH red. Connects to the right bottom of valve control block.
T nocolor <--> BH blue. Connects to the right side of valve control block, sticking horizontally out the side of the sheet metal housing.

So, with three lines and different colors, what connects to what (or is left dangling) when the backhoe is removed? Or a bonus question I'd like to understand: what is the function of each line from the tractor to the backhoe? ..not just the "name" of the hose (P, PB, T), but why is each necessary or what does it do?

It sounds like having hydraulics active is a necessary part of remounting the BH. For installing replacement hoses 18" longer, where are the *other* ends of the OEM lines to disconnect them? My three lines disappear into the frame and body and I can't see where they go. Maybe extensions might be easier.
 
   / Removing GC2310 2450 Front End Loader and 2375 Backhoe #10  
I went with extensions, which I leave on the BH.

There has been some discussion on this forum about how, on some GC2300s, the color indicators were either left off, incorrect, or just different. On mine, I have red, blue, and white on my BH lines, with BOTH a blue and a white on one of them.

When the BH's off, the red one (female connector) is tucked up and out of the way so it won't get caught by the 3PH arms as they move up & down (with MMM or 3PH raising & lowering). The blue/white line connects to the white one that goes back into the tractor frame; that's called a "return line" and it's necessary to have those two connected to be able to use the MMM or the 3PH.

Here are some pics of mine:




DSC09577.jpgDSC09578.jpg
 
 
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