TC40DA Hydro Pedals have a mind of their own! Dangerous! Need help.

[MiserableOldFart]

Thanks to everyone for all the great advice and information. It turns out that the pedal adjustment was just fine. The culprit definitely seems to have been a very badly clogged up filter. Growling after that also seems that it was injested air, even though I filled the filter with fluid before putting it on the tractor. All that seems to be OK now.
My next issue with the tractor is to get the four-wheel-drive to actually engage and disengage once again. Seems it’s always something.

Wow! Four wheel drive is on a lever? Lever won't move or it moves and nothing happens?

 

[dynasim]

I have the supersteer model. On mine, there are 2 4wd controls. The top lever controls the sensitrak mode(always on or on with lost traction), and there is another below and behind the seat that extends up from the transmission.

 

[tc40da-rg]

First, let me thank you for the reply(ies) AND apologize for being away from the Forum for all this time... Ain't it funny how "Life" gets in the way of tractor fun!? LOL

Yes, MiserableOldFart, the Four wheel drive is engaged/disengaged by a lever to the left of the driver. The lever seems stuck in the disengaged position. Every since I bought the tractor (used), the 4-wheel selector was "clunky"/sticky going in and out of operation. Yeah, it should surely have been checked and likely adjusted long ago. Now, it simply does not move.

I haven't been to the property where the tractor is (actually at a property of mine & my brother's in another state) for months now; and it turns out that I spoke too soon on the original issue for the original posting issue. According to my brother, the HST pedals moving on their own is still going on, and darned near ran him over!

 

[tc40da-rg]

I have the supersteer model. On mine, there are 2 4wd controls. The top lever controls the sensitrak mode(always on or on with lost traction), and there is another below and behind the seat that extends up from the transmission.

Thanks for the reply. And, Guess what? I just figured out how to "reply with quote". I'm slow, and not too sure. My TC40DA is not supersteer and only has the lever to the left side of the driver for 4-wheel drive control (as far as I know).

 

[tc40da-rg]

I haven't used the tractor since my post months ago. It is actually at our property in another state; but my brother has tried using it, and the HST pedal issue is still as bad as ever. The filter changes didn't seem to help after all. We've got to figure this out... the darned thing almost ran over my brother.

The pedals/linkage are not "sticking" and don't need lubrication. Everything seems to be adjusted as it should. The "return spring" is good and properly attached. It simply starts moving in the direction for which either one of the pedals are closest to when the engine starts. It is not as bad when the tractor is first started (cold), but rapidly begins to pull, push, whatever, the HST pedals in one direction or the other. It's like it isn't happy being in the neutral position, as it will quickly move away from neutral position if you aren't physically holding the pedals there. The only other thing I know to add right now is that it doesn't seem as bad if the engine is idling, but that only makes sense due to the lower hydraulic pressures derived.

Has no one else ever experienced this?

I hope to get to the tractor next week and am frantically trying to find any ideas/help I can muster. Racking my brain (such as it is) for possibilities:
I don't even know if this tractor has a "cruise control" (never looked for one), but could it be something to do with those circuits/system?
Would a "blown out" filter cause such an issue?
Can it be debris, sludge, etc. in some valves or controls inside the tranny/HST?
The tractor has several other issues, but all of them have been fairly "ongoing". For instance, the 4-wheel drive engage/disengage stuck (disengaged); the PTO has NEVER worked on this tractor -- as per the first owner, "(We) never used it, or even tried it until we got ready to sell it and it simply didn't work"; the 3-point hitch doesn't operate (at all). Can any, or all, of these have anything to do with the other(s)?

I'm pretty much at a loss here. Any help or input is greatly appreciated.

 

[TO_Bud]

I've got a TC-40D a few years older than yours. I would start researching the cruise control solenoid, assuming you have one and I believe you probably do. When my cruise control is engaged it shuts off as soon as I apply the brakes. You mentioned earlier you have had to start the tractor with your brakes engaged. When you do so is the hydro pedal moving the same way as when starting without the brakes on. If the hydro pedal is not moving with brakes on then I would think the cruise switch is a problem. Locate the cruise switch and unplug it to see if the problem clears up. That is assuming you have cruise.

Bud

 

[MiserableOldFart]

Four wheel drive has always been tricky on my little tractor, but I was already used to it from my '87 dodge pickup. Usually, to get into four wheel drive, it just takes a nudge forward or reverse, not even enough to actually move the tractor, to get it to go in. The clutch has zero apparent effect on this, by the way. Getting out of four wheel drive is usually not a problem but on rare occasions needs a similar nudge. I have gotten used to the feel of the lever when going into four wheel drive, and at any resistance, just tap the forward or reverse pedal and it goes right in. If your first move is to floor the clutch, about 70% of the time, it won't go into four wheel drive unless you release the clutch and provide the nudge. This little technique is one of those things that is much harder to describe than actually do. It's automatic with me now.

 

[Xenia-13]

The tractor has several other issues, but all of them have been fairly "ongoing". For instance, the 4-wheel drive engage/disengage stuck (disengaged); the PTO has NEVER worked on this tractor -- as per the first owner, "(We) never used it, or even tried it until we got ready to sell it and it simply didn't work"; the 3-point hitch doesn't operate (at all). Can any, or all, of these have anything to do with the other(s)?

I'm pretty much at a loss here. Any help or input is greatly appreciated.

I'm not an expert on these systems but I believe that they are all interconnected in the hydrostatic system. I'm assuming that you don't want to take it to the dealer to have them diagnose and fix it for you. Do you have access to the repair manuals? You may be looking at a rebuild of the rear end of your tractor. Keep us posted!

 

[nftractor]

My Long Farmtrac 330HST is doing the same thing. I don't think people realize how dangerous this is vs a lazy creep. When I push forward, the pedal pulls itself to full forward engage and excessive power comes rushing in 2 seconds afterwards. My Low feels like Mid/High (5-8 mph). You have to balance with reverse pedal to bring the tractor under control. Too far, and the reverse pulls itself to full reverse engage and you are rushing in reverse 2 seconds afterwards. tc40da-rg have you found the solution? My pedals and rocker are all moving freely. The only thing I can see is a damper shaft behind the hydro pedals (back by the seat) that I would hope applies proportional resistance as the pedals go further from neutral.

One issue that may have caused the pedal anomaly is the tractor had a hydro leak and my dad ran the fluid down until it had no drive. We fixed the leak and I refilled the hydro fluid. I went through the bleed procedure. I only see the tractor once every 4-6 weeks so I do not know if my dad was seeing symptoms prior to it running dry.