M7040 back from service with a loader issue!

[canoetrpr]

I got my M7040 back from my dealer after it's 50 hr service. I would normally do it myself but wanted them to deal with a hyd fluid leak from the loaded at the junction in the center of the loader.

They got the service done and the leak seems to be fine (o ring).

Unfortunately, I immediately found that while curl was fine the loader was not lifting or lowering at it's normal speed (maybe 1/4) of the normal. Then realized that the loader will not lower all the way to the bottom (it stops just above ground level).

I checked the quick connects on the main valve and they seem secure. I have not unbolted the cover where the hoses meet at the front center of the loader (where my leak was).

I'm pretty puzzled. Will call the dealer tomorrow but thought I'd post here to see if anyone had any ideas that might save the tractor another trip.

Another strange thing. I now see some electrical wiring hanging from that front center junction area (I don't have a diverted). It seems to come from what appears to be a trailer plug back where the hydraulic hoses are connected to the joystick valve outlets. Never noticed this before. Anyone else have this on their Mxx40?

 

[E/S]

The loader problem sounds like a quick connect not seated properly.
The wires I would need to see a picture to help me figure out what you are talking about.
On both I would have the dealer send out a mechanic and fix what they did.

E/S

 

[canoetrpr]

Yeah I would have guessed a quick connect as well. Called the dealer and this is what he thought too. I've checked them all though and for good measure undid all 4 and re-seated them to no avail.

I'm convinced now that it is something to do with the 'compact valve' that is in the front center of the loader - where the leak was.

I took apart the cover to the compact valve and don't see anything obvious. I tried pulling on the hoses to see if any were seated improperly but non on the ones on the outside are.

I guess the dealer will be sending someone out on Monday. Will post on what it turns out to be.

 

[Tx Jim]

Are you sure there aren't some hoses plugged incorrectly as having one tilt & one lift hose plugged to the same spool(function)?

 

[canoetrpr]

Tx Jim - I thought it might be something strange like this but does not appear to be the case at least at the valve end where the 4 quick connects are. The hoses are labelled 1-4 and start at 1 (close to the cab) and go upto 4.

When I looked at the 'compact valve' at the center of the loader it seemed to me that they might have messed up 1 and 2 as I see it going from bottom to top as 2, 1, 3, 4. I would have had to unplug a number of the hoses at the compact valve to try changing it there so I thought I would simply try swapping 2 and 1 at the joystick valve end as it would be equivalent. I tried that and it didn't work. It had the effect of reversing the up and down function.

It seems to me to be something at the compact valve end but I can't figure out what as I don't seem to have any reference as to which hose is supposed to go where. Curl seems to work perfectly fine.

 

[canoetrpr]

The other REALLY strange thing is that the loader does not go below a certain point (does not go to the ground). Its almost as if there is something invisible that is blocking it. Just stops dead when it put it down and I hear the relief valve kicking in .

Wierd :-(

 

[ljohnson778]

Not that this helps with the speed issue... I have a M6040 and when the bucket is curled all the way back, it will not rest on the ground, it hits the stops. If I curl the bucket down close to level, it will rest on the ground fine. First tractor I've had that does this, so thought I'd pass it along. Doesn't really cause a problem, just odd.

 

[canoetrpr]

ljohnson, can you push the loader and bucket down far enough so that the front end of your tractor is lifted off the ground?

 

[ljohnson778]

ljohnson, can you push the loader and bucket down far enough so that the front end of your tractor is lifted off the ground?

Yes... If the bucket is level or rolled forward. If it is rolled back, It won't even touch the ground.

 

[kuboman]

The other REALLY strange thing is that the loader does not go below a certain point (does not go to the ground). Its almost as if there is something invisible that is blocking it. Just stops dead when it put it down and I hear the relief valve kicking in .

Wierd :-(

when it stops going down are the cylinders fully retracted. Is there any chrome showing?

 

[canoetrpr]

when it stops going down are the cylinders fully retracted. Is there any chrome showing?

I am beginning to think that I am imagining whatever issue I think I have.

Yes the cylinders are fully retracted - no chrome showing. I have my hay spear on and I think the loader hits the ground when it is level.

I believe I have been able to resolve the speed issue. Hydraulic line #2, right above the quick connect has a valve of sorts with a lever. When I pushed that lever to the horizontal position I heard a bunch of air escaping. I cannot tell what this lever is for but my only guess is to allow air to escape. I tightened it back up and the speed seems to have improved now and seems normal when my revs are up.

I'm going to switch over to the bucket tomorrow and see if I can lift he front end with the bucket.

 

[canoetrpr]

Well it has been a long time but I finally got most of this mystery resolved today.

First off, I found that some days the loader speed was fine, other days it was just horrible. I literally had to put it into float to get it down in a reasonable time. Otherwise it would take 45 seconds to go from the high position to low!

The issue turned out to be that the adjustment of the 3pt hitch. These are the adjustment nuts that control how high the valve lifts the 3 pt arms. A while ago I had just adjusted them so that the relief would not be opened i.e. the hitch traveled as high it could possibly go. I guess somehow during the transport to the dealer or the service it felt slightly out of that adjustment so that now if I raise the 3 PT all the way up, the pump labours trying to lift the 3PT higher than it can possibly go.

The result is reduced flow to the loader! i.e. very long raise and lower times!

I figured this out while I was helping my neighbour with her manure pile and it started acting up. It just came to me. I lowered the 3PT an inch and my loader was back to normal.

I guess on days where I lift the 3Pt all the way up, the loader acts up. If I leave it below the highest position - even by 1/2 an inch, the relief does not kick in.

The dealer had even sent the mechanic in last week and on that day things were working fine! I felt like a fool!

Anyway - hope this helps someone other than me. It has taken over a month for me to get this figured out!

 

[MHarryE]

A nasty thing about this is for a month you have been running with the hydraulic oil running through the relief valve most of the time which means a lot of heat generated. If you have run continuously for long periods of time during the month you might want to check your hydraulic oil. Odor and color are the easiest things to check - sampling is the sure thing but it costs me $20 per sample and unless you used it hard it probably isn't a concern.

 

[canoetrpr]

A nasty thing about this is for a month you have been running with the hydraulic oil running through the relief valve most of the time which means a lot of heat generated. If you have run continuously for long periods of time during the month you might want to check your hydraulic oil. Odor and color are the easiest things to check - sampling is the sure thing but it costs me $20 per sample and unless you used it hard it probably isn't a concern.

I was thinking of that but the problem was not frequently reproducible. In addition I don't really use my tractor very much. I usually put out a couple bales of hay for the cows once every 4-5 days. So I'm not concerned about this angle.

 

[gwdixon]

The travel of the 3PH can be adjusted. Maybe the dealer already did the adjustment but here is a photo of the adjustable lever.

 

[gwdixon]

The travel of the 3PH can be adjusted. Maybe the dealer already did the adjustment but here is a photo of the adjustable lever.

Oh...and I meant to mention that when the adjustment was being fiddled with the rod was set so the lift was a bit too high. At that point the FEL behaved exactly like it did with the OP.

It took a while to discover since the 3PH is not often raised to the top stop and the FEL used at the same time.

 

[canoetrpr]

Oh...and I meant to mention that when the adjustment was being fiddled with the rod was set so the lift was a bit too high. At that point the FEL behaved exactly like it did with the OP.

It took a while to discover since the 3PH is not often raised to the top stop and the FEL used at the same time.

I guess that makes the two of us that have run into this!

I talked to the service manager at my dealers and let him know what the problem was. He was very appreciative and is going to include it in their service manual. Since no issue was found when the mechanic came out here, they have sent me a bill for the service call but are reversing it given this information.

 

[foreman Etexas]

The travel of the 3PH can be adjusted. Maybe the dealer already did the adjustment but here is a photo of the adjustable lever.

So I need to adjust this lever to get my 7040's 3pt low enough to use my tiller? The 5040 works fine with it but not the 7040. I didnt mess with it to long just switched out tractors real fast to get job done.

 

[gwdixon]

So I need to adjust this lever to get my 7040's 3pt low enough to use my tiller?

Unknown. You can play with it to find out.

The way the lever is designed, if you set it to lower the 3PH it will also shorten the amount raised. However, the lever may set the upper limit only.

The length of the hydraulic cylinders may also be a limiting factor. It would seem that they would bottom out with the operating lever set for all the way down.

My initial thought would be to used the lower holes on the vertical lift arms if it is not already set to the bottom holes.

 

[canoetrpr]

My initial thought would be to used the lower holes on the vertical lift arms if it is not already set to the bottom holes.

+ 1

I had to do this as well as I found my 3PT arms would not go all the way to the ground like they did on my L3400. Made it rather hard to hook up some implements as well.