3-Point Hitch TC29 3-Point Won't Lower

[DarrellC]

Hi Guys,

I am new to the forum and just bought a TC29 and am trying to get the 3-point working. The tractor has a bushhog 1846qt loader which works good and appears to be hooked up correctly. It has power beyond and the diverter valve is set in the 10'oclock position.

The problem is I can not push the 3-point lever down to lower the hitch. I tried to check to see if the valve under the seat was closed but something does not seem right there. There is a hole under the seat where it looks like the knob would be but it is recessed inside the tractor body and i can't reach it. Maybe something is missing and this is the cause of the problem? I have attached a closeup picture. If anyone could give me some hints on where to go from here that would be great. Thanks.

 

[rimshot]

I think all you need to do is have somebody apply some down pressure to the arms as you try to use control lever. Do you have more than one position for your hyraulic switch?


rimshot

 

[compact]

If it has a drop speed control valve (most tractors do) it may have gotten closed all the way.

 

[DarrellC]

I think all you need to do is have somebody apply some down pressure to the arms as you try to use control lever. Do you have more than one position for your hyraulic switch?

Do you mean the lever for the 3-point? Yes it has multiple positions. It's all the way in the up position right now.

If it has a drop speed control valve (most tractors do) it may have gotten closed all the way.

Yes it is supposed to have drop rate control according to the manual. It just seems weird that the knob is sitting so far into the tractor that I can't reach it with my fingers. It's almost like the whole body of the tractor is shifted forward or there is a piece missing that extends the valve. The Previous owner did split the tractor to install a new clutch maybe something didn't go back together correctly. I will have to see if i can turn it with pliers.

 

[jinman]

Darrell, your photo is of the drop-rate knob. The little cover in the middle is supposed to have arrows on it for adjustment. CCW=open (faster), CW=closed (slower). Here is an illustration that shows the adjustment and it's components. The black plastic (item 11) is the knob.



As far as your lever, sometimes they are very tight because a castle nut needs to be adjusted. The castle nut has a cotter key through it to hold it in place. See items 12 and 13 in the diagram below. Also the photo that follows has a yellow arrow pointing toward the location of that nut and cotter key. Remove the cotter key and loosen the nut until your lever moves, then re-insert the cotter key to hold the nut in place.

 

[J_J]

I think your knob is broken off and you need to remove the parts for the 3pt descent unit and replace the shaft.

 

[DarrellC]

Should the 3-point lever move even if the drop rate valve is closed all the way?

Should part 8 in the parts drawing jinman posted extend through the body of the tractor and have the knob on the end of it? On my tractor all I see is the black knob right against the descent unit housing.

 

[jinman]

Yes, the height lever should move independently of the drop rate setting. It seems to me that maybe your drop rate knob (part #8) has been removed and there is only the guide there (#9 in the drawing). Is your tractor the HST model or gear model? Is it possible that somebody removed the original seat and blue sheetmetal panel below and replaced it with one that does not allow access to the knob? Can you pop the silver cap off to see the nut below? If you can, maybe you could use a socket on the nut to adjust the drop rate. Surely somebody else with a TC29 can answer your question. I can't say for sure because mine is not that model.

 

[DarrellC]

Well I finally had some time to try and fix this problem.

I loosened the castle nut on the control lever as Jinman suggested and now I am able to move the control level. When I pushed the lever forward the three point dropped but now it will not raise back up. It looks like it may be raising very slowly, like 1/2" in 10 minutes.

It seems like I am not able to build any pressure in the 3pt. I have a loader on the tractor also and it appears everything is hooked up correctly with the power beyond and the diverter block in the 10'oclock position.

Does anyone have any ideas what may be going on or what tests I could perform?

Thanks

 

[brin]

Well I finally had some time to try and fix this problem.

I loosened the castle nut on the control lever as Jinman suggested and now I am able to move the control level. When I pushed the lever forward the three point dropped but now it will not raise back up. It looks like it may be raising very slowly, like 1/2" in 10 minutes.

It seems like I am not able to build any pressure in the 3pt. I have a loader on the tractor also and it appears everything is hooked up correctly with the power beyond and the diverter block in the 10'oclock position.

Does anyone have any ideas what may be going on or what tests I could perform?

Thanks

Wow...10 months...you must not use your tractor much....check to be sure you have hydraulic fluid...check your connections and filters...I mean 10 months since you first posted about this problem ....geeez....Has your tractor just been sitting all this time..?????

 

[DarrellC]

No It hasn't been sitting. I have been using the FEL mostly, which works fine. I built a house last fall and have been moving dirt and logs.

Hydraulic fluid is full and the previous owner said he changed the hydraulic fluid and filter before I bought it roughly 100 hours ago.

 

[brin]

No It hasn't been sitting. I have been using the FEL mostly, which works fine. I built a house last fall and have been moving dirt and logs.

Hydraulic fluid is full and the previous owner said he changed the hydraulic fluid and filter before I bought it roughly 100 hours ago.

It sounds like a blockage to me...some trash in the 3 pt....so if your FEL is working fine...it seems it has to be narrowed down to some blockage...I had that happen on a Ford Jubille 3 pt. hitch one time..it was a piece of O ring that had broken off...Maybe Soundguy ( Chris ) or Jinman will comment...they'll know.

 

[DarrellC]

I have a new piece of information. The 3pt raises while I lower the bucket or curl the bucket down.

Does this mean there is something wrong with the loader valve? By the way the FEL is a bush hog 1846qt.

 

[DarrellC]

I Figured it out.

The loader valve was missing the proper power beyond assembly. All that was in the power beyond port was a regular 90 fitting. The three point works fine if I unhook the loader hydraulics.

 

[Doninadaize]

I know this is an old post but I had the same trouble and didn't know there was a drop down control. This saved me a lot of time. I had a hole in the hydraulic return line (short rubber hose). After research found the correct fluid and filter, change it then the rear fork went down very slow. I thought I did something wrong. I found the control and adjusted it and it now works great. You guys have also be a help on my JD318 over the years. Thanks for the help.

 

[FarmerDavid]

I know this is an old post but I had the same trouble and didn't know there was a drop down control. This saved me a lot of time. I had a hole in the hydraulic return line (short rubber hose). After research found the correct fluid and filter, change it then the rear fork went down very slow. I thought I did something wrong. I found the control and adjusted it and it now works great. You guys have also be a help on my JD318 over the years. Thanks for the help.

I had a similar problem...acquired a TC29 with a piece of property we bought. It had a backhoe. I wanted to get a PTO chipper for the machine, and the PTO worked, but the 3 point would not raise or lower. The metering valve location looks just like Darrell's original picture, appears to be capped off. Through trial and error, found that disconnecting the hydraulic hoses from the backhoe put so much static pressure on the hydraulic system that the tractor wouldn't even start. Found a quick-disconnect fitting on the pressure return port of the Hydraulic Manifold Block/Diverter Valve, connected the loose end of one of the hoses (pressure side) that had been attached to the backhoe to that fitting, and the Hydraulic Power Lift Lever then worked to raise and lower the lift arms. I also (Like Darrell) had to free up that lever, as it had not been used for years, and was kind of corroded in place. Penetrating oil freed it up for me.

Based on Darrell's photo, and what I see on my tractor, I'm pretty sure there were a number of these machines that were sold without any metering valve installed. It looks like the rate of lowering is determined by how far and how fast you push the lever.

I have the operator's manual and the repair manual, and they both indicate there is a metering valve, but for some models, there just is no such valve.