Ramairfreak98ss
Silver Member
So the tractor with about 1000 hrs on it started being sluggish when cold lifting the bucket, so much to the point that i would sound like the pump is straining and like you're pumping gear oil through it versus atf/hydro fluid. It did this for a short period of time but have not put many hours on it at all in the last 12 months. It developed a leak at the 4x4 shaft seal under the seat at the hydro pump end. We refilled it and the tractor moves easily however no PS or bucket/loader functions. I mean it DOES try to lift a tiny bit, but can't even raise the empty bucket off the ground, but you can see it try to lift up a little.
Online, with some searching, it says the spool valve may be in bypass mode, like stuck in that mode, or the bypass is clogged or something, clean the strainer screen and reassemble.
I can kind of rule out the trans hydro pump filter being clogged because the tractor moves fine forward and reverse.
The last thing, which it sounds fairly common now that the machines are 6-15 years old on average, that the power steering/attachment lift hydro secondary pump is bad, needs to be replaced or rebuilt under the steering column.
NEW / SIMPLICITY ORBITAL PS MOTOR / LEGACY GARDEN TRACTOR / PART# 1716257SM | eBay I think that is it.
Most complain about working fine one minute and not the next day. In my case it seemed more gradual with the sluggishness when cold then suddenly nothing. My only concern is that we replace this expensive pump and it ends up not being the pump but the system is somehow air bound? i've idled it fast for a half hour and refilled and even when warm, doesnt lift the loader at all.
Anyone else go through this? Anything specific i can check prior to this power steering pump replacement?
One additional tid bit, back in the day, like years and years ago, most guys were adding "shim washers" under the seat to the top of the unloader valve i assume is what it is, that would bump the hydro line pressure up so the bucket and boom of the loader would have more "ommph" to break out of a pile and lift 500lbs higher than it would from the factory. If the transaxle under the seat had control over the hydro line pressure to the loader itself, then why do they say online that the power steering pump under the steering column shaft "the small pump" create the pressure for the ps and loader hydro fluid? The k92 transaxle if its not actually the pump should have nothing to do with the hydro pressure to the loader then. Anyone know for sure?
Online, with some searching, it says the spool valve may be in bypass mode, like stuck in that mode, or the bypass is clogged or something, clean the strainer screen and reassemble.
I can kind of rule out the trans hydro pump filter being clogged because the tractor moves fine forward and reverse.
The last thing, which it sounds fairly common now that the machines are 6-15 years old on average, that the power steering/attachment lift hydro secondary pump is bad, needs to be replaced or rebuilt under the steering column.
NEW / SIMPLICITY ORBITAL PS MOTOR / LEGACY GARDEN TRACTOR / PART# 1716257SM | eBay I think that is it.
Most complain about working fine one minute and not the next day. In my case it seemed more gradual with the sluggishness when cold then suddenly nothing. My only concern is that we replace this expensive pump and it ends up not being the pump but the system is somehow air bound? i've idled it fast for a half hour and refilled and even when warm, doesnt lift the loader at all.
Anyone else go through this? Anything specific i can check prior to this power steering pump replacement?
One additional tid bit, back in the day, like years and years ago, most guys were adding "shim washers" under the seat to the top of the unloader valve i assume is what it is, that would bump the hydro line pressure up so the bucket and boom of the loader would have more "ommph" to break out of a pile and lift 500lbs higher than it would from the factory. If the transaxle under the seat had control over the hydro line pressure to the loader itself, then why do they say online that the power steering pump under the steering column shaft "the small pump" create the pressure for the ps and loader hydro fluid? The k92 transaxle if its not actually the pump should have nothing to do with the hydro pressure to the loader then. Anyone know for sure?
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