425 again…movement problems…

[Modrob]

Our old 2001 425 (Kohler CH25) has been doing fine since repairing the last issue. Now it has started having terrible trouble moving—reverse is struggling, and while trying to back up a small flat trailer with it on a slight incline, it struggled more and eventually stops moving. But whines quite loudly in reverse. Even when it has stalled movement. I believe forward has a little trouble, but overall much better, and no whine…easing downhill now then letting off pedals it will whine and still moves unless I tap on the reverse pedal which will stop it, but not for long…
Oil/fluid is good, maybe 6-7 hours since last change.
I recently jacked it up all around and tested treadle pedals. Worked fine and no noise heard from any motor…
???

 

[m5040]

Did you bleed air out after the oil change? When in reverse/stalled and you hear the loud noise from hydraulics, is the engine at high RPM and no load or heavy load?

 

[Modrob]

Yes. After the fluid change I did bleed it…this was several months back and other than some other motor issues I had (that saga elsewhere here ) it has worked just fine. This seems to have started recently and kind of snuck up on me…
The noise—it happens at high or low throttle, loaded or unloaded. But it is slightly worse with load. (I used it again today and intended to get video to post, but in my haste I forgot to choose VIDEO, and ended up with one picture LOL)

 

[Modrob]

Had a few buckets of dirt today and was dumping onto a little hill. As I’d let off the forward pedal and the momentum would carry me forward the noise would happen while it was moving forward, no pedals. Seems like it doesn’t hold back like it had been before…

 

[MossRoad]

So if you abruptly let off the directional pedal while moving at a decent speed, it doesn't abruptly stop? It rolls a ways?

 

[2manyrocks]

Do you have a leak somewhere that is allowing the system to suck in air?

Look in your hydraulic oil tank for air bubbles.

Total hours on your machine?

 

[Modrob]

So if you abruptly let off the directional pedal while moving at a decent speed, it doesn't abruptly stop? It rolls a ways?

Not on level ground. On slopes it wants to keep rolling, with almost no resistance —I have to keep stabbing at the reverse pedal to stop it going downhill. On level ground forward at speed, suddenly let off the pedal, and I get a very quick/split-second whine/noise, and stops normally.

 

[Modrob]

Do you have a leak somewhere that is allowing the system to suck in air?

Look in your hydraulic oil tank for air bubbles.

Total hours on your machine?

Not that I know of, but I’ll check again…hours? Oh boy! This machine has had a hard life from 2001 up to about 2016, and I’ve been fairly gentle with it since 2020…

 

[ponytug]

Whines from hydraulic pumps or motors is not generally a good thing. I'd be checking for air leaks, bubbles, and then pulling the filter and cutting it open to check for any metal pieces.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Modrob]

Dang! I was making a video clip of it acting up…turns out I had it in photo mode!
Decided to use it to shovel/scrape snow off the sloped driveway…it got the job done but struggled. I think the problem is more pronounced in reverse mode…and for some reason (this has been happening now for quite some time and honestly I just hadn’t had the time to dig into it) I have to keep throttling up…push up on the throttle handle and within 30 seconds or so, have to bump it up again…over and over. I need that full throttle for this hill we’re on. I need to figure out what holds that throttle setting—spring? Or the friction of the cable itself?
And…I really need more room to get it inside out of this freakin’ cold and snowy weather so I can dig a little deeper without suffering near frostbite
I’ll get a pic of the throttle/carb setup shortly and post…