OP
bandit67
Veteran Member
- Joined
- May 27, 2004
- Messages
- 1,610
- Location
- Lake Hartwell, SC
- Tractor
- 2012 B3000 HSDCC 2020 Z251 Zero Turn
FINALLY!!!!!!
I finally figured out the issue with my FEL boom not raising properly. I realized what was going on a week ago when I removed the FEL just to see how the machine handled mowing chores with the flail. I always figured the weight of the FEL would help balance the tractor a little better (it does) so the FEL has always been on for mowing duties. When I was finished mowing, I brought the machine down to the garage to blow all the dust off, and found hydraulic fluid had been dripping from one or more of the factory male QC poppets at the loader valve. The poppets were not seating properly, and were allowing hydraulic fluid to continue to flow through the QC's, regardless of FEL joystick position, thus creating a constant "bypass" situation at the valve.
I replaced all 4 complete factory QC assemblies today, and now I can't get the boom raise function to "fail", so I think the problem has finally been resolved for good.
Interesting part is that prior to these issues starting, the FEL had only been removed from the tractor once back when I first got it, just to do it. I would have figured repeated QC disconnects and reconnects would be harder on the poppets & springs than normal FEL operation, but I guess not. I just did the 200 hour service a couple weeks ago. This loader issue started about a year ago, closer to the 150 hour mark. I just never had time, or remembered, to look into it when the weather was good, since the majority of FEL use the last couple years has been for snow removal. Failed poppets so soon sure seems a bit odd compared to previous machines I've owned.
I finally figured out the issue with my FEL boom not raising properly. I realized what was going on a week ago when I removed the FEL just to see how the machine handled mowing chores with the flail. I always figured the weight of the FEL would help balance the tractor a little better (it does) so the FEL has always been on for mowing duties. When I was finished mowing, I brought the machine down to the garage to blow all the dust off, and found hydraulic fluid had been dripping from one or more of the factory male QC poppets at the loader valve. The poppets were not seating properly, and were allowing hydraulic fluid to continue to flow through the QC's, regardless of FEL joystick position, thus creating a constant "bypass" situation at the valve.
I replaced all 4 complete factory QC assemblies today, and now I can't get the boom raise function to "fail", so I think the problem has finally been resolved for good.
Interesting part is that prior to these issues starting, the FEL had only been removed from the tractor once back when I first got it, just to do it. I would have figured repeated QC disconnects and reconnects would be harder on the poppets & springs than normal FEL operation, but I guess not. I just did the 200 hour service a couple weeks ago. This loader issue started about a year ago, closer to the 150 hour mark. I just never had time, or remembered, to look into it when the weather was good, since the majority of FEL use the last couple years has been for snow removal. Failed poppets so soon sure seems a bit odd compared to previous machines I've owned.