FEL control issue

[rd_macgregor]

Sunday when moving the tractor (DK45 with KL451 loader), I went to lower the FEL and it felt like it went into float mode...but the FEL didn't lower. Whatever that little click was in the FEL control apparently was something breaking, since the FEL will now only tilt, curl and raise. I've parked it with the bucket pretty much all the way in the air, since the only way I could think to get it down was to loosen a hose (which didn't seem like a safe thing for me to do).

Any ideas about what the issue is likely to be?

 

[LD1]

Take the cover off the valve and look for anything broken with the linkage

 

[boggen]

yuck!

--i would say start with quick connects, pull them off and put them back on. (one hose at a time going to FEL)
--next would be a check valve (ball) inside spool valve is sticking and not letting oil in/out pending on direction of spool valve is operated.
--linkages out of alignment for joystick/levers for FEL
--relief valve some how out of major adjustment.
--if you have 3rd function joystick/lever for FEL for say operating graple or snow blower for FEL, and you DIY, the third function electronic valve might be bad (grasping at straws here)

--operate both curl or uncurl for bucket and FEL arms at same time. to see if you can get oil to by pass from FEL arms to bucket cylinders.

at your own risk. disconnect only one hose going to FEL. and then try to let it raise up (with tractor off), toss hose you disconnected into bucket. if major spool valve failure FEL could come crashing down.
--if you have a joystick... if you can get one hose off FEL arms. swap for a curl hose, and try going through joystick to see if FEL will lower.

i would be cautious of using the "FEL arm lock" to hold the FEL as you disconnect a house. to easy for FEL to suddenly drop, bang, and then lock bounce out of position and let FEL fall rest of the way. figure something out to properly support it.
--FEL's can be rather heavy. and simple 2x4 from FEL arms down to ground, i doubt i would trust. something slip at FEL or at the ground and it all comes down.

==========
until you can figure out if it is valve or cylinder. by swapping hoses between FEL arms and bucket cylinders. you have to many options to choose from. all of which, generally you want the FEL down on the ground. so you can work safely and not have the FEL come crashing down on you.

 

[rd_macgregor]

I bet if I parked my wife's car just in front of the tractor, that would prevent the FEL from crushing me if it came down in a hurry.
Seriously, thanks for the suggestions; I'll start going through the possibilities tonight (if it isn't raining, again).

Bob

 

[jabelding]

Sounds like one of your control cables might have an issue probably became disconnected from the lever or the spool does the lever feel loose in the lower direction?

 

[rd_macgregor]

I'm hopeful that the problem is as simple as something being disconnected. My tractor is now parked in the middle of a big puddle after all-night rain, so I'll wait a bit to try and work this out.
Thanks, again.

 

[N2DFire]

It sounds like something in the linkage between the stick & the valve let go.

For a quick trouble shooting & to be able to get it some where to work on it out of the puddle ... Can you swap the Lift/Lower & Curl/Dump lines at the disconnects (not familiar with where they are on the DK series) and use the curl / dump function to then lower the FEL to a workable height - then you can drive it to a better location for more troubleshooting as outlined by others above.

 

[rd_macgregor]

It sounds like something in the linkage between the stick & the valve let go.

For a quick trouble shooting & to be able to get it some where to work on it out of the puddle ... Can you swap the Lift/Lower & Curl/Dump lines at the disconnects (not familiar with where they are on the DK series) and use the curl / dump function to then lower the FEL to a workable height - then you can drive it to a better location for more troubleshooting as outlined by others above.

Steve, you are obviously the brains of this outfit; that idea never occurred to me, and should be easy to do. All the FEL connection are on the right side, just under the cab; the disconnects are mounted in a bracket there, so are easy to access (once, I even had a piece of brush debris disconnect one of them).

I'll give this a shot...it sure beats driving it around on my uneven ground with the bucket all the way up in the air.

 

[Bavarian]

I doubt that you will be able to reconnect a coupler that is under pressure. I know your loader might not be all the way up, but once disconnected, the weight of the loader is resting on the coupler.

If you have a neighbor with a loader who could get underneath yours and support the weight, a swap of the couplers would be more likely successful.

If you're loosening the hose, the loader wouldn't crash down on you if you do it carefully. Just loosen it enough to start it leaking and the loader comes down slowly.

I would be prepared to catch 2-3 gallon of oil, depending on the position of the loader.

I agree to a disconnected link.

Be careful, good luck

 

[N2DFire]

Steve, you are obviously the brains of this outfit

I don't get accused of that very often. :laughing:

I'm going to e-mail my father a link to this thread. LOL