FEL Help

fixerupper · Aug 14, 2012

Hi All,

Well I have purchased a new valve for my FEL but I'm not having any luck with it. Something else must be incorrect because I have checked everything I can think of. The tractor runs great and the three point works great but the FEL might as well be removed.

First when I tried the FEL with the new valve all was good, it lifted without effort and without touching the three point handle. I thought yes success but the bucket didn't respond, I have a two handle valve and no matter which handle I pulled I got the same results. I quickly determined that I had the hoses crossed and I did but the FEL was responding great that way

So for a moment I thought I had it made but once I straited out the hoses it was up to the same type of issues, no lift power. I now have a gauge on it and when it was hooked up with cross lines the PSI was right within range. I re installed the hose as they should be and no lift and of course no PSI

Why would it lift with the lines crossed between the lift cylinder and the bucket cylinder but not directly from the valve to the right cylinders? I doesn't make sense. I've often suspected the soundness of the cylinders but when I can get em to lift they work great and will hold with without drift. Well the bucket does drift but thats just a bad seal or something.

Anyways I'm about to throw in the towel on it and take it to an expert I guess

THX

J_J · Aug 15, 2012

Do you have the cyl pairs connected correctly?

Do you have the work ports connected correctly?

Do you have the PB port plumbed correctly?

Does the OUT port have a open path to tank?

This is the instructions for a joystick valve.

http://www.surpluscenter.com/Instruct/I9-7401.pdf

http://www.surpluscenter.com/adspecs/AS9-8185.pdf

George G · Aug 15, 2012

I would guess your piston seals are leaking. So, when you had your hydraulic lines hooked up wrong. When you raised the loader,what is happening is, the oil pressure on both sides of the cylinders piston is equalizing. Being the blind side of the piston has more area than the rod side of the piston. You will have more force trying to push the piston out, than what you would have trying to push the piston back. Example, Lets say I have a 4" bore cylinder with a 2" rod. OK, I put 1000PSI to both ends of the cylinder. On the blind side I would have 12566.4 lbs force trying to push the piston out, on the rod side I would have 9424.8 lbs force trying to push the piston in. As you can see, you have 3141.6 lbs more force trying to push the piston out than whats trying to push the piston in. As a result, the loader goes up and down with little lifting power. Just a guess!

fixerupper · Aug 15, 2012

Hi, I checked everything again and all seems to be hooked up correct. So I decided to disconnect my hose from the valve that goes to the 3 point and put it into the tank dipstick hole. I would think the FEL should work just fine but I got only 500 psi on the lift cylinders and all they did is tense up. Is it possible that I could have a weak pump? Should the FEL work without it hooked to the 3 point?

I got about 2500 psi max when it's hooked to the 3 point. In order to get that I have to play with the 3 point handle and lift the 3 point handle almost all the way up lifting it while pulling the FEL Handles

J_J · Aug 16, 2012

Yes the pump will pass fluid through the FEL valve and exit out the hose from the FEL valve OUT port, or did you use the PB hose or did you switch the PB with the OUT hose. .

If you have PB, did you install the hex plug or use the PB sleeve?

What pressure do you get when you plug the gage into the A work port, or any work port?

If you get 2500 psi using the 3pt, that means your pump is good.

I am still thinking the hoses are not correct or the valve is not installed correctly.

When you activate the 3pt, you are causing the pressure to build in the 3pt cyl and all other valves in the hyd system. The total hyd circuit is pressurized.

We haven't seen any pictures of the valve with hoses labeled.

fixerupper · Aug 16, 2012

J_J,

Currently the hose going to the 3 point is hooked up to the bottom port on the left hand side of the spool valve. This is how it was hooked up when I got it and how I hooked up the new valve.

When I got the new valve, the bottom port was caped off and one on the side was open. It looked like I could use either port. The valve came shipped as an open center without the power and beyond plug.

Do you you think I need the PB plug? Originally when I got the tractor with these issues it didn't have PB plug either.

I'll hook my gauge to the ports and check and the pressure tonight but my guess is that it's fine.

J_J · Aug 16, 2012

Can you show some pic of the valve side ports?

Did you connect both the PB port and OUT port?

If you have a PB port, it should be used with the correct adapter, and this outlet feeds the 3pt.

Irregardless, if the FEL IN port and the work ports are connected correctly, the FEL should work.

If you use the PB port with out the adapter, and the OUT port is connected to tank, the would be PB fluid will flow to the OUT port, which has the least resistance.

Do you have the PB port connected to the 3pt.

The PB adapter is either a hex screw or a hyd sleeve. This will separate the flow so cyl fluid will flow to the OUT port and PB fluid will flow downstream.

What is the make and model number of your FEL valve?