Ford 1510 Hydraulic Pump Cavitation?

[mongobird]

I spent yesterday afternoon hauling dirt from the downhill corner of a field to a spot about 1200 feet away, a bucket at a time. I also had an old Ford disc mounted on the rear, and as I passed selected areas, I was hitting those areas with the disc.

Near the end of the afternoon, I had to do some slight regrading of an area I had disced up, elsewhere, and move buckets of top soil 50 to 100 feet to change the distribution of the dirt. At this point the hydraulics became jerky.

The loader was jerky and slow to cycle, and the lift for the disc was jerky and slow. I shutdown the tractor, blew the dust off of it, and did an inspection.

The hydraulic fluid was just slightly above the fill mark, which makes sense, because the last time I filled it the temps were cooler, and I filled to the top of the mark. The fluid was clear and had no glint to it. I put some on a clean paper towel so see if there was any thing I could see as it spread. Nothing. Looked for leaks, none found.

The hydraulic filter was replaced early this year, about 25 operating hours earlier. The flexible hose on the inlet side of the hydraulic pump appeared to be intact and firmly attached. (Has anyone found a second source for this hose...it costs about $40 from the dealer!)

I started up the tractor, cycled the hydraulics on the loader and the 3pt hitch, and everything worked just fine. Now I am really perplexed.

Any ideas or suggestions?

 

[JC-jetro]

Too early to say pump cavitation. If it starts cavitating then you have a problem and as long as it is not fixed would repeat the very same. I'd get a liquid filled gauge around 5000 spi rating and start reading pressures while engine cold (just starting), operating temp and when the issue surfaces again. I'd check the relief pressure setting. That might produce some clues. At the end your pump might be tired needing an overhaul.

JC,

 

[randy41]

the hose might be available from an auto parts store. they sometimes have reels of various hoses they sell by the foot (or part of a foot in this case).

 

[mongobird]

the hose might be available from an auto parts store. they sometimes have reels of various hoses they sell by the foot (or part of a foot in this case).

I have tried autoparts stores. First, they do not have the size, as it is odd, about 1 1/16 inch, obviously a metric size, of some sort. Second they do not have hydraulic fluid rated hose. At best, the larger diameter hoses are only oil resistant, and normally for coolant. Trying various hydraulic houses, they have reinforced hoses which are way too stiff for this application.

I figure someone, somewhere found a suitable replacement hose.

 

[mongobird]

I suppose it could be the relief. Hooking up a gauge would be problematic, but there is lots of evidence that there is not flow and pressure, at least intermittently, based upon the performance of the loader and the 3pt hitch lift.

I ordered another filter, but I find it hard to believe that this one is clogged, with about 25 hours in only light dust operations. The hydraulic fluid is clear, and shows no signs of particulate matter in suspension.