Frozen Joy Stick

[lakngulf]

Cranked my CK30 yesterday with temps at 18 degrees. It um um'd just a bit but then cranked fine. I let it warm up a good bit, but when I was ready to back it out of shed I could not get the joy stick to work. Never had that problem before, but never used it with temps in the teens. Do I have anything to worry about? Or just wait for warmer temps?

I am sure some folks use their CK's in colder temps. What should I do to keep this from happening?

 

[MotorSeven]

You must have gotten some water in it at one time or another. If you have a torch you could warm it up[carefully] & probably get it to function. I operate mine all the time in the teens & have not had the joystick freeze, but the last time I went to put hay out my 4wd button was frozen under a sheet of ice. I park under a shed too, but rain had blown in then it froze as soon as the rain stopped(this last coldfront), so I drove it over to the shop, then dumped a pot of cold water on it until it freed up. Sounds like this might have happened to yours from the same front.

 

[Avondale]

[ Never had that problem before, but never used it with temps in the teens. Do I have anything to worry about? Or just wait for warmer temps?

I am sure some folks use their CK's in colder temps. What should I do to keep this from happening?[/QUOTE]

I use my DK all year, recently exceeds -20c when snow blowing and working in the woods, no problems. The 4-way joy stick is attached to valve spools, I am guessing one or more of your 4 spools are "stuck". I'd warm the valve block up, hair dryer, even boiling water to free, then spray all spools at block ports with lube. Not sure I would use a torch unless desperate, could over-heat, melt a seal. As MotorSeven said, be careful if you do. Good luck.

 

[VictorW]

Years ago during Winter and always below freezing temps, my curl was fine but the lift was stiff and I could hardly get it to go into float. I need the tractor for plowing snow. My problem was moisture in the silver colored cap on the front side of the loader valve that is under the right floorboard. The end of the two valve spools with spring are inside these two caps. One cap also has three small steel balls to make the float work. These caps easily come off with two each allen head bolts and all other parts stay intact. I cleaned the moisture out along with some minor corrosion and covered the spool end and spring with grease along with covering the inside of the cap well. I cleaned the mating/sealing edges of the cap and valve block well and put a very thin flim of silicone sealant on these areas and reattached. It's been five years now with no problems. Others had the same freezing or float problems if you check posts a year or two ago.

As mentioned above, you could have had water enter the actual joystick pivot or make its way into the two cables that go from the joystick to valve block. I'm sure when above freezing it will then work but you have water/moisture in there somewhere which will eventually cause corrosion. Maybe not an immeadiate concern for repair if your temps stay above freezing but put it on the to do list.

 

[rider7767]

Cranked my CK30 yesterday with temps at 18 degrees. It um um'd just a bit but then cranked fine. I let it warm up a good bit, but when I was ready to back it out of shed I could not get the joy stick to work. Never had that problem before, but never used it with temps in the teens. Do I have anything to worry about? Or just wait for warmer temps?

I am sure some folks use their CK's in colder temps. What should I do to keep this from happening?

Mine did the same thing. I guess I will tear it apart and clean it up when it warms up. Mine set outside in the rain on the dealer's lot until I bought it.

 

[lakngulf]

Cranked it again this morning and right curl and bucket down worked. I kept fiddling with it and Up worked enough to get bucket off ground. Seems like the higher temps will handle it for now. Whew!!! But what should I spray the compartment with?

 

[Avondale]

Also, when I am going to do snow blowing, I allow the tractor to warm up and turn on PTO. This will get the hyd oil warmer, sooner. Warm oil through all cyl and valve ports will help.

 

[GMtb42]

Guys on this forum have advice for cables, might work on ours too. Frozen throttle cable - RangerForums.net - Polaris Ranger Forum
Man the internet is a wonderful tool.

 

[lakngulf]

Used tractor quite a bit today and everything worked fine. Thank goodness. Still, I need to take the steps listed above and I appreciate your replies.

 

[Odonnks]

I've had this happen a bunch of times with my older tractor.
In each case water has gotten into the spring return cups of the joystick and freezes.