Hydrastatic Control Pedal Not Returning

ponderosa8671 · Mar 10, 2013

Hi...I bought an 06 Cat Challenger MT265B. The hydrastatic control pedal is a heel-toe/rocker pedal and when I depress the forward pedal, the tractor goes forward, but when I let off, the pedal does not return to neutral. I have to kick the reverse/heel pedal to slow the tactor. Everything works fine, the pedal is just not returning properly.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Jim.

whistlepig · Mar 10, 2013

I am not familiar with a Cat Challenger. I do know that most of my problems with a rocker pedal come from not lubricating the rocker pedal pivot or having a weak return spring.

MHarryE · Mar 10, 2013

Your Challenger is a tractor sourced from Iseki in Japan after AGCO purchased Caterpillar's ag equipment businesses (except combines which are Claas). Challengers are primarily Massey-Ferguson products (the largest AGCO division). Somebody might be more familiar with the hydro control if you asked about the Massey equivalent. I don't have that info available right now. I believe there are 2 valves that the pedal works, forward and reverse. Is the problem the same both directions? If it is forward only, it may be the return spring on the forward valve. If it is both directions it is likely a sticky pedal pivot. My old Kubota L3710 had a treadle pedal. You could look underneath and see what appeared to be plain bolts that screwed into the 2 valves and were adjustable for the proper free play. Pushing down the forward side compressed the forward valve and its internal return spring pushed the pedal up when I took my foot off. Yours could be the same way. The only problem I ever had was when something rolled under the pedal when I was going forward and it didn't return when I took my foot off. By the time I realized it and hit the reverse side crushing the foreign object, I had put an indentation in my garage door.

ponderosa8671 · Mar 13, 2013

MHarryE...Thanks for the info on the Challenger. I know the only thing Cat about it is the color. My neighbor and I are going to try and figure out why it's not returning. He's got a New Holland and know's his way around a tractor. Hopefully there aren't any foreign objects, I don't need an indentation in my shop door. I posted my question to see what kind of responses I'd get and only got 2. Your's was helpful, I appreciate the reply. I'll let you know what I come up with.

djp1218 · Mar 13, 2013

I know on my mahindra i had kinda the same problem it ended up being the dampening piston under the floor board

ponderosa8671 · Mar 15, 2013

OK so strike this one up as a new operator error. I finally realized the cruise control was locked on so everytime I tried to move forward the pedal would not return...obviously, it was on cruise control. Thanks to those that answered, I now know a lot more about the hydrostatic control pedal. Probably more than I need to know.