Hydros quit then jerky

[wood butcher]

I was hauling a load of wood to the house in anticipation for the snowy weather we have now and my loader quit working. I checked the hydro fluid & it was a little low. I added some fluid & fired it back up. I could then at least get the loader up so it wouldn't drag the ground but it was quite jerky. Could the pump be going out or is it more of a fluid issue? Thanks!

 

[Sumpter]

Change the filters maybe?

 

[jinman]

If your 3PH works normally with a load, then suspect quick connect adapters to the FEL. Disconnect and reseat them to see if that helps. If both the 3PH and FEL are erratic, suspect filters or the pump. Also, look for places on the suction side of the pump where air might be leaking in and causing cavitation. This, however, is normally also accompanied my some noise in the lines.

 

[ENTS]

If your 3PH works normally with a load, then suspect quick connect adapters to the FEL.....

Been there before--loose conector. :ashamed: Same symptoms.

 

[wood butcher]

OK I took a closer look this evening. There's a leak on one of the rubber hydro lines where it hooks onto the metal hydro line that goes across the front of the loader frame. It's not bad though. I THOUGHT I had checked the fluid level in the tranny but it's a bit different from my deere. I looked in the manual today and found out there's a dipstick on the top of the tranny. After pulling & pulling it came out & fluid came pouring out. So...I guess it's a little MORE than full. I bet it blew a seal somewhere. I just bought this tractor a month or so ago and haven't made time to look at the fluid level in the tranny.

 

[wood butcher]

Change the filters maybe?

Sadly, I think the original filter is on the tractor. It sure doesn't look like it was ever changed. Im starting to hate this tractor. I bought it off ebay so it wasn't close enough for me to take a closer look. NEVER again.

 

[wood butcher]

If your 3PH works normally with a load, then suspect quick connect adapters to the FEL. Disconnect and reseat them to see if that helps. If both the 3PH and FEL are erratic, suspect filters or the pump. Also, look for places on the suction side of the pump where air might be leaking in and causing cavitation. This, however, is normally also accompanied my some noise in the lines.

Checked out the disconnects they look dry as a bone. Some of the other connections are wet though, although they aren't pushing visible fluid out...just greasy looking. The fluid has water in it...it's quite milky. Looks like Nestle's Quick. I lifted the rear lift arms with a load on it. It doesn't jerk at all but it seems a little slow. I also lifted the loader and it too seems slow. Doesnt seem to work as well as it did...meaning at first it jerked then it smoothed out then lifted but not fast at all. The temp outside is 31F right now so maybe it's because the fluid is cold or has water in it. I guess at this point I'll drain the hydro system, blow all of the lines out and replace the fluid and filter and see what happens. I bought a can of seafoam too so I'll run it a bit with the seafoam in the tranny & then drain it. The metal lines are rusted and the rubber lines are cracked so maybe I'll bite the bullet & put new lines on it when I do all of this. What a whip.

 

[dqdave1]

You need to change fluid and filter ASAP. Probably some "ice" formed. You will need to change fluid again and maybe a third time to get all water out of it. Look for where water is entering system. good luck

 

[wood butcher]

You need to change fluid and filter ASAP. Probably some "ice" formed. You will need to change fluid again and maybe a third time to get all water out of it. Look for where water is entering system. good luck

Will do. I know the tractor sat out before I bought it so im sure it seeped into the case around the dipstick or filler plug. It's under a carport now with full sides and a back. No additional water will get into it. I'll make a point to drain it this weekend.

 

[jinman]

I agree completely with dqdave1. That tractor needs a service with fluid/filter changes right away. You might have overfilled reservoirs because water leaked in and is sitting on the bottom while oil floats to the top. You can only hope that after a fluid change all the water is expelled and the pump has not been damaged.

Check your engine crankcase oil level to make sure the hydraulic pump seals are okay. When hydraulic pumps blow their seals around the input shaft, the oil has nowhere to go except into the engine. If the engine is very overfilled, it's an indication that the seals may be bad on the hydraulic pump.

It is going to be hard to get all the water out of your hydraulic system with a single refill and flush. You might need to redo that job again before the normal interval after running your tractor for awhile. Just don't be surprised if you see some clouding of the oil remain after this first change.