kubota l4200 bucket

[Luath]

Hi guys,

Started up the tractor today and I was unable to tilt the bucket. Raise and lower was fine but when I tried to tilt the lever had no side to side movement, forward and back felt normal.

Advice please.

Luath

 

[kennyd]

Unhook the four QD's, clean and then reseat them. This solves 90% of the "my loader won't xxx" problems.

 

[Luath]

Ok unhooked all four QD's, cleaned with paper towels and reseated them. No leaks or other signs of problems. Still no tilt on the bucket but all the other hydraulic functions seem fine (used the rear mounted snow blower without incident) and the up /down for bucket fine. Still no side to side movement on the bucket control.

 

[rbargeron]

Temp below freezing? The valve may have some water in it that freezes in the bottom, blocking movement - if you let the tractor idle a while the fluid circulates through open-center system, warming it up and thaws it out enough to move. Some people drill a small hole in the center of the bottom cap so it drains.

 

[KennyV]

In sure that rbargeron has described your problem exactly ... I see your in Canada and it is December... Ice in the control valve is very common... There are quite a few older posts on what to 'try' doing for a fix, all work or at least help the situation. If you find that this is indeed your problem be sure to post back, And if you come up with any new or novel ideas as how to 'cure' this do post them. KennyV

 

[Luath]

Where exactly is the control valve located? Would it be ok to apply gentle heat to it?

 

[rbargeron]

The valve is inside the box the lever goes down into. It sticks out below the box - applying some heat is ok - just don't overdo it.

 

[CharlieKtractor]

hair drier would be best

 

[KennyV]

Is your L4200 a cab tractor or open station?

 

[Luath]

Hair drier worked a treat! Open topped machine, any ideas as to how to prevent recurrence of issue?

Another point, is it ok to leave the block heater on for long periods during frigid weather? (I'm from UK where minus double digit temperatures are virtually unheard of)

Many thanks for the insights and advice.

Luath.

 

[Luath]

Problem has recurred twice and heating up resolves it for a short time. I'm thinking of putting a heat cable round the area to see if I can get rid of the trapped moisture. Is this a smart move?

 

[rbargeron]

I don't think a heat tape will get the water out but it should prevent freeze-up.

Have you tried just letting the tractor idle until the oil warms up enough to free it?

Leaving a block heater on may not do any damage but it gets expensive - the Kubota one is 400 watts so it costs around $50 a month assuming 16 cent power.

 

[KennyV]

You need to drill a 1/8 inch (about 3mm) hole in the bottom of the part that is holding the water... You will be surprised at howmuch water actually will accumulate in there. I'll find one of the many older posts that have pictures of just Where to drill... You want to be careful as to what you are drilling. KennyV

 

[skyhook]

A battery warmer blanket wrapped around it should do the trick for now. Keep it plugged in always, they use about 60 to 80 watts of power.

 

[Luath]

The problem is that the issue recurs soon after the heat source is removed. The tractor barn is unheated and is currently down about -20C. I've tried using the other attachments in an attempt to get the hydraulic fluid moving but with no success.

 

[Fallon]

You need to pull the cap under your spool & drain the water out of it like others have said. Heating it so the ice melts is only a temporary fix & won't help with longterm rust issues. Drilling a tiny hole to drain water & crap out is probably a good idea.

 

[KennyV]

I could post a picture of my control valve, But mu L4200 is a cab tractor and has a different control valve... post a picture of yours and it will be easy see the center return spring housing that needs a hole for draining.
Could not find all the old pictures that use to be in the TBN archives covering this...
I drilled 2 holes in each of mine, the lowest position I could for a drain and a top location to put a WD40 spray tube in to flush out the water...
If you only warm it to melt the ice it will refreeze later and cause loss of control. KennyV

 

[Luath]

Where exactly do I find the spool? I'm not familiar with this component.

 

[Fallon]

The spool is the component of the valve that slides in & out of the valve body & is attached to the control lever.

 

[Luath]

Is that that the component that looks like a linkage? Lever at on top and hose below?