LA680 Loader bucket won't curl back

[Steve Wyatt]

The joystick mounted in the cab of my L4200 operates the loader hydraulic valves via 2 cables. This is a used tractor but new to me and when I bought it a couple of weeks ago the loader worked fine. Now the bucket will curl forward, but when pulling the joystick to the left to curl the bucket back, the joystick will not move, it seems jammed. I lubed the cables, checked the connections on the joystick and at the hydraulic valve end and they seem fine. The cable moves freely in the sleeve when curling forward so I don't think it is a cable problem.

The strange thing is occasionally in the morning when I first start the tractor, it will work long enough to curl the bucket back once and then jam solid again. Even with the tractor shut off and the pressure relieved, the joystick will not budge to the left.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Steve Wyatt
Colorado

 

[rbargeron]

Is this maybe the spool cap full of water or hydraulic fluid, blocking spool motion? I haven't had this issue myself, but others here describe taking off the cap and drilling a small weep/vent hole in it. You can test it by taking off the cap and operating the valve.