Loader joystick cable break

[LouNY]

Can you reinstall the allen screws in the flange so that it holds the sleeve from turning untill the lock nut is broken loose.

 

[mechtheist]

That I can do though it might take a while and lots of pain. I think one of those open-end wrenches with a 90 deg angle at the end would work, just thought of that, don't have one.

 

[LouNY]

Harbor freight trip for a set of crow foot wrenches

 

[mechtheist]

The one near me only has the $52 set and the closest reasonably priced set is over 130 miles away. HomeDepot, Lowes, Oreilly have none locally. So it's Amazon for Saturday or Sunday. I managed to get a wrench on the top cable nut and it turned with the sleeve also so I made sure the allen bolts were tight and it still turned with the nut. I don't think the flange is meant to keep the sleeve from turning, just not pulling out.

How robust are those hydraulic cables? How much can I 'manhandle' them? I'm a lot more familiar with electric/electronic gear, most wire attachments can withstand quite a bit of force without a problem.

That weird brown crap seeming to come off the big hydraulic connector wasn't some basic plant material, except maybe cotton, which would not be around here though there are some seed pods that do a cottony kind of thing.

 

[LouNY]

Vise grips?
maybe back the flange of and wrap some emery cloth on it and then snug it back down

 

[ericm979]

There are seven hoses to the valve. The four hoses to the loader are quick detaches so that's easy. None of the other three should drain or siphon the tank unless the tank line comes in low on the transmission. I'm pretty sure it doesn't. I think it goes into the top of the trans case. The tank line will be the other line that goes to the back that isn't PB. It crosses over to the left side and goes into the trans part way back. The PB line goes all the way back to the BH loop (or 3pt if you don't have a BH, and that's on the top very back of the trans). Of course there will be oil in those lines which will drain out.

Besides being ready with a container, I'd be prepared to cover the end of the lines to keep dirt out and stuff them up into the chassis until their end is higher than the level in the trans. Just in case.

You can contact your dealer and ask about this. If they're not up to it, you can ask the folks at Dave's Tractor in Red Bluff CA. Dave's also ships parts, in case you need cables....

 

[mechtheist]

A

Vise grips?
maybe back the flange of and wrap some emery cloth on it and then snug it back down

I keep reading your name as 'loony' but that is not a loony suggestion, it's something I was going to try. It really is the case that those big hydraulic line almost seem to be positioned with the intention of making it impossible to get to those cable attachments. I can get to the top cable well enough to get it off and that would give me more space, I was trying everything including going through the hole where the reverse pedal comes through the deck. Branson has some sadistic engineers I think. To get to most of it you need to be lying on the ground but your head has to be as high as possible to see anything and some of it you need to be looking from about knee height and every way to reach in is constrained in clever ways to kill any leverage or give a wrench or whatever more than about 5 degrees of rotation. I'm hoping the crowsfoot wrench thing will work but they ain't coming in until Sunday.

I know I suck at this kind of stuff, maybe I'd do something completely differently if I knew what I was doing, probably just remove the hydraulic hoses without a thought [I'm hoping not to have to go there though], I don't think anyone could do much better with the mechanics of getting to those cable connections.

 

[mechtheist]

There are seven hoses to the valve. The four hoses to the loader are quick detaches so that's easy. None of the other three should drain or siphon the tank unless the tank line comes in low on the transmission. I'm pretty sure it doesn't. I think it goes into the top of the trans case. The tank line will be the other line that goes to the back that isn't PB. It crosses over to the left side and goes into the trans part way back. The PB line goes all the way back to the BH loop (or 3pt if you don't have a BH, and that's on the top very back of the trans). Of course there will be oil in those lines which will drain out.

Besides being ready with a container, I'd be prepared to cover the end of the lines to keep dirt out and stuff them up into the chassis until their end is higher than the level in the trans. Just in case.

You can contact your dealer and ask about this. If they're not up to it, you can ask the folks at Dave's Tractor in Red Bluff CA. Dave's also ships parts, in case you need cables....

Thanks, that's all good advice and info. My dealer I think is gone, I didn't actually try to call but can't find him online. There is a Branson dealer not to far, actually closer than my dealer was so I can always try them. I'm going to wait for the crowsfoot wrench and give it a try. I'd prefer not to disconnect those lines but then I shouldn't be worried, it's a very normal thing to do, the kind of thing you'd have to be a klutz to screw up. On the other hand, I think Klutz is my middle name. In the end, I'll likely buy a new cable, assuming there's not something wrong with the valve. With that collar off, I could move the cable in and out and it made the joystick move but the bucket never moved and I'm not sure what to make of that, it was at an angle that gravity should have rotated it out if the valve opened up at all.

This all seems like a VERY long road to a tiny little house. I'm learning stuff I need to know but the lessons have been too painful.

 

[ericm979]

It might take some force to make the spool move directly. The joystick gives you leverage that you won't have when moving the spool in and out by hand.

 

[mechtheist]

I hope that's the case. I could just say screw the cables and get a new direct-connect valve, mount it where the current joystick is and either extend the hoses or come up with a long very funky looking joystick. That could be fun.