Looking at a hydraulic offset flail for the 3038e -It's Home!

[leonz]

Please upload an image of this pilot operated check valve to
the forum at your convenience.

Are the lower links fully extended or retracted?

Are the adjustment turnbuckles or chains for the lower links
of equal length?? They should be of equal length as you are not
operating a moldboard plow requiring the toe of the plow to create
a deep suck/tilt downward.

 

[nikdfish]

Please upload an image of this pilot operated check valve to
the forum at your convenience.

Are the lower links fully extended or retracted?

Are the adjustment turnbuckles or chains for the lower links
of equal length?? They should be of equal length as you are not
operating a moldboard plow requiring the toe of the plow to create
a deep suck/tilt downward.

If the engine is off, manipulating the associated SCV lever has no effect. Hydraulic pressure has to be present for the cylinder to move. "Float" movement is limited to the range represented by the slot in the rod end tab. The top link has the same feature. It is probably actually a double pilot operated valve with flow control in both directions.

Lower arms are solid, equal length. Tilt adjustment is set for equal height. Turnbuckles are tight & equal, with the arms centered.

 

[nikdfish]

Got a start on the old farm road that connects our back field to the highway
Untouched:

After two passes:

Not a night & day difference, but an improvement. Anything above 6 or 7 feet will need a pole saw.


Today's work got short stopped with this little issue

The bolt holding the left side rockshaft arm on the shaft broke inside the shaft. Way back on the road to the back field. It was loads of fun getting the arm back on the splines and things back together to lift the flail off the ground & get back to the truck. The hydraulic top link was a lifesaver in helping to get things aligned for reassembly.

The right side arm (and shaft?) are currently offset by about 1/4" to the right.

I'll be checking with the JD dealer monday to see when they can fit me in. This is not something I feel comfortable trying to fix.

 

[leonz]

That Screams Warranty Repair right there.
I hope you have purchased the extended
warranty for your mule.

 

[nikdfish]

Dropped the 3038e at the JD place Tues. Hopefully they can start with it this week. They indicated it would probably be Thurs. as their guys currently had two transmissions torn down.

 

[nikdfish]

Ballpark repair estimate $650 - $850. Mostly labor, minimal parts cost. Probably drill & tap.

 

[Cycledude]

Wonder why it broke ? Has the dealer ever seen one broke before ?

 

[nikdfish]

They said they were going to replace the bolt on the other arm as well, just in case there might be a crack there as well.
I'm guessing a shock load during flail repositioning at some point may have triggered the actual break & set the scene for the disassembly.

The anti-sway links were snug when it happened, no play. I had been moving with the flail horizontal over an uneven portion of the roadway, then stopped to transition to vertical to continue trimming. It was during the transition to vertical that the arm came loose.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

The flail hangs to the right, rockshaft slid right…

Looks an awful lot like the flail caused it.

 

[LouNY]

The offset mower loads the lift arms unequally, with the mower boomed out to the right side all the way the right side lift arm is carrying the load while the left side is actually being lifted and pushed up by the mowers weight pivoting on the right side.