NH TN75DA FEL (32LC) problem

[Murphys Law Farmer]

I have a 2nd?-hand (auction special) approximately 2006 NH TN75DA with a 32LC FEL. I was out pushing over trees with the bucket and heard/felt a pop and I suddenly lost the ability to curl my bucket up--it dropped down.

I can still lift the loader arms, and use them to lift the tractor. If I put the tractor's weight on the edge of the bucket while backing it gives only a little and then will scrape back the driveway rather than curl. However, if I lean on the joystick while backing, I can make the bucket slowly curl to lay flat on the ground--can not lift the edge. And it can't hold it there when I again lift the arms.

I have checked the "quick release" fittings--disconnected and reconnected. The quotes are because that procedure was not exactly quick. 3 of the 4 fittings on the valve body sit so close together that it is impossible to get a hand around one. The top left fitting's collar just does not push back far enough to easily insert the hose end. Actually the lower 2 (for lifting the arms) will likely have that same problem, but I have not removed them. So be it, I got a neighbor to do it, it was a struggle for him as well. Anyway, the bucket would not curl while disconnected.

There are no obvious hydraulic fluid leaks, and I had the filter and complete fluid change last year. It has had little work use since. Fluid is still topped up.
The FEL has since I've owned it, been unable to hold itself up long term with the tractor shut off--it slowly drops.

So, what's next? Did I wreck my valves? This tractor spends more time in the shop than in use. And it's $1000 every time it gets hauled in. That has been about 3x/year with repeated fuel leaks, new reverser, ?, ? Once they told me a build up of grass caused a fuel leak--which let the fuel drain out of the engine? It died shortly after I started it and moved it to in front of the barn doors, refused to restart, and got snowed in that night for the remainder of the winter--that was real convenient. The first time it was a chipmunk had made a nest on the engine and chewed through a line. Now you have an inkling why I chose my handle for this group.

Back to the current problem. Does it sound like something that can be fixed here, or does it go in again (somewhere else this time)?

 

[Murphys Law Farmer]

Update: The problem was in a cylinder. I ripped the threads and the nut off the rod. Hydraulic shop said there had been an earlier repair in which the wrong size nut had been used and a welding attempt had been made. Hopefully it is fixed properly this time.

 

[mojoinco]

Ouch!
Auction gems and buying used tractors from not-the-original owner have their issues (probably similar things even with original owners). Mine had a hack-job repair to the loader mounting bolts. One bolt was at least a genuine repair effort (retapped to a fractional bolt -- but probably not a clean hole) the other was a fractional bolt in a metric hole (the thread pitch was 'close enough' but the bolt diameter was too small). Luckily the last one had not egged out the bell housing (accessible only through the cab next to the front glass).