Stuck Bucket

[CaperToo]

I have a Kubota L3540. I had the bucket low to the ground to pick some soil up when I struck an unseen rock. In my haste to curl the bucket up and out of danger, I pushed the joystick the wrong way and now the bucket is hard over against the stops, both cylinders fully extended(though they don't look bent) and the bucket won't curl back. There is a little vibration when I try to bring it back but no movement. Any thoughts on how to fix it? Thanks!

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Guessing you ran the hydraulic Valve past a stop internally, and will need to open it up to reset things. Or, you may have bent something in the handle mechanism. I’d, check links cables, etc., first just because that is generally less messy, than opening up your hydraulics.

And, if. You decide to open up the hydraulics, spray everything down with brake cleaner before you break anything open. You don’t want to create a new problem by getting things in there that don’t belong.

 

[sea2summit]

Put a straight edge on the cylinder(s)? If there's not obvious bends you're probably okay there. Have you "float" while backing? Tried applying some downward force with the FEL, maybe while in reverse to get it moving? I'd be really careful and if it does move I'd move it a little, inspect, move a little, inspect...

A lot of time at the extreme end of the stroke problems can develop with the curl even under no load.

 

[Michael In Tennessee]

Pictures. Please.

My guess is the bucket is over center though the stops should to keep that from happening.

I'd try to put the bucket edge on a ledge or blocks or something then apply loader down force and actuate the curl circuit. May work.

Else, I'm probably taking some of the linkage apart and reassembling after putting some curl back in. Be very wary of bucket weight.

 

[KWentling]

Likely popped the piston off of one of the rods.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Likely popped the piston off of one of the rods.

Could be. Hope for this. Otherwise you have overpressured a cyl to the point it expanded in diameter causing internal leakage at the piston seal. Try curling at full revs. If it will curl at hi revs it is the issue described and a new cyl will be required. If not it is likely the popped off piston. Relatively "Good news".

 

[LD1]

The first thing you sould always try is disconnecting and reconnecting the quick couplers. IF one wasnt fully seated just right, it might have worked fine up until now but the sudden pressure spike may have cause it to uncouple.

Second thing to check would be the bucket dump stops. Make sure the bucket didnt hit the stops so hard that you bent things and might have something binding up where the bucket and stops meet.

IF all that is good its time to start diagnosing a cylinder problem. Will cross that bridge if those first two things check out. Report back with your findings

 

[Tinhack]

Do what Michael suggests in post #4 and disconnect the rod end of the cylinders WITH THE BUCKET SUPPORTED. Then see if the cylinders operate. Sounds like the cylinders/linkage went over center and locked. The vibration is most likely the release valve activating due to the dead-headed and locked in place cylinders.

 

[workinonit]

Is this a NSL or MSL? My MSL tends to bind at times at the end of travel for the cylinders. I never had that issue with my NSL loader.

 

[k0ua]

Is this a NSL or MSL? My MSL tends to bind at times at the end of travel for the cylinders. I never had that issue with my NSL loader.

If we only knew what a NSL was or for that matter what a MSL was?