Took off the FEL for the first time ..thought I would replace a few hoses.

[wetstuff]

.. and a soon as I got the first end unbolted --- Blooooop! --- squirted all the fluid out of the left arm cylinder and the FEL collapsed to the ground.

I stood there like Stanley in a Laurel and Hardy film. Afterwards, of course, it makes sense ..but I have never been around hydraulics before. (you should see me attempting to disconnect a hose on a running tractor..)

Would you assume the easiest way for me to get the FEL high enough to remount onto the tractor is simply buy two extension hoses and re-pressurize the cylinders? I have a 'crane' that I can mount on the 3pt hitch and, think, I could make a frame to hold it up.

Maybe one of you has heard of this happening before.. Needless to say, I can use some simple instructions. Thanks.

Jim

 

[Gary Fowler]

I dont understand why you took off the quick connect end. They have male and female ends, just push the collar back on the female end and the male end pops out. No oil or very little oil comes out when disconnecting. Your FEL should have a stand to lower and then you lower the FEL down till it sets on the stand for disconnecting. This keeps it in the air so you can drive back under it to hook it up.
Once you get the stand down, turn off the tractor, wiggle the joystick around to release all the pressures in all lines and then just disconnect the hoses. If you dont have color coded plugs on each end, then take different colored tape and mark each side so you get the function right when hooking it back up.
The FEL ends might develop some pressure while unhooked due to temperature flucuations but this can be relieved by just wrapping a rag around it to control the splash and bumping the end on a board or other hard surface.

 

[Willl]

Will the hoses reach if you pulled up along side of it ?

 

[wetstuff]

Gary, It came off as you described ..but after reading your post, maybe I did not have it high enough for the stand to make a stable, iron triangle in the event the FEL lost pressure in the cylinders/hoses...?

Will, ...you're probably actually right. Left side of tractor to left side of FEL. I got my snow plow mounted now so I don't need the FEL for a while, but I can drive around and check it.

See.. I just needed a few, external brain cells. Thanks guys.

Jim

 

[Mechanos]

When I bought the used loader for my tractor, it was in the collapsed position. Once unloaded from the trailer, I just pulled up along side of it and hooked the hose up. Raised it up, disconnected hoses, pulled around and underneath it, hooked back up and mounted it. Piece of cake.

 

[JD 4520]

When I bought the used loader for my tractor, it was in the collapsed position. Once unloaded from the trailer, I just pulled up along side of it and hooked the hose up. Raised it up, disconnected hoses, pulled around and underneath it, hooked back up and mounted it. Piece of cake.

Never thought of that. Great idea.