[bcbeaver]

I borrowed a log splitter that had issues, I discovered the piston wouldn't retract so I disconnected it and gave it back to the owner, with it went some of my hydraulic fluid. A couple days later I went to use my bucket and the hydaulics were jerky, I figured I was probably low on fluid. I've only owned the tractor for a few months but have no record of previous maintenance so I figured no harm in changing the fluid. SO I drained it and filled it with 23.9L as per the manual I've got.

Now the hydraulics do nothing at all. I looked in the troubleshooting section of the manual and among the potential problems is "Hydraulic piston pump not primed" so I turn to the page that describes the procedure and it shows me a picture of something I can't find. It is the same place I would connect a pressure gauge but I can't find anything like it on my tractor.

According to the manual other potential problems are
low oil level - not likely as I just filled it
flow control valve binding
hydraulic pump low pressure
check valve damaged or worn
draft control or position control linkage damaged
unload valve or back pressure valve faulty
lift piston seals damaged
unload valve plug worn

Any one else have this sort of problem? What did it end up being?

 

[bcbeaver]

This is what it's supposed to look like. Any idea where I might find it?

 

[Nouveau Redneck]

From that picture I assume that you have a 3 cylinder 2000 or 3000 series tractor, or a 4000 series with the Select-O-Speed (S-O-S) transmission.

That's a picture of the hydraulic pump that's mounted to the left side of the tractor at the rear of the engine where the engine meets the transmission bell housing. The left side of your picture shows the seam between the engine and transmission. The top right corner just barely shows the pivot point of the steering arm that comes down from the bottom of the steering box.

If you have a 3 cylinder 4000 series that does not have the S-O-S transmission, then the pump is internal to the rear axle center housing and you would have a different access point for bleeding and checking the pressure.

If you have a 4 cylinder tractor, then you are looking at the wrong book.

 

[Nouveau Redneck]

Just a thought. Did you use the level plug on the side of the center housing to make sure that it is really full, or did you jut put in the amount that the manual stated? The fact that you were able to connect a log splitter to it says that you have external remotes, which were not stock, so the lines and valves for the remotes may take some additional amount of fluid to refill when it's drained.

 

[bcbeaver]

I just added the amount that the book said to. I had all the rams retracted when i did it so I figured that any fluid in the lines, controls or pistons wouldn't make much difference. When i drained it I got about 17L so I've got more in there now that it had.

It is a 3000 3 cylinder with an SOS transmission. I'll go look where you said it should be.

Thanks

 

[bcbeaver]

This is going to be fun. There is about 1cm between the loader attachment and the bleed screw. I'm going to need a custom cut Allen wrench and a lot of swearing.

 

[bcbeaver]

So I got the bleed screw out and immediately it started flowing hyd fluid, I turned over the engine without starting it and fluid puled as I would expect. It was pumping without any bubbles so I closed it up and tried my hdys. Nothing happened. Any idea how long I should let it pump? Could an air bubble in the wrong spot do this to me and I didn't let it pump long enough?

I was also wondering about fluids. When I borrowed the splitter there was a small amount of Hyd fluid came with it, in it. It was being used on an excavator. I don't know what hyd fluid his excavator runs but could that have screwed something.

 

[Nouveau Redneck]

A 3000 should be OK with a little bit of most any type of hydraulic fluid mixed with what was working in the system before, unless it was way too thick. Some equipment can use 80w or 90w oil for hydraulics, but that's a bit too thick for these tractors. the 4000 and 5000 had the brakes inside the axle housing, so you needed to be sure to use UTF in them that was rated for both hydraulics and wet brakes, but the 2000 and 3000 had external dry brakes, so you just had to use a hydraulic fluid that was at or near the proper weight.

You never said what kind of fluid you put in after you drained it. So what did you use?

There is also a bleeding point at the 3x5 plate on the top cover of the hydraulic lift, between your feet as you're sitting on the tractor. If you do have the original 3x5 plate, then the large bolt head should be obvious on it. If your remote valves replaced the original 3x5 plate, there may still be a place to bleed it on the remote valve. Post a picture of that area between your feet when you're sitting on the tractor, where the remote lines hook up, and we can see what you've got and give suggestions.

 

[bcbeaver]

I used 134D compliant stuff from Walmart. There was only small amount of fluid in the splitter cylinder, most of it had leaked out in the back of my truck.

 

[bcbeaver]

Ok Just in case anyone has the same problem as I had in the future.

I figure i was really low on Hyd fluid and sucked air and cavitated the pump hence the jerky action. Then when I drained & refilled it the pump lost its prime.

I unscrewed the bleed valve and pumped a little then put it ack in because it looked clean ie no bubbles. That didn't do it. I went back to it after talking to a friend who said I might need to pump a lot of fluid to get all the air out of the system. I unscrewed the prime bolt and started the tractor and allowed about 1L to pump out. I put it back together and I had jerky hydraulics once again but at least now I had something. I loosened the prime plug so that it just flowed a little through the treads and watched it flow with the motor running. Very small bubbles were coming out with the fluid. I pumped another 1/2L like this then played with the hydraulics they were still jerky but definitely better so I let the fluid flow a while longer then closed the bleed bolt. I raised and lowered my 3 pt hitch a few times then my bucket a few times and it slowly got better. UP down up down up down and it stopped jerking and went back to normal.

I went out in my field & built a big dirt jump for my mt. bike to test it.

So I'm ready for the snow just on time.

Now I ask myself what's going to break next.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Nouveau Redneck]

Glad to hear that it's working better for you. Did you remember to top off the fluid after bleeding it for so long/