No hydraulics in lift / lower function

[jmatz]

Hello All:

B2650 cab
150 hours
Spreader on back three point
Snow blower on front

I have lift / lower function on three point
I have left / right rotate function on front blower chute (or bucket tilt when FEL is on)
I DON'T have any lift / lower function for blower

It is stuck in one position approx 3" off ground

Joystick in cab feels right for left-right control, but forward-back motion of joystick for lifting is just "loose", no resistance either direction, just sort of flopping.

Air in lines?
Loose cable connection from joystick to hydraulic valve?
Bad valve?

If anyone has a suggestion, I'm all ears! I haven't had to troubleshoot much on this tractor since I've only put 150 hrs on it, so not much experience fixing things.

If I can't fix this, I'll need to at least relieve the pressure on the blower up/down cylinder so I can get it to rest on the ground. We have large lake-effect snow on the way over the next three days, so I'll really need this thing!

Thanks everyone, enjoy Christmas!

 

[1970cs]

Remove the boot on the joy stick and inspect the linkage to the boom up/down spool.

Pat

 

[jmatz]

Remove the boot on the joy stick and inspect the linkage to the boom up/down spool.

Pat

Thanks. Would I see a loose cable, nuts, casting or something?

 

[Butch]

Like Pat said... do a visual all over the system to see if there is anything obvious... sounds like it may be the linkage to the loose non responsive spool... the spool is spring centered and you should feel that... even if it is malfunctioning.

 

[sheepfarmer]

I haven't looked at my 2650, but if it isn't obvious, take pictures and someone will be able to help. If you can get a helper, slide under the tractor (not running!) and get your helper to wiggle the joystick.

 

[jmatz]

Thanks all... Your suggestions have helped me narrow things down.

I took the cover off all the right-side controls inside the cab. Now I can see the base of the joystick better. Looks like everything is connected there.

I followed the two flexible cable housings down out of the cab to where they curve back to the inside of the rear wheel and then back up again. But don't see where they end up - maybe under the seat?

Do the two cables terminate at the valve assembly somewhere under the seat? If so, do I just take the seat out to work on them?

For now, I switched the lines so I could get the snowblower down on the ground (seems to be in float) and then switched them back so I have rotation control of the chute. Did a test run and all works well, but I'll need up/down control sometime soon.

I do have the service manual to refer to, but it is mostly schematics for the hydraulic system, which doesn't help me figure out where the cables end so I can fix or replace the one that seems to be detached.

EDIT:
Apparently this is what I'm looking for somewhere under the cab...?
Will the cable be attached (or not) to item #3 in the photo?

 

[1970cs]

Nope, that is your position control 3 point lift! You are looking for the joy stick linkage, loader control valve. Here is a picture.

Pat

 

[jmatz]

Nope, that is your position control 3 point lift! You are looking for the joy stick linkage, loader control valve. Here is a picture.



Pat

Ok thanks! That’s a big help. Time to get under the tractor I guess. 8° outside and snowing. Maybe tomorrow

 

[Dave_eng]

Ok thanks! That’s a big help. Time to get under the tractor I guess. 8° outside and snowing. Maybe tomorrow

Follow the hoses from your FEL cyliinders. They all go to the FEL control valve body.
Also, if one control valve is not returning to its center position, there will NOT be any hydraulic pressure for anything else.

A valve for a rear remote may have a detent position and the valve is stuck in the detent because of cold temps.

Make certain every control lever is in the center position in addition to checking for loose control cable(s) for your joystick.

Dave

 

[jmatz]

Follow the hoses from your FEL cyliinders. They all go to the FEL control valve body.
Also, if one control valve is not returning to its center position, there will NOT be any hydraulic pressure for anything else.

A valve for a rear remote may have a detent position and the valve is stuck in the detent because of cold temps.

Make certain every control lever is in the center position in addition to checking for loose control cable(s) for your joystick.

Dave

Thanks Dave. From talking it over with the service technician at the dealer, we both think it's quite likely that the cold temperatures here are causing the valve to lock up in the detent position.

The night that I parked the tractor (outside in 5º temperature), I set the snowblower in the float position after parking it. I didn't attempt to start / move the tractor for three days, and when I went out to move snow, that's when the up/down motion was unresponsive and the stick loose front to back (up/down control).

I will try running a space heater under the back axle area and/or move tractor into garage to see if a days worth of thawing will help.

If that doesn't work, then it's off to the dealer for expensive trouble-shooting.

 

[jmatz]

Follow-up, one season later. I forgot to post the solution.

It turns out that the pivot post that the valve control rotates on had broken off.

Apparently leaving the tractor out in the extremely cold weather had made the metal post more brittle, and combined with my tendency to use too much force to put the loader hydraulics into "float" position caused the pivot post to break.

That part is very hard to access - we had to remove the seat and a few other things to get to that area and discover the problem.

A local repair place trailered the whole tractor to their shop and welded a new pivot post on. $300 later, good as new.

I have since begun storing the tractor in it's own dedicated single garage space, where it is a stable 45º, even in the dead of winter.

I also am more gentle when putting the snowblower into the float position - I'm convinced that me jamming the joystick forward to hard had more to do with the pivot post breaking than the cold weather.

 

[rbargeron]

Its good of you to post the outcome - sounds like the pivot may not be an adequate design for conditions of normal use. If enough reports from users bubble up to their attention, odds are the factory will revise it and supersede the part. In the meantime your report will inform others about treating theirs gingerly. Good doing. Dick B