Hydraulic fluid amount

4JJJJ

New member
Oct 20, 2019
2
0
0
Mineral Wells, Texas
I have a rookie question. I have a L3800 with a LA524 front end loader. I recently serviced the hydraulic fluid and installed 7.25 gallons of hydraulic fluid (per the manual) in the system. When looking through the fluid level window I could never see any fluid. IÂ’m afraid to add additional fluid. Should I be adding additional fluid to account for the front end loader? And if so how much more? Thoughts?
Thanks
 

Roadworthy

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L2501 HST
Aug 17, 2019
1,649
525
113
Benton City, WA
Check fluid level with the FEL down and the bucket curled up. This way fluid is forced out of the cylinders. The three point should be down. This should put the maximum fluid back into your reservoir. Check it under these conditions.
 

Gillie Dog

Member

Equipment
L2501 HST, FEL, Forks Attachment, Harrow Disc, etc.
Dec 12, 2018
79
2
6
Southern California
The three point should be down.
And, on our model tractor I found you should not have an implement on the 3 point which keeps it from going all the way down or all the fluid will not be back in reservoir and reading is erroneous in that instance.

GD
 

North Idaho Wolfman

Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L3450DT-GST, Woods FEL, B7100 HSD, FEL, 60" SB, 743 Bobcat with V2203, and more
Jun 9, 2013
28,646
5,091
113
Sandpoint, ID
Neither the three point or the FEL will make enough of a difference in the fluid levels to make an issue.

The manuals are 90% of the time wrong about the fills, too many variables.

Always go by the dipstick or the window with the tractor on level ground.
 

mickeyd

Active member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
2014 L3200 DT w/LA524 FEL, 2019 Kubota Z121S w/ 48" Pro Dec, TG1860G w/RCK54TG
Mar 21, 2014
1,192
17
38
Guin, AL
Good point NIW, the only difference I could ever find was if the fluid was hot or cold and even then it wasn't enough to matter.

I always had to add more than called for to get it into the window,
 

Gillie Dog

Member

Equipment
L2501 HST, FEL, Forks Attachment, Harrow Disc, etc.
Dec 12, 2018
79
2
6
Southern California
So I finally had time to test our L2501 HST for hydraulic fluid level in sight glass with 3 point hitch (3ph) and no implement on it so I got full down travel and 525 front end loader (FEL) up and down and this is the results at operating temperature:

1. FEL down, bucket curled in; 3ph down = full right to top of sight glass
2. FEL down, bucket curled in; 3ph up = 1/3 sight glass
3. FEL up to 60”, bucket curled in; 3ph down = 1/2 sight glass
4. FEL full up, bucket curled in; 3ph down = 1/4 sight glass
5. FEL full up, bucket curled in to 50%; 3ph down = very bottom of sight glass
6. FEL full up, bucket curled out; 3ph down = empty sight glass

Might not matter a tinker’s dam but curiosity go to me (maybe OCD).

GD