3 pt lift stopped working

[dcarter]

I have a B7100 HST with FEL and the 3 pt lift has always worked intermittantly since I got the tractor a few years ago, but I've never had much weight on it, mainly just a hitch basket. Recently I bought a brush hog and the lift quit working complete. FEL still works fine. I tried changing the filter but that didn't help. Fluid looks clean on the dipstick.

Is it time to tear into the lift mechanism under the seat and check out the cylinder and piston? Are parts available to repair or do you have to buy the entire valve mechanism? Any other trouble shooing tips?

 

[rentthis]

Individual parts are available from your Kubota dealer. If you have eliminated linkage as a problem, you might have to open it up. With a reasonable amount of mechanical ability, it shouldn't be to bad. I have only been into a couple and don't recall it having been a problem at all. Others will weigh in soon and maybe they will know of something i'm overlooking. If it will lift after you take the extra weight off, you probably have a bad seal/o-ring

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

If it lifts with no weight, then it's almost always the piston seal.
If it's not lifting at all then it could be a valve issue.
Go to Kubotabooks.com and download the three part WSM for your tractor if you don't have it yet.

 

[dcarter]

Well turns out the problem is intermittent again. I did some more testing and found that the PTO lift was sometimes lifting very slowly, almost too slowly to notice, so I did some mowing and it actually started working full speed occasionally. For now, I'll try to use it as is and hope that it works enough to get the clearing done I need to do.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Check the feed back linkage, it connects from the upper right arm to the valve, if it's not moving right it will cause all sorts of erratic operation.

 

[dcarter]

Just to close out this thread, what I discovered is that when the PTO lift doesn't work, all I have to do is jiggle the FEL control lever left and right and the PTO lift starts working. I'm not sure what's going on, but this works every time, so no reason to take anything apart.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I'm not sure what's going on, but this works every time, so no reason to take anything apart.

I'll disagree with "no reason to take anything apart", what's happening is one of 2 things, on the best side of things the loader spool is bypassing to the tank, worst side of things could be that the loader spool valve is dead heading the pump not letting fluid flow to the proper location.
In either case the end result is excessive wear of the pump or pump or pump seal failure.
Rebuild the spool valve!