Slow pull

[RCtoywizard]

Hi all

I have a M5040 with a LA1153 loader. My question is that over the past
couple months I would swear that the hydraulics are slowing down. I know
this sounds dumb but...I have full tip forward and down pressure speed but
I would swear she used to tip back and raise up faster.
Has anyone ever had this happen or am I just getting old and impatient?

She only has 320 hours (its 2008) and I did the hydraulic change out at the
factory hours required. Its been fine till I think I started noticing her
lagging on the lift. Seems to have all its power although I have not lifted
anything heavier than snow lately.
I always let her warm up before using (takes forever lol )and always keep
her greased up nice.

Your thoughts?

Scott

 

[ETRon]

Given the season I don't think, if it were mine, I'd make a call on it till at least Spring it seems like though you think it slow it's still a usable speed. Just of curiosity what hydraulic oil did you use last change?

Ron

 

[Bulldog]

I'm curious about which oil was used myself.

The only way I can think to try and check is to time it lifting and then see what the book says it should do. The owners manual should list the cycle times for all the loader functions.

 

[RCtoywizard]

I don't remember the brand at the moment (lucky to remember breakfast..lol )
it was 3 yellow five gallon buckets. I do remember that. and expensive.

Last winter it was not the same slowness or I don't think it was.

You know what it acts like? like it does if you pull back on the lift
and your in 1st gear and the hydraulic lift control arm is up against the
shift knob. hmmm,, now that I have said that, I wonder if the control
arm is hitting against something.
I had a 40 hp Kubota with loader for 5 years or so before this one and
used the best stuff in that one too.
I thought about the Wally WOrld tractor hydraulic fluid cause it was like
$50 something a bucket but this sweetheart will last 30 years if I take
care of her. She will out live me. lol

I keep her in a shed built special. I just took the plastic off the seat this fall.
lol. Not bad for two and a half years old. and no, I don't have plastic on my
sofa. lol

I know its dumb but I don't care. lol I paid more for this than I did my home
23 years ago.

Your thoughts?

 

[RCtoywizard]

Good Idea on the timing the lift cycles. I will be spending the day
tomorrow moving snow so I can do just that.

Thanks

 

[Bulldog]

Your tractor came with Super UDT in it from the factory. If you put any type of regular petrolium based hyd. oil in it (even UDT) then I definately could see it being slower in cold weather.

Let us know how your cycle times work out tomorrow. I'm curious to hear the results.

 

[RCtoywizard]

I am still using the good stuff. Same batch as last winter.
Pull times running almost twice what the manual says but it has not
gotten over 10° above zero here for a week. Yesterday the high was 6°
but the hydraulic fluid was warmed up enough eventually because the ice
was melting off of the hoses as I bucketed snow.

Takes about an hour to warm up the engine.

I will worry about it in the spring. I see I can adjust the linkage some but
I may change out the fluid in the spring anyway. I do not put much for hours
on this machine and maybe I should just change it out more often. Its nice and clear as of today and I do not see any reason for the slow response.

If it was just one pull movement then I would say its adjustment but its the
curl up bucket and the boom up too. I checked for ice or snow buildup around
the linkage just to cover my bases.

My local dealer who sold the machine was bought out by a competitor and
then closed down (typical huh? ) and I have not been impressed with the new owners. They are over 40 miles away too.

I tend to fix stuff myself so I will figure it out eventually.

 

[Bulldog]

Have you noticed any difference if the sounds you hear when you are using the loader?

 

[RCtoywizard]

No, she sounds the same as always. No air whine or anything. Level is full.
Nice n clear too. of course. No engine laboring either.
I checked the linkages and all are tight so I shouldn't have readjust.

No ice blocking the controls either. I will check under the control arm
boot when things warm up a bit.
No hesitation in the amount of weight lift-able.

Slow on the response to actually start lifting though. takes a few seconds
before she actually starts to pull up. I used to be able to start lifting the
bucket with snow as I got almost to a stop, now I have to stop and wait
maybe 3 or 4 seconds.

 

[Bulldog]

I'm just going to throw this out there because I have seen it happen. Has anything been hit with the tractor or loader and a metal line been bent in. I have seen this happen before and evrything would work. No leaks from anywhere but the flow was restricted. I did this myself on a IH tractor. Hit a short concrete marker bushhogging the outside of a bean field. Everything still worked but it was slow. Good luck.

 

[RCtoywizard]

That was a good thought and I could envision that happening. but....

I found the problem !!!!
The weather was over 28° so I pulled apart the plastic covers over the control arm along with the rubber boot.
I moved the control rod around and to me it seemed sloppy. I figured well maybe the cable stretched (just dreaming) or
wear on the contact points. Better not for 300 hours! I figured I would just
adjust the linkage and see if that helps. I started with the 22mm nuts underneath where the valve is. Then I noticed that the locking nuts on the
cable it self was just floating in the middle of the threaded ends.
I had the biggest smile ever at that point. happy happy joy joy type of smile.

It appears that when they assembled her, they did not tighten up those two nuts and the pistons just slowly rotated them selves inwards, un-threading
themselves and I was losing pull.

I adjusted them back the best I could and she curls and lifts fast as she
used to. This summer I will readjust them a little better and put some blue
lock-tight on the threads.

Thank you all for your thoughts and suggestions.

Here is a pic
http://www.orangetractortalks.com/kubotagallery/?image=212

 

[Bulldog]

Glad to hear you got it going again. Sometime it's the simple things that are the hardest to find.