bx2230d hst rebuild done speed control question

[lakebota]

my project moves and operates. bought compact tractor with a cracked main housing with plans to rebuild and use on our 4ac homesite.
Well the plan came together today and I'm pretty sure I can rebuild a swiss chronograph now. Lots of parts in a small package, I respect the engineering put into this unit. I'll tell you there was lots of stress, reading and attention to detail reading and re-reading the fsm before doing anything.
I do have one question as I have not operated one of these, on the speed control pedal, is it supposed to return to center, or is it operator controlled?
My old bx1850 self centers, on the bx2230 the pedal seems stiff and does not self center. I plan to look at it tomorrow, re-lube and maybe make sure I didn't miss a spring or tighten something that should not.

 

[85Hokie]

my project moves and operates. bought compact tractor with a cracked main housing with plans to rebuild and use on our 4ac homesite.
Well the plan came together today and I'm pretty sure I can rebuild a swiss chronograph now. Lots of parts in a small package, I respect the engineering put into this unit. I'll tell you there was lots of stress, reading and attention to detail reading and re-reading the fsm before doing anything.
I do have one question as I have not operated one of these, on the speed control pedal, is it supposed to return to center, or is it operator controlled?
My old bx1850 self centers, on the bx2230 the pedal seems stiff and does not self center. I plan to look at it tomorrow, re-lube and maybe make sure I didn't miss a spring or tighten something that should not.

should self center ............spring ????

 

[lakebota]

will be checking it first thing in the morning. I had a long day of it, hst went in yesterday and all the accompaniments done today.
There was a spring I attached right at the end, a lot of adjustment available on it where the adj link is mounted to the frame.
I left it at the previous setting point. I'm thinking I will check if the pivots are rusted/dirty. Might open that and grease/lube as well as tighten the adjuster a little if lube has no effect.

 

[lakebota]

o.k. with fresh eyes re-lubed the pedal pivot, checked all linkage, set some more tention on return spring, lubed the damper rod and cannot yet get the pedal to recenter.
so, does anyone kow if the damper rod is a "charged" cylinder (like a shock or hood assist)? if not it seems it would have to be internal to the hst swashplate (that I did not disassemble. I recall checking the operation of the trunnion shaft that protrudes, so hopefully not.
Internet searches hav yielded plenty of problems with the pedal not self centering, hopefully a little more messing around with it I may find a bearing, or? that is the culprit. I'd sure hate to pull this again even though I have the process down.

 

[lakebota]

the culprit is the trunnion bearing alignment. I re-lubed and checked everything starting at the pedal, removed the damper to test operation with the end detached, still tight, removed the rr wheel and saw the linkage pivot (trunnion) and decided to check that bearing. as soon as I loosened one bolt on the cap, everything loosened up and now she idles down as my other bota.
All is good, and I'm going to blow some of the cobwebs out as she's set dormant too long.

 

[ShaunBlake]

...
All is good, and I'm going to blow some of the cobwebs out as she's set dormant too long.

Yippee!

Sorry you had to suffer the multiple disassembles, and glad that you made it right. And though I don't have an HST, I now understand how great life would be if mine were HST, so I hope to get one, and I'm grateful for your follow-up.

 

[lakebota]

...suffer the multiple disassembles...

fortunately I didn't have to go any further than pulling the pedal, the damper rod and the rr wheel. I was a little worried about having to pull the fenders again, and hopefully not have to do a major teardown. if anyone has a similar problem I think it good to post follow-up's so that it stays in history.
As a side note I had another problem that cleared it self up during the dormant period. Seems the original owner whom I bought this from (needing work with only 150 hrs) managed to crack the main hst case (replaced a shear pin with a gr8 bolt on the pto shaft and tilled cobbles) as well as flop it on it's side. When I bought it he said it an needed injector, the "shop" told him so. When started cold it would blow black smoke, rattle, miss and cough. I tested all the injectors, drained the fuel system, replaced filters and *resolved* there was no bad injector or contamination, rather a bent rod. I felt a sinking feeling when I called the po and he said he righted it after "a couple hours and promptly started it. Should have let it set...
Much to my dismay over the period I disassembled late last fall, the holidays, my wife's knee surgury, travel commitments a bad cold and parts orders, there must have been water, or gasoline in the syatem that evaporated. Upon starting, no black smoke, no rattle no miss. I can put away any thoughts of engine pulling for now

 

[ShaunBlake]

... I was a little worried about having to pull the fenders again...

In my naivety, I had assumed that would be a trivial task... not so?

...
As a side note I had another problem that cleared it self up during the dormant period...

Double yippee!

 

[lakebota]

pulling the fenders includes the floorboard as a unit. on these compacts there is a lot involved, beside rops, there is an internal snap ring on the hyd fall rate knob that is a pita, the lighting harness/connections for the taillights and really just a few bolts, now to get the hst out figure about 2 -3 hrs plus a camera or photographic memory along with a sharpie marker to make index marks. Or, make note of wiring harness routing as well.

On the double yipee, yes, very nice. I wonder if the last gallon or two I added last fall with power services (additive) added did some magic on contamination or injector?

Yesterday I adjusted the auto-center rod of the 3 pt lift arms and got it to center on both rise and fall. Lastly the stickiness of the speed control pedal seems to be returning, just a little. I think I will loosen the bearing cap a half turn and without starting tractor run it to the extremes, then tighten, start her up and see if this 'fine tuning bearing alignment' will make that sensitive linkage be right. I may have to order the bearing for that shaft if this fails.

fwiw, I ran the tractor for about 5 hours grading a large area and she is, in my mind, perfect (save for the occasional hitch in the pedal return).

 

[lakebota]

this pedal issue seems to revolve about the alignment of the bearing contained in the neutral plate, and the plate alignment to the trunnion and where it's bolted onto the hst. I removed and cleaned the sealed bearing vicinity, loosened the two bolts attaching the bearing cap (trunnion plate) and also the two bolts holding the neutral plate to whatever it bolted to. Doing so allows the speed control pedal to move freely and by carefully tightening the neutral plate and bearing cap bolts a little at a time and maintaining bearing/trunnion alignment I was able to (hopefully) solve this pedal issue (not reliably returning to center).
I worked the tractor grading for a couple hours and she did so without problem.
If it returns I may start investigating the inner workings of the hst to see i the hyd flow has some role in the self centering of the pedal.

 

[lakebota]

I wonder if the separate pedals of later models was done because of this tendency. Seems I have read many reports of people having this issue with failure to center online. (as well as the 3 point return to neutral).