LA211 Loader Attachment Issue

[JRPeck]

I have a BX2230 with LA211 FEL. The loader has been off the tractor for many months. When I re-attached it yesterday I made a real idiot move: I hadn't realized that because the loader was on uneven terrain it didn't match up properly to the brackets on the tractor. The left side aligned correctly in the mounting bracket--and from my seat, it looked like the right side aligned right as well. I hopped out the left side, put the pin in the left side bracket the went around to the right side and saw that the right side was not in the bracket. Pics attached showing both sides.

Long story short: After a couple hours of fiddling around, I can't get the pin out of the left bracket and can't get the right bracket to align, even applying leverage. I suspect the biggest problem is the hydraulic pressure not allowing movement, so my thinking is to drain the fluid from the line in the right arm and perhaps detach the piston--that this should permit enough movement to the arm.

Is that the best course of action?

Hoping someone here has some productive thoughts.

Thanks,
JRP

 

[JimmyJazz]

You should be able to get it connected properly using a combination of deftly applied hydraulic control , kicking with boot, and four letter words. I just applied this technique yesterday to the same issue. Its been very dry here and I had not removed the loader to mow in several weeks. Somehow I had forgotten how to reattach the thing. It seemed magical when it went together. I could not explain how it was done either. I consider it similar to how the Jedi apply "The Force". Try not to think about it. Good luck.

 

[DustyRusty]

I wouldn't break the hydraulic lines, but I would try using a floor jack and some wood to get it into place. I used to have the same problem with my BX22. Once it was so bad that I pulled the pins on the upright part and removed it that way. Once off I dragged it to a flat level surface and put it back together.

 

[TheOldHokie]

I have a BX2230 with LA211 FEL. The loader has been off the tractor for many months. When I re-attached it yesterday I made a real idiot move: I hadn't realized that because the loader was on uneven terrain it didn't match up properly to the brackets on the tractor. The left side aligned correctly in the mounting bracket--and from my seat, it looked like the right side aligned right as well. I hopped out the left side, put the pin in the left side bracket the went around to the right side and saw that the right side was not in the bracket. Pics attached showing both sides.

Long story short: After a couple hours of fiddling around, I can't get the pin out of the left bracket and can't get the right bracket to align, even applying leverage. I suspect the biggest problem is the hydraulic pressure not allowing movement, so my thinking is to drain the fluid from the line in the right arm and perhaps detach the piston--that this should permit enough movement to the arm.

Is that the best course of action?

Hoping someone here has some productive thoughts.

Thanks,
JRP
View attachment 133457 View attachment 133458

Shut the engine off and operate the controls to relieve hydraulic pressure. Then attack with jacks and pry bars.

Dan

 

[RCW]

Good advice thus far.

My first thought was a little down pressure to loosen/pull the left side pin. Afterthought was leave it in.

I’d relieve pressure per Dan’s post and finesse (and muscle) the right side in the it’s seat.

Leave the boom (lift) in float to allow some movement of the lift cylinder to adjust the bracket aft as needed.

Looks like right lift cylinder needs to extend 1” or so to meet the seat. Once seated, might be able to roll bucket forward (dump) a little to get pin to line up.

Hard to give good advice without sitting in the seat operating the joystick….

 

[TheOldHokie]

Good advice thus far.

My first thought was a little down pressure to loosen/pull the left side pin. Afterthought was leave it in.

I’d relieve pressure per Dan’s post and finesse (and muscle) the right side in the it’s seat.

Leave the boom (lift) in float to allow some movement of the lift cylinder to adjust the bracket aft as needed.

Looks like right lift cylinder needs to extend 1” or so to meet the seat. Once seated, might be able to roll bucket forward (dump) a little to get pin to line up.

Hard to give good advice without sitting in the seat operating the joystick….

Looks to me like a jack under the right side of the loader subframe would lift and twist the tractor into near alignment. Maybe a second jack towards the back of the tractor for fine tuning the angle and then some judicous prying and/or use of the hydraulics....

Or buy a second loader tractor and use it to hoist the misaligned loader.

Dan

 

[xrocketengineer]

When I had (no so bad) misalignment, I used a jack to lift on the diagonally opposed end of the loader, by the bucket end, to "land" the unseated pin. Obviously, with the engine off and the pressure relieved in the system.

 

[Grandad4]

Looks to me like a jack under the right side of the loader subframe would lift and twist the tractor into near alignment. Maybe a second jack towards the back of the tractor for fine tuning the angle and then some judicous prying and/or use of the hydraulics....

Or buy a second loader tractor and use it to hoist the misaligned loader.

Dan

Exactly! Once you get the right side raised just right, it should relieve the pressure on the jammed pin so you can remove it. Maybe some penetrating lube on the pin to help things along. I would detatch everything and start over using whatever is available to get tractor and loader aligned. Probably obvious with hindsight but always park the loader on even ground when removing it and never insert the pins until you're sure everything is lined up. Good luck!

 

[GreensvilleJay]

option #9 ?
unpin rams on the uprights, use joystick to retract the cylinders.

once frame is on correctly, repin rams on(may have to extend them a bit

 

[JRPeck]

Shut the engine off and operate the controls to relieve hydraulic pressure. Then attack with jacks and pry bars.

Dan

Thanks to all for your thoughts on this. I had tried most of them already--especially the cursing JimmyJazz suggested! Here's how I eventually got it done: I moved the tractor (with the FEL attached on one side only) to a firm level surface. Then fiddled with the controller until enough pressure was off the left side that I could work the pin loose. So, with both pins out and on level ground, I was able to just re-mount the loader normally.

 

[JRPeck]

Exactly! Once you get the right side raised just right, it should relieve the pressure on the jammed pin so you can remove it. Maybe some penetrating lube on the pin to help things along. I would detatch everything and start over using whatever is available to get tractor and loader aligned. Probably obvious with hindsight but always park the loader on even ground when removing it and never insert the pins until you're sure everything is lined up. Good luck!

Just saw this reply and this is exactly what I ended up doing (by dumb luck, mostly) except didn't need the penetrating oil. You're exactly right about parking the loader on level ground in the first place--one of those things I knew but didn't do!

Thanks, again, to all for their suggestions!

 

[Grandad4]

Just saw this reply and this is exactly what I ended up doing (by dumb luck, mostly) except didn't need the penetrating oil. You're exactly right about parking the loader on level ground in the first place--one of those things I knew but didn't do!

Thanks, again, to all for their suggestions!

Glad everything is good. I owned a BX2230 for many years. It was a hard-working little rig that was useful for so many jobs.