B3200 Bucket Lifts slowly.

[my-b3200]

Hello, I'm new to the site. Lots of good info I see on here. I do have a question about hydraulics bucket lifts.

I have a 2009 B3200 with only 500hrs. I keep good maintenance on this tractor. Over the last several months, I've noticed my bucket won't lift at full speed. It drops ok, curls ok, but won't go up full speed like something impedes the fliud flow. When I try to lift, it starts at full speed but quickly acts like a super heay load has been put in the bucket. I can go at 1/2 speed upward ok but at full speed it slows down dramatically, like 1/4 speed, and when it does this it even put a load on the engine. I did temporarily reverse the up/down lines and it went up at full speed but would not go down at all. Had to prop up the bucket with a support, reverse to lines back to normal, then the bucket went down normally.

Could there be some kind of debris in the valve area that impedes the fluid flow like described? Or maybe a valve going bad?

TIA for any answers or advice. Just to avoid a very expensive repair at the dealership if possibly something I could handle.

Thanks!

 

[Dave_eng]

The first item to suspect are hydraulic quick couplers.
Open and re-set the two involved in the function you find slow.
If nothing improves, swap the lift arm hoses for the bucket hoses and see if the problem moves.
Couplers can fail internally so you may have to replace one or two.
Have you had any hydraulic circuits open such as replacing a damaged hose?
A hose in the wrong place will produce problems.
Dave

 

[my-b3200]

I did reset the quick couplers but that didn't help. You mentioned that can fail internally? Have you ever ran across one that would pass fluid in One Direction but not the other? If so then maybe that's the problem.

 

[johnjk]

I have seen it on a brake line where it allows fluid to flow in to the caliper but the rubber acts like a check valve and impedes the flow back out.

 

[my-b3200]

I have seen it on a brake line where it allows fluid to flow in to the caliper but the rubber acts like a check valve and impedes the flow back out.

Interesting, I'm thinking I will try swapping my lift line with 1 of the curl lines to see what happens. Thanks for the feedback!!

 

[Fastball714]

Make sure the three point hitch lever is in the middle position. You have to pull that lever all the way to lift and lower. It seems to be lazy about finding the middle and the fel moves very slow going up or down.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

Interesting, I'm thinking I will try swapping my lift line with 1 of the curl lines to see what happens. Thanks for the feedback!!

Good idea, but you'll need to swap both lift and curl hoses.

 

[Fastball714]

Good idea, but you'll need to swap both lift and curl hoses.

Check the lever on three point hitch. Just raise it and make sure the lever is in the center when you finish. Now your fel will lift. These models don't have the same set position that you can set your mower, it's up or down. It's a pain to run a bush hog or blade, because you have to adjust the height every time you move it up or down.

 

[TheOldHokie]

Check the lever on three point hitch. Just raise it and make sure the lever is in the center when you finish. Now your fel will lift. These models don't have the same set position that you can set your mower, it's up or down. It's a pain to run a bush hog or blade, because you have to adjust the height every time you move it up or down.

We see this problem time and time again and with multiple different models. Some are more susceptible than others. Kubota loves routing loader lift cylinder exhaust oil to power beyond.....

Dan

 

[my-b3200]

Problem resolved. As some of you may have suggested it could be the couplers. I changed the couplers for the lift motion and it did not help. Then I changed out the lift line and that did not help. Had a guy come out that used to work at a Kubota dealer in their maintenance department and we went through everything and he was not sure either. Finally we loosened up the lowering line and we noticed immediately that we could lift the bucket. So the problem either had to be with the the downward motion coupler or somewhere in the valving system near the transmission area. It turns out that when the bucket was trying to lift it pushes out hydraulic fluid and that coupler was acting like a check valve. It would let it go down but it would not let it go up. So the downward coupler kit was replaced and the problem resolved.

 

[TheOldHokie]

Problem resolved.

... It turns out that when the bucket was trying to lift it pushes out hydraulic fluid and that coupler was acting like a check valve.

Indeed.

Dan