Need tractor help. Broke my front end loader....

Alabamacoastie

Alabamacoastie

Adiutor vicinorum
Puddle Pirate
2A Bourbon Hound 2024
2A Bourbon Hound OG
Life Member
Multi-Factor Enabled
Joined
Feb 22, 2018
Messages
6,577
Location
Pittsboro, NC
Rating - 100%
75   0   0
Hi guys! I have a Kubota MX5400 tractor with a LA1065 front end loader. The whole setup is basically new with only about 45 hours on the engine.

Today, I was trying to lift a very heavy boulder off the ground. I have no idea how much the boulder weighs, but I assumed the tractor would pick it up. I only wanted to lift it a couple of inches off the ground and move it to another spot.

I ran my RPMs up to 1500, like normal, and started to lift VERY SLOWLY... The back wheels of the tractor lifted off the ground, so I quickly let off pressure on the loader controls and let the tension off the bucket. I decided to try again, and the back wheels came up again, so I once again relieved pressure from the bucket and decided I would not try again.

Then, I realized that the bucket would no longer go up... It curls, and it dumps... But, there is ZERO hydraulic pressure to lift the bucket. And, the loader control lever is limp, flopping around like a donkey wiener...

There are no burst hoses. There is no hydraulic fluid anywhere. The three point hitch goes up and down. The tractor drives and the power steering is perfect.

Did I ruin a hydraulic pump or something?

Thanks guys!
 
if your other functions work I doubt you got the pump. I would guess blew a seal in lift cylinders or one in the valve with the latter being most likely. I doubt you would get both cylinder seals at once is reason I would say valve relief stuck or seal.

Also to add it should be covered under warranty as the relief should be designed to open before blowing a seal or damaging a valve.

The other thing that comes to mind is if pin came out of joystick that attaches it to valve body for up and down function and that would explain why its loose feeling.
 
Last edited:
On the lift lower function there us a float function. If you pushed the lever all the way forward to lower the loader arms. You may have went into float. On my 5400 I actually had one of the links between the loader joystick and the valve underneath come loose.

If not one of those 2 things it almost has to be a blown seal in the loader valve control
 
Alabamacoastie said:
Found it! @LeeMajors was right!

I removed the plastic cover and found this bolt had unscrewed itself!

I don't usually get this lucky, so I said a thank you prayer...

I'll be back in business in the morning!

View attachment 745640View attachment 745641
Click to expand...
Been there done that. After the second time within 75 hours. I put nail polish on the threads before I put it back together. Been used a couple hundred hours and hasn't happened again.
 
What does the nailpolish do? I was going to use purple loctite (the mildest loctite,no heat needed to remove). Should I use nailpolish instead?
 
Alabamacoastie said:
What does the nailpolish do? I was going to use purple loctite (the mildest loctite,no heat needed to remove). Should I use nailpolish instead?
Click to expand...
Same as loctite. It's what I use on optic mounts and has worked for 30 years.

And mine being a torx less chance of stripping it when it won't turn loose
 
Alabamacoastie said:
Hi guys! I have a Kubota MX5400 tractor with a LA1065 front end loader. The whole setup is basically new with only about 45 hours on the engine.

Today, I was trying to lift a very heavy boulder off the ground. I have no idea how much the boulder weighs, but I assumed the tractor would pick it up. I only wanted to lift it a couple of inches off the ground and move it to another spot.

I ran my RPMs up to 1500, like normal, and started to lift VERY SLOWLY... The back wheels of the tractor lifted off the ground, so I quickly let off pressure on the loader controls and let the tension off the bucket. I decided to try again, and the back wheels came up again, so I once again relieved pressure from the bucket and decided I would not try again.

Then, I realized that the bucket would no longer go up... It curls, and it dumps... But, there is ZERO hydraulic pressure to lift the bucket. And, the loader control lever is limp, flopping around like a donkey wiener...

There are no burst hoses. There is no hydraulic fluid anywhere. The three point hitch goes up and down. The tractor drives and the power steering is perfect.

Did I ruin a hydraulic pump or something?

Thanks guys!
Click to expand...
Dude, this happened to me Monday but on a JD 1025R. I was pulling stumps up with my stump bucket and I had the same behavior you describe. On the JD I pulled the plastic cover off the bottom of the control lever and found that one of the bolts that have threads on one end and a ball and socket joint on the other end had come unscrewed. The bolt had messed up threads so we took a die and got the first thread halfway un fuzzled and then it screwed it back on and viola - working bucket.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom