After repairing a leak with my dad before he passed, the hydraulic fluid is draining again like a tapped maple. I check the fluids regularly because of the previous leak and I suspect the injury happened after a remarkably heavy snow we had in Ontario this past winter around Christmas. The stuff fell like concrete and split trees in half.
From only blowing the snow, in below freezing temps, the snowblower chewed itself apart. It snapped the chain, chewed the drive sprocket, and finally cut the roll pin on the blower, releasing the shaft. The shear bolt, despite being the right hardness, did not shear.
After repairing all that damage -and replacing the shear bolt- I noticed the fluid was WAY low, like 6L to get it on the stick, low. Traced the leak to the pto output shaft and all this happened in a rush to run the spring tooth and get the firewood in this past weekend. I was thinking about hooking up an IV to the thing to make sure it didn't run dry, that's how fast it was bleeding out.
Im traveling for the next week, helping my mom move, and would really appreciate the expertise of this forum that helped me switch out the generator to an alternator in the winter. Despite it being a 1969 JD 3020, which my dad always insisted was POS ground and so does every resource I've found, switching to NEG ground restored function to the lights and the fuel gauge! My uncle said that's the first time the gauge has ever worked.
I will do what it takes to fix this but im really hoping it's an end seal and not some deeper issue that means deep surgery.
I'll update with photos when im back next weekend, but wanted to make the introduction and get you experts puzzling over what it could be in the time being. Im obviously concerned the snowblower incident broke something more critical and im looking at major repairs, but ever the optimist, maybe it's something rubbery that has lost it's flex? I haven't even had a chance to consult the manual yet so im giving you all the information I can think of.
The only other change I've noticed is miss on a few cylinders starting up, but my dad always used to start it with ether and im trying to avoid that, so I cant say if that is new or not. It sounds like someone firing up an old WWI plane by spinning the prop when it first takes; coughing and snorting its way up to idle.
Very thankful for this community and all the wisdom it holds! Fingers, toes, and everything else, crossed it's something not too deep in the beast.
Hope you all have a great week!
My name is Adam, btw. Very pleased to make your acquaintance!
From only blowing the snow, in below freezing temps, the snowblower chewed itself apart. It snapped the chain, chewed the drive sprocket, and finally cut the roll pin on the blower, releasing the shaft. The shear bolt, despite being the right hardness, did not shear.
After repairing all that damage -and replacing the shear bolt- I noticed the fluid was WAY low, like 6L to get it on the stick, low. Traced the leak to the pto output shaft and all this happened in a rush to run the spring tooth and get the firewood in this past weekend. I was thinking about hooking up an IV to the thing to make sure it didn't run dry, that's how fast it was bleeding out.
Im traveling for the next week, helping my mom move, and would really appreciate the expertise of this forum that helped me switch out the generator to an alternator in the winter. Despite it being a 1969 JD 3020, which my dad always insisted was POS ground and so does every resource I've found, switching to NEG ground restored function to the lights and the fuel gauge! My uncle said that's the first time the gauge has ever worked.
I will do what it takes to fix this but im really hoping it's an end seal and not some deeper issue that means deep surgery.
I'll update with photos when im back next weekend, but wanted to make the introduction and get you experts puzzling over what it could be in the time being. Im obviously concerned the snowblower incident broke something more critical and im looking at major repairs, but ever the optimist, maybe it's something rubbery that has lost it's flex? I haven't even had a chance to consult the manual yet so im giving you all the information I can think of.
The only other change I've noticed is miss on a few cylinders starting up, but my dad always used to start it with ether and im trying to avoid that, so I cant say if that is new or not. It sounds like someone firing up an old WWI plane by spinning the prop when it first takes; coughing and snorting its way up to idle.
Very thankful for this community and all the wisdom it holds! Fingers, toes, and everything else, crossed it's something not too deep in the beast.
Hope you all have a great week!
My name is Adam, btw. Very pleased to make your acquaintance!
