Checking Hydraulic level

[Thepieguy]

Hey all:

I've got a 1020 3cyl gas 135cu.

Last winter we had the thing split, and hydraulic system and power steering rebuilt. It was delivered in the fall and we only ran it a bit. Fluid level was fine. We had problems with the mower that needed attention, so the 1020 sat until recently.

Our manual suggests to check hyd. fluid with engine warmed up. At first start-up a few weeks ago, we warmed it up at idle for 10 minutes or so till it reached 170 degrees. We operated the clutch and the 3 point hitch several times (but not the PTO).

Checked the dipstick and it was dry!!! We were so upset: after years of leaks and lots of money for the last fix. (We had placed cardboard under the tractor last fall, so could see that no fluid had dripped out).

So, we gradually added fluid as recommended in the manual: engine idling, checking dipstick unscrewed. We figure we added at least two gallons to get the fluid up to the top mark on dipstick. We could not imagine how we had lost two gallons.

Then, we ran the tractor with the mower for about one hour.

Before we shut it down, we checked the hyd fluid. The level was all the way at the top of the dipstick, way over the top mark!

What the.....!!!!!

So, I imagine the fluid was 2 gallons overfilled. But... Why wasn't the level showing when we warmed it up to operating temperature at idle? How the heck do we check the hydraulic fluid level?

Any insight would be appreciated.

Joe O

 

[buickanddeere]

Sounds like the amount of oil the cooler and front
tank holds.

 

[Thepieguy]

Thanks for the reply, but, I'm not sure what to do with it.

My conundrum is this: if my fluid doesn't show up on the dipstick until after I've rigorously operated it and it's gotten real hot, I fear that I'm operating it with insufficient fluid. Basically, I'm flying blind for awhile.

So, I guess I should ask this: how do all you other 1020 owners check your hydraulic fluid level?

Joe O

 

[Thepieguy]

Buickanddeere:

Your response causes me to ask this question:

Before we started the tractor, we had replaced the gas tank. During R&R I noticed that the hyd. reserve tank was empty. How does the hyd. reserve tank function? Does it fill up immediately on starting? Does it empty as soon as the engine is shut off? Or is it supposed to always be full?

And, where is the "cooler" that you mention?

Thanks,

Joe O

 

[buickanddeere]

Shut down empty.
Running with no or moderate hydraulic oil use up
to approx 3-4gpm. The tank will stay full. Oil
demand beyond 3-4gpm will draw from the front tank
as the wee trans oil pump can't keep up.
The Dubuques/Mannheims didn't get the larger
trans pump and direct return from the scv's to the
trans oil filter. That the Waterloo tractors
featured.
Any hydraulic load such as a rock picker,
loader, backhoe, log splitter, hydraulic motor etc
. Requires a ported filter cover return on a
Mannheim/Dubuque.
A loader etc return direct to trans sump on a
Mannheim/Dubuque is dim witted at best.

 

[Thepieguy]

Buickanddeere:

Thank you for your quick response. It's becoming much clearer to me.

My apologies for reworking your reply here, but my brain needs to see things in a certain way. Please see if I've gotten this right. My questions or assumptions are in parentheses:

--------------
BEGIN:

When the engine is shut down the hydraulic reserve tank empties.

When the engine is running, the tank fills. If there is moderate hydraulic use, up to 3-4 gal/minute, the tank will stay full.

More active hydraulic use, beyond 3-4 gal/minute, is beyond the capacity of the small transmission oil pump installed in the Dubuque/Mannheim-made tractors. (In this case, the extra fluid demand is supplied by the fluid in the reserve tank). The Waterloo-built tractors featured a larger transmission oil pump and direct return of fluid from the SCV’s (definition?) to the transmission oil filter.

Any hydraulic load requires a ported filter cover return on Manheim/Dubuque-built tractors. (Are you saying that this a modification that can be done to make the system work better?), (or should have been done, rather than directing the return directly to the sump?)

A loader or other hydraulic device returning hydraulic fluid directly to the transmission sump was a poor system design. (And is this the system that my 1020 originally had?)

END
------------------
Thanks again. I look forward to your reply.

Joe O

 

[buickanddeere]

You have it figured out.
Any high flow hydraulic load with it's own
individual control valves. Should not be supplied
from a rear "SCV" ="Selective Control Valve".
A direct supply should be T'd in usually on the
high pressure line behind the brake master
cylinder.
Return oil should not be dumped directly to the
trans sump. The front pump will starve for oil.
Return oil from high flow loads must be returned
via a ported filter cover on Mannheim's and
Dubuque's.

 

[Tx Jim]

(reply to post at 08:20:10 06/27/10)

Thepieguy
If your tractor is a collar shift trans then I think the check valve I've listed below is malfunctioning or missing from a previous clutch repair because it is designed to keep hyd from draining back to sump from frt of tractor which in turn reservoir should stay full except on high hyd oil demand

R39076 GUIDE 1 (C)
R39078 SPRING 1 (C)
D2361R BALL 1 (C) 13MM (1/2")
T23203 VALVE SEAT 1 (C
(C) COLLAR SHIFT


You asked And, where is the "cooler" that you mention? It's mounted beside the radiator on RH side.

 

[buickanddeere]

(quoted from post at 07:56:40 06/28/10)
Thepieguy
If your tractor is a collar shift trans then I think the check valve I've listed below is malfunctioning or missing from a previous clutch repair because it is designed to keep hyd from draining back to sump from frt of tractor which in turn reservoir should stay full except on high hyd oil demand

R39076 GUIDE 1 (C)
R39078 SPRING 1 (C)
D2361R BALL 1 (C) 13MM (1/2")
T23203 VALVE SEAT 1 (C)

You asked And, where is the "cooler" that you mention? It's mounted beside the radiator on RH side.

Yeah, wonder what I was thinking to have missed saying the check valve is allowing the front tank to run empty.

 

[Tx Jim]

buickanddeere
It could be "old timers" setting in on you!!!!!!!!!!

That's one of the reasons that I think it's important for more than one of us to read & reply to posters problems so our mistakes can be corrected.