I'll bet ya' never heard of this before!!!

[rodbuilder]

I'm talking about a Bobcat 753 here. Right after I bought this machine I had a problem with the tilt/boom solenoid not releasing. NOTHING we did seemed to fix it. So, after we put a hot-wire on, what I think is the tilt/boom solenoid, located at the left/front corner of the pump 'house', under the seat, the machine SEEMED to operate normally in a heated garage. But after we let it sit outside overnight, the problem re-sufaced all over again! You could press the release switch under the key and hear the typical "click", but it didn't unlock diddly squat!!! The loader would move (or "motivate" as I say) but you couldn't get the bucket to do anything! When you press the peddles all it did was make the puimp growl like it was putting pressure on a blocked line! Then, I let it sit there, idling for maybe 4 or 5 minutes, and tried it again and BINGO - the damn thing operates like a new machine!!! When I bought the machine last week we discovered that someone had apparently left the cap off of the Hydraulic reservoir and it got some rain in it, because the hyd. oil was milky, so we flushed it out and installed new hydraulic fluid. I'm wondering if (like in a brake caliper on your car) maybe the spool valve inside the boom/tilt control valve might have a ring of corrosion around it (from the water) and warming it up loosens it enough so that it works? But having owned 20 or 30 skid loaders in the past 15 years or so, this is the damnedest thing I've ever come across!!

 

[jerry]

Some of the water in the oil probably collected in a low point and froze blocking flow, happens in water logged chain cases also.

 

[mmsllc]

Some of the water in the oil probably collected in a low point and froze blocking flow, happens in water logged chain cases also.

"RODBUILDER": Do yourself a huge favor & continue to flush all the hydraulic fluid a few more times. That way NO water can remain in the system at all. I do not think that BOBCAT makes any repair part that is anywhere close to as cheap as hydraulic oil is. That might mean replacing the hydraulic filter too a few times, but probably only 2 or 3 times max. I've got a question for you though, over the last 15 years, why have you owned so many machines? ((I'm just very curious about that!))

 

[Tazza]

"RODBUILDER": Do yourself a huge favor & continue to flush all the hydraulic fluid a few more times. That way NO water can remain in the system at all. I do not think that BOBCAT makes any repair part that is anywhere close to as cheap as hydraulic oil is. That might mean replacing the hydraulic filter too a few times, but probably only 2 or 3 times max. I've got a question for you though, over the last 15 years, why have you owned so many machines? ((I'm just very curious about that!))

Corrosion is possible, but it could also be from lack of use? If it was sitting before you bought it, it could have stuck in place. I bought an S150 that had been sitting i suspect for at least 6 months, an aux stem was stuck. I got it open and freed it up, has worked ever since.
How many times did you drop the oil after you found it was milky? when i had a machine with a little contamination, i think it took me 4 flushes till i was happy with it.

 

[TriHonu]

Corrosion is possible, but it could also be from lack of use? If it was sitting before you bought it, it could have stuck in place. I bought an S150 that had been sitting i suspect for at least 6 months, an aux stem was stuck. I got it open and freed it up, has worked ever since.
How many times did you drop the oil after you found it was milky? when i had a machine with a little contamination, i think it took me 4 flushes till i was happy with it.

Once you get the oil cleared up, you may want to install a water-absorbing hydraulic filter. It make take a couple filter changes but that should clear up the last of the water.
Google "Racor water absorbing hydraulic filter". You could also ask Bobcat if they stock a water absorbing filter.
You may find a shop with an external filter system, but you probably won't like the cost.