L555 Please save me from divorce!

[antfarmer2]

I talked to the guy that rebuilt the pumps and motors a described my situation. He thinks I have air being introduced through the suction hose or the fitting on the suction side of the gear pump. I'll check into that soon maybe tonight if I have time. He said the motors should be good. Said they have all new rotating assemblies. He asked if the oil is foamy. It really is. I used a clear hose when I ran the pump case drain test and the oil was really frothy looking. The oil I put in was a brand I didn't recognize but it said it met JD J20A specs which is what my service manual calls for. Should I buy the same oil again? Its the only one I could find locally that was labeled as meeting the j20a and the 304b NH standard. I sure hope this is it! Thank.

That could do it put some grease on suspect spots

 

[antfarmer2]

That could do it put some grease on suspect spots

That would suck if that was the original problem and your wife found out

 

[Ivan]

That would suck if that was the original problem and your wife found out

Where did you get your oil from? I bought some a couples years ago from TSC and changed the oil in mine. The oil was always milky like it had water in it. Later I found out that it was something in the oil. After changing it a couple more times all was ok. Used a different brand of oil. I saved the oil and used it in my wood processor. If it sits for a while it turn back clear

 

[palmtree]

Where did you get your oil from? I bought some a couples years ago from TSC and changed the oil in mine. The oil was always milky like it had water in it. Later I found out that it was something in the oil. After changing it a couple more times all was ok. Used a different brand of oil. I saved the oil and used it in my wood processor. If it sits for a while it turn back clear

I bought it at the local farm and home store. it was the only transmission/hydraulic fluid they had that said it met the J20A and New Holland 304B specifications. It's called Extreme Pure flow tractor hydraulic transmission fluid. It does look like it has some additives in it. When it was poured it looked kind of greenish. I'd really like to see if tightning and sealing up on the suction hose and checking the O-ring on the fitting will solve my problems before I change the oil. I just don't like the idea of changing the oil and then ending up needing to drain it back out to remove the motors again. My son had basketball games tonight and then we have a track meet to go to tomorrow so it looks like it's gonna be Saturday before I can get to it. That's fine because the Charge pressure check valve won't be in unitl Saturday anyway. So I can get that done too before I try it out again. Thanks again for all the help. Brett

 

[palmtree]

I bought it at the local farm and home store. it was the only transmission/hydraulic fluid they had that said it met the J20A and New Holland 304B specifications. It's called Extreme Pure flow tractor hydraulic transmission fluid. It does look like it has some additives in it. When it was poured it looked kind of greenish. I'd really like to see if tightning and sealing up on the suction hose and checking the O-ring on the fitting will solve my problems before I change the oil. I just don't like the idea of changing the oil and then ending up needing to drain it back out to remove the motors again. My son had basketball games tonight and then we have a track meet to go to tomorrow so it looks like it's gonna be Saturday before I can get to it. That's fine because the Charge pressure check valve won't be in unitl Saturday anyway. So I can get that done too before I try it out again. Thanks again for all the help. Brett

I meant to say 134B not 304B. Can someone recommend an oil for this machine? I don't want to spend too much but I don't want to go too cheap and cause problems.

 

[jerry]

I meant to say 134B not 304B. Can someone recommend an oil for this machine? I don't want to spend too much but I don't want to go too cheap and cause problems.

If you have foamy oil it will take longer than a day or two for the air to come out. Leave it for a week, go fishing and then try it. If it works but the oil gets foamy quick then you can hunt down the air leak without buying more oil.

 

[Mikefromcny]

If you have foamy oil it will take longer than a day or two for the air to come out. Leave it for a week, go fishing and then try it. If it works but the oil gets foamy quick then you can hunt down the air leak without buying more oil.

How cold is it where the machine is? I tried that oil last year in my bobcat. Charge pressure light would come on doing any boom or bucket functions below 40F.

 

[palmtree]

How cold is it where the machine is? I tried that oil last year in my bobcat. Charge pressure light would come on doing any boom or bucket functions below 40F.

It's been really nice here lately (around 50 degrees). The machine has been in the garage all winter so I can work on it as time allows -- so it's not cold. That's a big part of the reason my wife is getting tired of the situation. Her car has been displaced by the L555 all winter. I think I will change the oil. I just wish I know what to use. I did find another oil locally that is called Champion 4000 premium universal tractor transmission/hydraulic fluid. It's quite a bit more expensive but not as high as the new holland fluid. Anyone have experience with that?

 

[jerry]

It's been really nice here lately (around 50 degrees). The machine has been in the garage all winter so I can work on it as time allows -- so it's not cold. That's a big part of the reason my wife is getting tired of the situation. Her car has been displaced by the L555 all winter. I think I will change the oil. I just wish I know what to use. I did find another oil locally that is called Champion 4000 premium universal tractor transmission/hydraulic fluid. It's quite a bit more expensive but not as high as the new holland fluid. Anyone have experience with that?

Are you sure you cant just use 10-30 motor oil? That is what the book recommends for my '99 new Holland 665.

 

[palmtree]

Are you sure you cant just use 10-30 motor oil? That is what the book recommends for my '99 new Holland 665.

The service manual calls for fluid meeting the J20A spec. The dealer says NH 134B spec. The oil I bought was the cheapest tractor transmission/hydraulic oil they had but it said on the bucket that it meets both of those specs. They do have some that is more expensive that meets the newer specs (J20C and NH 134 B,C,D). I may try that If I have to. I removed the suction hose (it is new and in good shape), cleaned the nipples greased them and reattached it with 2 clamps on each end. I couldn't get the hose fitting on the gear pump off because it requires a wrench that is bigger than anything I have (it's bigger than 1 5/16 since that's the larges wrench I have). So I could still be getting air through there I suppose. The machine sat since Wednesday so I figure most air would be out of the oil. I started it up and the charge pressure read 150psi. I backed it out of the garage (ran jerky and weak) and worked the boom and bucket cylinders a little. After maybe 10 minutes at near full throttle the charge pressure was down to 130psi. Then after another 5-10 minutes it was down to 125. My son would move the machine and I'd look at the pressure and it would drop to a little under 100psi. It runs no better than before -- exactly the same. The charge light didn't come on but the manual says the charge pressure should be between 150 and 190psi. Does anyone have some advice on changing the charge check valve. I bought a new one but I'm not sure how to get that thing out. It's hard plumbed into the oil return and there isn't any give in either direction. I think I could get it out if I removed the other line (the charged line) but it's behind the line with the valve in it. I don't see any way to get a wrench on it. Also I made a video of the machine attempting to drive. I tried to make it a "landscape" oriented video but it was done with my phone and it didn't flip correctly. I don't know if the video will help but you can see it here http://youtu.be/cThx5pm27Fc

 

[Ivan]

The service manual calls for fluid meeting the J20A spec. The dealer says NH 134B spec. The oil I bought was the cheapest tractor transmission/hydraulic oil they had but it said on the bucket that it meets both of those specs. They do have some that is more expensive that meets the newer specs (J20C and NH 134 B,C,D). I may try that If I have to. I removed the suction hose (it is new and in good shape), cleaned the nipples greased them and reattached it with 2 clamps on each end. I couldn't get the hose fitting on the gear pump off because it requires a wrench that is bigger than anything I have (it's bigger than 1 5/16 since that's the larges wrench I have). So I could still be getting air through there I suppose. The machine sat since Wednesday so I figure most air would be out of the oil. I started it up and the charge pressure read 150psi. I backed it out of the garage (ran jerky and weak) and worked the boom and bucket cylinders a little. After maybe 10 minutes at near full throttle the charge pressure was down to 130psi. Then after another 5-10 minutes it was down to 125. My son would move the machine and I'd look at the pressure and it would drop to a little under 100psi. It runs no better than before -- exactly the same. The charge light didn't come on but the manual says the charge pressure should be between 150 and 190psi. Does anyone have some advice on changing the charge check valve. I bought a new one but I'm not sure how to get that thing out. It's hard plumbed into the oil return and there isn't any give in either direction. I think I could get it out if I removed the other line (the charged line) but it's behind the line with the valve in it. I don't see any way to get a wrench on it. Also I made a video of the machine attempting to drive. I tried to make it a "landscape" oriented video but it was done with my phone and it didn't flip correctly. I don't know if the video will help but you can see it here http://youtu.be/cThx5pm27Fc

What does it do with the bucket on it. From the vid it looks to run ok on the cement floor. You do know the when you take the bucket off it throws the weight distrubition off. Mine does that also. I had a smaller one and when the bucket was off that one it would do a wheelie when you backed up

 

[palmtree]

What does it do with the bucket on it. From the vid it looks to run ok on the cement floor. You do know the when you take the bucket off it throws the weight distrubition off. Mine does that also. I had a smaller one and when the bucket was off that one it would do a wheelie when you backed up

It's the same with the bucket. It will go straight ahead as long as there is no resistance (even then it doesn't feel right you just can't tell in the video). Look at the part where I'm turning in the gravel. It's jerking and whining a lot. It should turn really smoth on gravel. It really wont hardly turn at all -- even on gravel.

 

[Ivan]

It's the same with the bucket. It will go straight ahead as long as there is no resistance (even then it doesn't feel right you just can't tell in the video). Look at the part where I'm turning in the gravel. It's jerking and whining a lot. It should turn really smoth on gravel. It really wont hardly turn at all -- even on gravel.

It is not jumpy when you go straight? When you turn do you get a jerky feeling in the controls?

 

[Ivan]

It is not jumpy when you go straight? When you turn do you get a jerky feeling in the controls?

If you watch the vid no mater what way you turn the right habd side wheel is not turning under power. Take it out again and when you turn pull one lever all the way back and the other all the way forward and watch the right side wheels. They should turn either forward or backward if the levers are this way.

 

[palmtree]

It is not jumpy when you go straight? When you turn do you get a jerky feeling in the controls?

It's not as jumpy when you go straight. It dosen't show up well on the video but it doesn't feel right at all even going straight. Actually the left "feels" worse and sounds worse on the left. The guy at the shop said the motors were completely rebuilt with new rotating assymblies and all. He is very confident that the motors are fine. I wonder too because I'm telling you it behaves exactly like it did before the rebuild. I feel like it may be something else that I am overlooking. I'll try to get that suction hose fitting off of the gear pump and make sure it is sealed up good. Maybe it's still sucking air throught there somehow. Also could it be the gear pump is bad? The boom and bucket cylinders work fine but I haven't tried running them under a load. I don't really know how I'm gonna get the charge check valve off. I'm not even going to try until I can be sure that it's not an air leak. Could an air leak keep the charge pressure below spec? It seems to hang out around 125psi after warm up and drops below 100psi when stroking the levers.

 

[Mike10]

It's not as jumpy when you go straight. It dosen't show up well on the video but it doesn't feel right at all even going straight. Actually the left "feels" worse and sounds worse on the left. The guy at the shop said the motors were completely rebuilt with new rotating assymblies and all. He is very confident that the motors are fine. I wonder too because I'm telling you it behaves exactly like it did before the rebuild. I feel like it may be something else that I am overlooking. I'll try to get that suction hose fitting off of the gear pump and make sure it is sealed up good. Maybe it's still sucking air throught there somehow. Also could it be the gear pump is bad? The boom and bucket cylinders work fine but I haven't tried running them under a load. I don't really know how I'm gonna get the charge check valve off. I'm not even going to try until I can be sure that it's not an air leak. Could an air leak keep the charge pressure below spec? It seems to hang out around 125psi after warm up and drops below 100psi when stroking the levers.

You could try raising the boom while turning. If the boom is jerky when the hydro is jerky then you may have an air leak. If the boom raises smoothly then there is no air leak. I would also get a hose for your gauge so you can have the gauge in the cab with you.

 

[antfarmer2]

You could try raising the boom while turning. If the boom is jerky when the hydro is jerky then you may have an air leak. If the boom raises smoothly then there is no air leak. I would also get a hose for your gauge so you can have the gauge in the cab with you.

If your still have air in it start there

 

[palmtree]

You could try raising the boom while turning. If the boom is jerky when the hydro is jerky then you may have an air leak. If the boom raises smoothly then there is no air leak. I would also get a hose for your gauge so you can have the gauge in the cab with you.

I'll give that a try Mike. Thanks. Right now though, I have the gear pump pulled off and in the vice trying to remove the suction side fitting. I'm not sure I'm ever going to get that thing off. I did notice that the nipple on the suction fitting of the pump has an indention in it. I suppose that could keep the suction hose form sealing properly -- but it sure seemed like it should have sealed when I had 2 hose clamps on there. It certainly isn't right to have that indention though. Since I'm stuck looking for any little thing that could let air in I guess I'll need to replace that too. Ugh! Is there any place besides the suction hose to look for air introduction? How about the o-ring that seals the gear pump to the hydrostatic pump? It looks good but maybe it wasn't clean or something -- though it doesn't look like a place that would let air into the oil. There's also the stand pipe cover. It has a rubber seal on it. Maybe that seal is bad?

 

[jerry]

I'll give that a try Mike. Thanks. Right now though, I have the gear pump pulled off and in the vice trying to remove the suction side fitting. I'm not sure I'm ever going to get that thing off. I did notice that the nipple on the suction fitting of the pump has an indention in it. I suppose that could keep the suction hose form sealing properly -- but it sure seemed like it should have sealed when I had 2 hose clamps on there. It certainly isn't right to have that indention though. Since I'm stuck looking for any little thing that could let air in I guess I'll need to replace that too. Ugh! Is there any place besides the suction hose to look for air introduction? How about the o-ring that seals the gear pump to the hydrostatic pump? It looks good but maybe it wasn't clean or something -- though it doesn't look like a place that would let air into the oil. There's also the stand pipe cover. It has a rubber seal on it. Maybe that seal is bad?

There have been members here with hydraulic problems that turned out to be a piece of rag or something in a hose blocking flow so any hose you take off make sure it is clear all the way.

 

[antfarmer2]

There have been members here with hydraulic problems that turned out to be a piece of rag or something in a hose blocking flow so any hose you take off make sure it is clear all the way.

Braze your little grove and smooth it out