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PhilC 01-07-2013 13:34:31 75.121.160.18 Report to Moderator	Been awhile since I've posted, guess that's good since tractor's been working fine. Used the 3pt in Oct/Nov with no issues parked indoors in heated shop. Got 8" snow last night so went to hook up back blade this morning but cannot get lift arms to lower. Tried jumping on them but nothing. Ford shop manual has what to do if the arms won't go up, but nothing about what to do if they won't go down. Suspect I've got a stuck valve somewhere. Short of pulling the 3pt cover is there anything else I can check or try first? [Reply]   [No Email]
PhilC 01-09-2013 09:37:44 207.118.25.222 Report to Moderator	Re: Can't lower lift arms on my 801 in reply to PhilC, 01-07-2013 13:34:31   Have always left the FEL down, just never gave the 3pt much thought. It will be left down from now on. All worked well yesterday and got a couple hours of plowing work before the rain came. Now it's 38° at 9:30 with a forecast high of 45°. Temps drop hard tomorrow, will be in the teens by late afternoon and stay that way for the next week. Had to get all that snow off before it became a big skating rink. :roll: [Reply]  [No Email]
soundguy 01-08-2013 05:42:21 184.246.206.123 Report to Moderator	Re: Can't lower lift arms on my 801 in reply to PhilC, 01-07-2013 13:34:31   a sticky unloader is a more or less common issue on these machines. as you found.. they usually self heal with a lil vibration and work and ignoring it a bit. good luck [Reply]  [No Email]
PhilC 01-07-2013 16:10:51 75.121.160.18 Report to Moderator	Re: Can't lower lift arms on my 801 in reply to PhilC, 01-07-2013 13:34:31   Well, I got lucky. Spent about an hour and a half moving snow with the FEL earlier today and tried moving control lever several times while doing that to no avail. Didn't think about the draft position control, though, good idea. When I finished, I parked the tractor back in the shop and left the control in the full down position. Just went out and checked, lift arms are down. Fired tractor up, and arms go up and back down. Guess I get to do some back blade work tomorrow. I'll be sure to leave the control in the down position from now on. I may still need to get inside the hydraulics, but at least I can wait 'til nicer weather. Thanks for the suggestions though, much appreciated. 8) [Reply]  [No Email]
old 01-07-2013 18:39:31 209.86.226.30 Report to Moderator	Re: Can't lower lift arms on my 801 in reply to PhilC, 01-07-2013 16:10:51   Down is in draft so you still have a problem but at least you can use the 3 point not the best way but at least it can be used. Up the draft/position control is in position control so your going to pretty much be either up or down and not much between [Reply]  [No Email]
Larry NCKS 01-07-2013 19:35:20 70.197.196.214 Report to Moderator	Re: Can't lower lift arms on my 801 in reply to old, 01-07-2013 18:39:31   Quoting Removed, click Modern View to see I think the OP talking about the position control lever here. Not the draft control lever. Correct, PhilC? [Reply]  [No Email]
PhilC 01-08-2013 06:56:11 75.121.160.18 Report to Moderator	Re: Can't lower lift arms on my 801 in reply to Larry NCKS, 01-07-2013 19:35:20   Quoting Removed, click Modern View to see Correct Larry. Actually, I never moved the draft/position lever, it's still in position mode. Apologies to old, I should have been clearer in my earlier reply. :oops: I didn't think about the draft/position lever until I read old's post, but I had already parked the tractor by then and was back indoors. I did move the lift control lever up and down several times while I was using the FEL, but it didn't make any difference. I left the lift control lever in the down position when I put the tractor away about 11:30. At 4pm, I decided to take a look when I was tossing a tennis ball for my yellow lab, and lo and behold, the arms were down. Now, this brings up a new question. Is it better to leave the lift arms down, mid-way, or up when the tractor is parked? If the arms got stuck while up would they also get stuck when down? I park it in my shop, and cannot get through the 8' door with the back blade (also 8') attached, so it's always put away without an implement. I have been parking it with the arms up, but this discussion now has me wondering if full down is the better option. Sure appreciate the replies. When warm, dry weather returns to eastern WA, I'll pull the topdeck and give it thorough cleaning, don't suppose it will hurt a thing to do that. Maybe I'll fix my power steering (separate and much more involved issue) while I'm at it. :wink: [Reply]  [No Email]
old 01-08-2013 09:08:57 209.86.226.18 Report to Moderator	Re: Can't lower lift arms on my 801 in reply to PhilC, 01-08-2013 06:56:11   Well on my 841 with loader that is parked out side I when I park it set a wood block under the back blade which has 6-85lbs suit case weights and a 150lbs wheel weight on the center link area. I also set a wood block under the bucket. That way neither on sits on the ground so as to keep it from freezing down. More or less a safety device since years ago I had one start up and the 3 point control was set to go up and the tractor did a wheelie due the the back blade being frozen to the ground. Not the best way to start the day [Reply]  [No Email]
JMOR 01-08-2013 07:04:58 72.181.173.171 Report to Moderator	Re: Can't lower lift arms on my 801 in reply to PhilC, 01-08-2013 06:56:11   Quoting Removed, click Modern View to seeMind you, strictly an opinion, but I prefer to park with everything hydraulic in a pressure relieved state. In the case of your lift, that means down. Reason being that in a spool valve, pressures keep it forced up against the bushing & I would rather that it sit there floating freely. And it is a spool valve that controls the flow to dump the cylinder & lower it. [Reply]  [No Email]
old 01-07-2013 20:47:03 209.86.226.32 Report to Moderator	Re: Can't lower lift arms on my 801 in reply to Larry NCKS, 01-07-2013 19:35:20   Well just going by the fat I had said to try to move the draft/position control to see if the arms would go down and from what I understand he did so and the 3 point arms would then go up and down by the control handle which it would not before. [Reply]  [No Email]
PhilC 01-07-2013 14:21:25 75.121.160.18 Report to Moderator	Re: Can't lower lift arms on my 801 in reply to PhilC, 01-07-2013 13:34:31   Temp outside was about 32° when I pulled the tractor out of the shop (52° inside). Any shortcuts to freeing the unloader valve or do I just bite the bullet and pull the topdeck? Sure wish I could have gotten the back blade on the arms, I think the weight would have put enough pressure on the system to free it up. My 170lbs hopping on the arms just wasn't enough. :lol: [Reply]  [No Email]
old 01-07-2013 14:55:39 209.86.226.32 Report to Moderator	Re: Can't lower lift arms on my 801 in reply to PhilC, 01-07-2013 14:21:25   This may or may not work but try moving the draft/position control lever and see if it goes down by doing that. Also some times moving the control lever up and down a few times frees thing up also. [Reply]  [No Email]
Ultradog MN 01-07-2013 13:43:32 184.100.109.75 Report to Moderator	Re: Can't lower lift arms on my 801 in reply to PhilC, 01-07-2013 13:34:31   Could be the unloading valve is stuck. Or, How cold is it where you are? Could be ice in the system too. If you are in cold country it might be worth bringing it in somewhere and thaw it out overnight. [Reply]  [No Email]
Sean in PA 01-07-2013 14:12:16 71.224.102.32 Report to Moderator	Re: Can't lower lift arms on my 801 in reply to Ultradog MN, 01-07-2013 13:43:32   Quoting Removed, click Modern View to see I agree on the unloader valve, but not the ice. From the original post: Quoting Removed, click Modern View to see So I don't think that ice would be the problem. :D [Reply]  [No Email]
Ultradog MN 01-07-2013 14:56:17 184.100.109.75 Report to Moderator	Re: Can't lower lift arms on my 801 in reply to Sean in PA, 01-07-2013 14:12:16   Oops. I gotta relearn to read. [Reply]  [No Email]