2240 bucket lifts front tires but arms won't

agenfarmall

New User
I recently purchased a 2240 with 145 FEL and the loader has a
few issues. I installed a new control valve, so no issues there.
With the bucket flat on the ground, I can curl the bucket and
easily lift the front tires off the ground. However, the main arm
cylinders will not lift the front end...even with the bucket set up
on blocks so there is plenty of ram to retract. Since the bucket
lifts it, it's not a pump or pressure issue. Is it a cylinder seal
leak issue? Can I rebuild these, or is it more effort than it's
worth to hire it done.
Also, it previously sat outside and the hydraulic fluid is
milky...likely water in it. Is there any at that is jacket water? Or
just rain from setting outside?
Thank you for your insight.....or even your $.02 worth!
 
1. Check the hydraulic pressure.

2. A loader will only have so much down pressure. When cylinders retract, the force is less because the diameter of the rod extending though the subtracts force by making the effective area of that side of the piston that many square inches smaller.
 
That's a true statement that I never really considered...up vs. down pressure area. However, if the bucket cylinders can lift it and the cylinder bores are the same, the arm cylinders should lift it too. (Ignoring complexities like leverage differences, etc)
 
Yes, there's probably quite a difference in leverage/mechanical advantage between the two systems.

If the arm cylinders use chevron seals stacked reversed back-to-back, one of the ones that seal downward pressure could be leaking, but it seems as if the arm cylinders are holding when you "roll" the bucket and left the front end.
 
Ditto what Bob stated about checking stand-by pressure. I'd set pressure at 2350 psi.

When trying to lift frt axle with loader is tractor in NEUTRAL? Having tractor in park won't allow rear wheels to rotate a small amt making frt end more difficult to raise.

Milky oil on JD utility tractors of that era is normally caused by cracked gear shift lever boots &/or plugged breather on hyd oil filler hole. Water in hyd oil can cause brake pads to fail so I'd advise to drain milky oil ASAP. I'll also advise to change hyd filter & check/clean sump screen(parts key 15).

Is new FEL valve a closed-center valve???
mvphoto17717.gif
 
It is in neutral when all this is taking place, not park. The
tractor is closed center (by the book it is anyway) and the new
valve I put on is closed center as well. It did the same thing
with the old valve, plus the loader moved very slowly, so I
assumed the valve was the issue. It moves faster now, but the
other issue remains.
As Bob noted, the arm cylinders hold when the bucket lifts the
tractor.i I left the FEL up over night and it didn't leak down.
Does that still sound like bad seals.
I am draining fluid and replacing today. I strongly suspect
shifter boots and rain and the issue with milky fluid.
Thank you again.
 
The leverage difference is too great to ignore in this case. The biggest difference, though, is that the bucket cylinder is extending giving much more piston area and therefore more force.
 
That's kinda normal operation on those.
158 booms will lift a 4020 though.
Rain water... When you change oil just put in enough to cycle as you should change it again.
 

Plug a hyd gauge into the hyd system preferably the rear breakaway coupler of the scv. Pressure can be adjusted by turning screw(parts key 27) in/out on stroke control valve in hyd pump.
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