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Bob G.
05-26-2003 21:10:03
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I thought the experience I have had fixing the joystick control on my Du-Al loader on my 1720 Ford tractor would get a chuckle from some folk, so here goes. I bought this tractor and loader new 10 years ago. I complained mightily from the first that the loader was way too slow. It would lift a good load, but was horribly pookey in it movements. The dealer was less than anxious to do anything about it, and finally after threatening legal action they fiddled with it some, and it was a little better. I by then decided I had a lousy unit, and had little esle to do but put up with it. Fast forward to now and I'm retired, and finally have some time to ponder this problem. I also had just been lifting some very heavy loads, and suddenly the loader got really bad again. So... I decided to tear into it. I started with the divider valve body on the tractor, and it was fine. I replaced the filter, and checked all the lines up to the divider. All was fine there. It therefore had to be in the joystick valve body or the accompanying lines. I took apart the valve body, and when I pulled the fitting off for the outlet line, a very clean and shiny phillips screw was stuck in the inside end of the fitting. I couldn't believe it.... the factory assembler has dropped that screw in there during fabrication, and rather than extract it, just left it, and finished the unit. That screw had been the flow restriction for all these years, and must have finally been dislodged when I had recently had been lifting heavy stuff. And I also found that the "fix" that the dealer had done was to reroute the hoses to gain some flow. With the flow unrestricted, I then put the hoses back to the way they should have been all along, and now it works like a champ. I also did some hot-rodding to the flow in the divider valve... ported it in a couple of areas, and that increased the flow by about 25% if my math is correct. Anyway, it works very well, and oh yes, when I sent a letter to the dealer about what I had found, I got "0" response. I know they remember me as I had been a serious pest when I first had the tractor. So much for customer service. I guess all's well that ends well.
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