After the brakes are used a couple of times the right side seams to be sticking. Roaded the machine a half mile everything was fine initially down the last hill in 4th like always. Pushed brush into a pile for maybe 30 minutes, left to put the hoe back in the barn started up the road and it seamed labored. Going down small hill shifted into 4th like always and it started slowing down, started up the hill in a right turn in second gear it would not pull the hill shifted to first made the corner got out to have a look and found the right side of the transaxle smoking a little and dripping fluid. Limped it back to the shop to park it. Today I lifted it up with the outriggers and ran it in all gears, seamed fine so I pushed the brakes a few times after that it took noticeably more pedal to make the wheels turn afterward. Proceeded to run it for about ten minutes in all gears forward and reverse got out and checked the transaxle, right side was noticeably hotter than the left. Could it be as easy as a colapsed rubber brake line or something much worse?
Dunno. I do have a set of manuals, I can look up something if it comes to that. Willie
Thank you, trying to keep this thing going for my retired uncle
What transmission is in this machine, where is the four speed shifter, in the right hand console or in front of the console through the floor?
Right side through the floor
Mine is I believe 1988 I have the right side through the floor shifter. Brakes are a small hydraulic cylinder at top of each axle. The only problem on two different tractors I have owned is balance. Step on both pedals, they should equalize at the master cylinders. With both of mine I had to clean, and replace springs, and balls in the equalize circuit, or I couldn't use one brake at a time. The mechanism in the axles, I'm unfamiliar with.
The master cylinders appear to be working correctly, brakes operate independently.
OK the brakes are on the stub shafts in housing attached to the side of the transaxle housing. You'll have to drain the oil from the transaxle and remove the cover and check the brake disc and actuator, also check the adjusting rod that is in the slave cylinder.
Thank you, I will check it and see what I find. Does the transaxle have to be dropped to get these covers off? Not close the machine right now.
No the rear end does not have to be dropped.
When this happens on a car or truck, it's usually because the compensation ports are blocked in the master cylinder. These are the little holes in the bottom of the master cylinder reservoirs, the ones that squirt a geyser when the brake pedal is stomped with the cap off. The holes can be plugged by dirt in the bottom of the master, and they can also be plugged off by the master cylinder rod adjustment being off and the master cylinder is slightly depressed all the time, not enough to apply the brakes, but enough to plug the compensation hole off. When the master cylinder is not being pressed, these little holes are open to the brake lines and wheel cylinders. As the brake fluid warms up it expands and needs a place to go. It is supposed to expand through these little holes and into the reservoir. If it can't, then when it expands it will start applying the brakes. When it cools off the problem goes away. I don't see why the brake system on a backhoe would be any different.
One other thing check that the correct brake fluid is being used. It is supposed to be hydraulic oil "NOT" brake fluid. You may want to remove the hoses loose from the slave cylinders and drain fluid out of brake system. If you have a vacuum pump that would be best to use.
Correct brake adjustment is important on the earlier K transaxles. If the pedal height is too high, the brakes will drag & apply themselves as oil temp increases. You need to have at least 3 inches of pedal travel before the brakes are applied. cheers
The manual calls for Case TCH fluid Transmission, Clutch, Hydraulic. I can't get it any longer. Case/IH is now one Hy-Tran is recommended instead. Willie
Hy-tran ultra will work for all the hyd. oils in your machine
Thank you all for the help and different ideas. I finally had a few hours to work on it this morning. I loosened the adjusters on the slave cylinders and backed them off a couple of turns that seamed to help on the right side, much cooler after a five minute run in place however the left was still noticeably warmer so I backed it off also. There was no free travel in the pedals like everyone stated there should be so I adjusted the master cylinder rods and have around 2.5" of free play now. Ran in place again for about 5 minutes, both sides feel about the same (forgot IR gun). I drove it about a mile and it seamed to pull much better in 4th,side plates are still very warm but can be touched with bare hands with crying or sticking skin. So does anyone know what the transaxle temp range should be?
I've never thought about the temp on transaxle. But I figure around 180-200 degrees, of course that depends on how much you road it.
"I've never thought about the temp on transaxle. But I figure around 180-200 degrees, of course that depends on how much you road it". My apologies for hijacking the thread. I've never considered overheating of the transaxle, but the torque converter seems to get pretty hot driving on the highway. Is this harmful? Usually my trips are 3.5 miles over gentle hills. Willie
What are you calling pretty hot? Have you checked the temp with a thermometer, I'd like to know what temp your transaxle is running. And BTW what model is your backhoe where is four speed shift lever?
I've been driving my backhoes to the job for over 25 years now up to 40 miles and never had any ill effects. Probably it averages out to 1000 miles or more a year on the road.
What are you calling pretty hot? Have you checked the temp with a thermometer, I'd like to know what temp your transaxle is running. And BTW what model is your backhoe where is four speed shift lever? I have not measured it with a thermometer. Tractor is 1988? model 580K with four speed coming out of the floor at right front of floor. It being torque converter equipped, it slips some in high gear climbing. 16000 plus pounds won't climb hills easily with seventy horsepower. The book says extend a hoe sdds 2050 pounds, the cab adds 600 lbs. I have a hydraulis thumb, adding more weight. I use third gear on steeper hills. Willie
I've seen people do it all the time. Is it good or is it bad who knows for sure. I do know that the phase III transmission is better at roading than the older transaxle.
Problem reoccured today. Had been loading the the dump trailer for about four hours, started driving back to the barn and it was loosing speed in third. Went to second made it to some shade checked the transaxle and the right side was smoking a little. Loosened both adjusters a few turns bu then the pressure had relived itself. A few short rolls forward and back it was coasting as normal, until I applied the brakes fairly hard then they were sticking again. Opened the dash up again and there is no more adjustment in the master cylinder rods any there is a little less than two inches of free travel. Could it just be contaminants in the fluid plugging the ports?
Your guess about a collapsing rubber hose is possible, too, though I have seen the ports in the master cylinder clog more often
If return springs on brake pedals are broken & the pedals jump around alot while moving the machine, they will slowly apply the brakes. Not having any pedal free travel before the plungers/push rods contact the brake master cylinder piston, will give the same result.