20 replies to this topic

[U118224]

When I lower the front blade the cylinder has enough down pressure to take the weight off the front wheels but that's it. There's more cylinder stroke left but it cannot lift the front of the tractor. Based on the lift linkage is that normal?

[WrenchinOnIt]

No, should lift front wheels well off the ground , several inches 6" or more guessing without measuring, are you in the correct lifting ears on the rock shaft , two sets ones to the rear are for the front. Correct lift arms? Cleviced ends offer adjustment not sure that much. Pics of mounting and lift arm measurements would be helpful

[U118224]

No, should lift front wheels well off the ground , several inches 6" or more guessing without measuring, are you in the correct lifting ears on the rock shaft , two sets ones to the rear are for the front. Correct lift arms? Cleviced ends offer adjustment not sure that much. Pics of mounting and lift arm measurements would be helpful

Thanks for the response, I'll post pics tonight.

[U118224]

Here's the hookup. Let me know if it's not correct.

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[LPBolens]

The hook-up looks correct. Looking at the pics, I wonder if the blade you have, and the rods that go back to the rock shaft might have come from one of the earlier Large Frames using the Wisconsin singles for motive power. Those tractors were physically shorter. Bolens added additional frame length under the engine location to accommodate the physically larger Kohler Twins. The rods you have might be the short ones, rather than the longer ones needed for the 1886 and up, Kohler-powered Large Frames

Edited by LPBolens, August 27, 2016 - 10:30 PM.

[Clevis]

I'm experiencing something similar with my rocker cylinder on my HT20. I have noticed too that my front wheels wouldn't leave the ground when I put the blade all the way down, just like you, U118224. I figured the same as LPBolens that I had the blade connecting rods adjusted too long. Then the other week I had to pull some T-posts in my field. I was excited to try Bolens power. I hooked up a chain to my blade and the other end wrapped on the bottom of the post. Then I lifted the blade trying to pull out the posts. The blade stopped and the tractor just shuddered under the load. I couldn't get it to pull out even one post- I tried several different ones. I was very disappointed in the lack of strength of the rocker cylinder. (And disappointed I had to pull the posts by hand!) Now over the last week I have a new leak under the tractor - hydro fluid dripping right under the frame near the cylinder. Now I'm planning on rebuilding the cylinder this fall. How strong are these cylinders? Should I be able to pull T-posts with it (on the blade or using a boom pole on the 3ph?) Am I expecting too much? Do U118224 and I need to rebuild our cylinders for more strength?  Is that our problem? Thanks!

Edited by Clevis, August 26, 2016 - 11:25 PM.

[WrenchinOnIt]

... Am I expecting too much? Do U118224 and I need to rebuild our cylinders for more strength? Is that our problem? Thanks!

IMO the simple answer is yes you are . The unit was designed to lift it's implements, I believe the heaviest to be the 48" two stage blower at close to 500#. It lifts it easy enough, many feel the "helper" springs that attach to the front of the frame rails (that came with the blower) are there because the cylinder needed help, it doesn't.They are there to keep the unit from crashing down if accidentally hit float or a pressure failure and something soft is under it like fingers or toes.

Lift Cylinder:
If I plug the numbers into Baum's calculator http://www.baumhydra...rs/cyl_calc.htm

You have a 2-1/8" bore with a 1" piston and at the very best 150 PSI= 532/414 lbs of push/pull or up/down. Is your Sundstrand putting out 150psi after all these years? I doubt it. See pic below, it's what I based my calculation for pump pressure on.

So.. the workhorses that the LF Bolens are they do have there limitations, most owners marvel how far the expectations of what it can and will do when we put one to use!

Check with Brian (Bolens 1000) he carries rebuild kits for the lift cylinder.
U118224 I believe in an earlier post has already rebuilt his.

Last I offer consider the age of your unit and the wear and tear after all these years.
When using my tractors I consider "the breaker-bar-won't-break-it-loose-so-I-put-a-cheater-on-it" equation which = "yep I broke my bar and my knuckles and I knew better"... right tool, right job? trial and error? be safe.

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Edited by WrenchinOnIt, August 27, 2016 - 11:49 AM.

[U118224]

I'll get a measurement on the lift rods and see if I can get a model number from the blade. I recently put an o-ring and seal kit in the lift cylinder. My only other thought is to get pressure readings from the hydro, but that'll take time as I don't have a gauge that goes that high.

[blackjackjakexxix]

We recently put all new fence up here at the campground this summer (almost a half a mile)we had to pull the old fence post out,we used a skid loader and at times was even a strain for it,post were down approx. 24"

[U118224]

The lift rods on my tractor are 26" long, including the rod ends. I couldn't find a model number on the blade. Thanks for your assistance.

[LPBolens]

I have several blades for Large Frames, both the early ones and the later ones, so I also have the rods that connect back to the rock shaft under the tractor. NOT INCLUDING THE CLEVIS ENDS, the early rods are 20-1/4" and the later ones are 22-3/4". The 1886's would use the longer ones as I noted earlier. If you already have the longer ones, you have some other problem. I have never had one of mine fail to lift the front tires off the ground so I cannot help you there from personal experience.

[U118224]

I have several blades for Large Frames, both the early ones and the later ones, so I also have the rods that connect back to the rock shaft under the tractor. NOT INCLUDING THE CLEVIS ENDS, the early rods are 20-1/4" and the later ones are 22-3/4". The 1886's would use the longer ones as I noted earlier. If you already have the longer ones, you have some other problem. I have never had one of mine fail to lift the front tires off the ground so I cannot help you there from personal experience.

LPBolens, can you tell me if the hitch length on the early blades are the same as the hitch length on the later blades? If you look at my first photo my pivot plate makes me think I have an earlier blade, the 18054, even though mine has hydraulic angling. I am using the later, longer lift rods. My pivot plate looks to be made for manual angling.

[LPBolens]

The push frame/hitch is identical for both early and late Large Frame dozer blades.

[U118224]

I checked the pressures. The charge pressure is 360 psi at WOT. The implement pressure is 560 psi at WOT. Can any conclusions be drawn from this info? Thanks.

[U118224]

I checked the hydro line routing and I see that one of the lines goes from the hydro to the valve body through the power steering cylinder. I wonder if my lack of down pressure is caused by an internal leak in the power steering cylinder? Any opinions on this theory?