Piper184

Ok, now some questions:

What make, model and year of tractor do you have?

I am unsure what you are referring to as “hydraulic spool rod”.  This is a term I have never heard used before. Most hydraulic control valves have a spool inside them that slides and are sometimes called a spool valve. The spool itself is free to rotate in the bore, but there is no way to “turn” them. Typically any rod that is associated with a hydraulic valve is just a link rod between the control lever and the valve mechanism. Can you be more specific about exactly what you are referring too? Perhaps post a picture?

From your description, it seems like you removed the snow blower and attached the blade. Then you were able to use the 3 point to lift the blade but now it will not come down. Is that correct?

Did the hard steering start after the blade got stuck or before?

Are there any strange noises from the hydraulic system, specifically a squeal or groan from the pump?

Do you have a front end loader on the tractor?

Do you have a single hydraulic system with only one pump that runs everything, or does the power steering have its own separate system?

If you have a Jinma tractor or one made by them it is highly likely that there is a needle valve for controlling the lowering of the 3 point. This is usually located under the front of the seat. It will have a scalloped knob that you can turn to adjust. There is likely a screw on the front of the housing that is used to lock the knob once it is adjusted. This knob will not turn until you loosen the lock screw. The purpose of the adjuster knob is to close or open the needle valve, which in turn controls how fast the 3 point system will lower. If you have something heavy on the 3 point lift it can “slam” down rather hard if the needle is too far open. The opposite is true if you have something light weight (or nothing at all) on the arms, it might take a very long time to lower if the valve is too far closed.

This valve only controls how fast the arms lower, not how fast they go up. It can also be used to “lock” the arms to prevent them from lowering by trapping the fluid in the cylinder. You can add more fluid to raise it more, but it can’t come down until the needle valve is opened.  This can be a real problem if you lift something up all the way and the valve is closed, The internal pressure can make it really hard to open the needle valve.

My point of reference for all this is my Jinma 284 made in 2006. It has one hydraulic system that runs the power steering, 3 point lift and the front end loader when it is mounted and connected. There is also a priority (diverter) valve that gives priority to the steering system whenever you are using the FEL or the 3 point. This valve sits between the steering and 3 point and it can cause problems for both, but usually not the problem of the 3 point being stuck all the way up.

If it were me diagnosing this, I would lower the FEL (if mounted), put the 3 point control lever in the “down” position (it will stay there) and shut off the tractor. Put any additional weight you can on the blade and let it sit overnight in the hopes that it will slowly bleed down.

If it does, great, adjust the needle valve and move on (don’t forget the lock screw). If it does not bleed down, I would loosen the needle valve, by force with some big pliers if needed. Be careful here, because if it is under pressure when it does come loose it can blow fluid everywhere! There could be debris in the needle valve that is preventing it from releasing so be prepared to take it all the way out. It will be messy! Best done when the fluid is not hot.

That is a single acting cylinder. It is only under pressure while it is extending. The piston gets pushed back in by the force from the opposite cylinder.

That weep hole is used to expel any trapped fluid that might leak past the piston seal. This is to protect the wiper seal on the rod from being blown out.

You most likely have a blown piston seal inside and the cylinder would have to be taken apart to replace it. If it is even possible to take it apart. From the picture I can’t tell if the there is a gland nut on the rod end.

Finding parts may be difficult, and most likely you would have to remove the cylinder and take it apart so the seals and rings can be measured.

A good hydraulic shop should be able to do all that, but be prepared to pay $$ for it. Some shops won’t even look at a cylinder like this.

More than likely unless you do the work yourself the repair will cost more than a new cylinder. I would check with any of the online Jinma dealers to see if they can help.

My favorites are Circle G Tractor and Affordable Tractors.

Here is how I would go about it.

First, measure from the face of the mounting flange on the bell housing to the back side of the flywheel.

Then, manually turn the starter drive to extend it as far as it will go. Measure the distance from the starter mounting flange to the forward most edge of the pinion gear.

Compare the two measurements to determine if the fully extended gear will completely engage the ring gear.

If it does not reach far enough, it is probably the wrong started for that engine.

If it DOES extend far enough, then you need to test the starter under load to see if the pinion gear is fully extending on its own. It is quite normal for these things to get dry and not extend all the way.

I haven’t had a gear drive starter apart so I don’t know what mechanism drives the pinion gear. On the non-gear starters, that is driven by the starter solenoid via a fork on the pinion gear. If the solenoid gets weak or if the battery voltage is low the pinion will fail to fully extend and can cause all kinds of issues including wear on the teeth that you are seeing.

I know that when I ordered my reduction gear started, I had to measure the nose length of the old starter in order to get the proper length.

Is this a new starter that doesn’t fit well or has it been working fine and is just now starting to wear?

From the pictures that does not look too unusual, as there often is a little chamfer on the leading edge of the teeth to make engagement easier.

Hope this helps

Was the tank truly empty? If so, you may have gotten air into the lines.

Have you ever bled the fuel system? It is pretty easy to do.

If it were me, I would start at the tank. If there is a sediment bowl, check to make sure it is clean (including the fine screen that most of them have) and that there is adequate fuel flow. Next, go to the injection pump and look for the bleeder screw. It usually has a ring in it. You loosen the screw and use the hand pump to pump fuel until there are no more bubbles coming out, then tighten the bleeder screw.

Other potential problems include, plugged secondary fuel filter and air in the injection lines between the pump and the injectors. The best way to check the lines is to crack the nut at the injectors loose enough for them to spit fuel when you crank the engine. Again bleeding the air out. Do one injector at a time until all the air is gone. It should start easily then.

Another potential issue is “diesel bugs”. This is a bacteria that lives in the interface between water in the system and the diesel fuel. This can be a really nasty thing to have to deal with and can be quite damaging to the system as the dead bacteria sinks to the bottom and plugs up filters. It is also quite corrosive and can damage metal components. The main point is to keep all moisture out of the system. One of the main causes is leaving a tank that is not completely full. Thermal expansion/contraction draws in outside air and condenses the moisture into the fuel.

Hopefully a quick bleed of the system will take care or your tractor.

Let us know if you have any questions.

Check the grounds.

It is the one thing they all have in common. If the power to all those gauges is consistent, it makes sense that there is a bad ground.

Second most likely problem is the key switch itself. Use a jumper wire to go from the hot to the run terminals on the back. That will by-pass the contacts inside the switch.

Let us know what you find.