# JD 1530 losing all hydraulics



## bheston (May 14, 2009)

Hello, I have a JD 1530 tractor that I'm struggling with the hydraulics and could use some advice. I bought the tractor used and only ran it for a few hours here and there, one day was mowing and got it on a side slope and lost all hydraulics. When this happens I lose function of loader, 3 pt, PTO, power steering. I turned it off and let it sit for 30 min and started back up and ran fine for a while, then did it again. 

Started troubleshooting by replacing hydraulic oil, hydraulic oil filters and cleaning the pump screens. Also found a low pressure line running from front of tractor to rear of tractor leaking and replaced it (I think this was a return back to the rear end if front tank got full, can't remember). Problem continued, I installed the manual destroking valve on the front pump. However, when I use the manual destroking valve (I screwed the valve in and back out with tractor running) the o-ring gets pinched and starts leaking, I have replaced the o-ring twice and appears to ruin it each time I use the valve. 

In the current state I can start the tractor, run the PTO for about 5 min and lose all hydraulics. I have had success restoring hydraulic function by using the manual destroking valve once but due to the o ring issue can't try this multiple times. I have also cracked the pressure line going to my loader control and relieved the pressure, then hydraulic function returned immediately. 

I have read about internal lines leaking, starving either the charge pump or main pump of oil, but haven't figured out how to test this yet. Seems the oil has to stay balanced to some extent from the rear end to the front pump and tank. I have the service manual also, but hasn't led me to an answer yet. Filters and screens remain clean. 

Where should I go next? 

Thanks in advance for the help.


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## bheston (May 14, 2009)

Still trying to diagnose this one if anyone has ideas. I did find another post with very similar issue on 1830, resolution was a worn internal hydraulic line causing hyd oil to leak into the rear end, and required splitting the tractor to fix. This could be the case with mine, but I am continuing to troubleshoot to make sure I have it nailed down before I split it. 

One new piece of information, as I was working on the tractor this weekend I pulled the top plug from the small front hydraulic tank that sits above the front pump, it was completely full of oil. I drove the tractor running a rear PTO mower for 3-5 minutes then lost hyd pressure, making the PTO shut off, loader circuit not work, and power steering intermittent. At this point the front hyd tank was empty. If the tractor sits for a while (no set time I can figure out, 5 min or overnight) the front tank will fill back up, at which point I have good hyd flow again until the tank runs empty in about 5 minutes. Can anyone tell me where this tank gets oil from? Should it run completely full, and push extra oil back to the rear end? Does the tank running empty support the idea of an internal line leaking in the rear end? I attached a picture of the front tank I'm talking about, it has 3 lines running into it. 

Someone suggested that the front end loader valve could be the type able to setup as open center or closed center, and an internal seal failure could pump oil through the valve back to rear end continuously. I disconnected the loader circuit completely and capped those lines, and the problem persisted, meaning I had hyd flow for a few minutes of running then lost it even with the loader disconnected, which tells me this is not the cause of my hydraulic problem. 

I also looked in the hyd fill cap behind the seat with 3 point raised and tractor running, to try to identify if there was oil spraying. I did not see signs of oil spraying but could see the level of oil in the rear end and it appeared to be circulating, or flowing slowly around the rear end. Can anyone tell me if this is normal or if it is an indication of leaking line in the rear end? 

Thanks again!


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