John Deere 310D Reverser Hose problem

[BackhoeNewbie]

Hello all. I have recently become a weekend farmer and I am borrowing my father-in-laws backhoe. It is a JD 310D 1996(?) with engine serial number T04039D549150. Not sure how many hours are on it. The machine was working fine when I parked it. The next week I started it and let it idle for a few minutes and then backed it out of my barn and stopped to talk to my wife a few minutes. When I started to back up some more it wouldn't move. It felt like it wanted to but did not go back or fwd but the buckets all worked. When I got down to look I noticed hydraulic fluid running out of a hole in the side of the frame where the batter compartment is. I checked the fluids and the reverser oil was empty. I had to leave it for a couple weeks, and as I dug around and tried to find where the fluid was coming from, I found a hose coming from the reverser to the reverser dipstick tube that had come apart. I replaced that hose and I cleaned the mud out of the holes in the bottom of the frame where the fluid was running out of, to see if I could see anything else but couldn't tell anything. After putting a couple gallons into the reverser, and letting it run a little to make sure I got the proper amount, the fluid started running out of the holes the bottom of the frame again. So, there are three hoses running from the oil cooler into the frame and out the back. One of those has ruptured but I'm not sure which one because they are encased by the frame. One goes to the reverser return port, the second goes to the rear transmission case and the third goes to the hydraulic oil filter. Can anyone tell me if the second one or the third one would be using fluid from the reverser reservoir? Also, if I replace one of those hoses and take off the reverser oil pan and clean the suction filter screen, how much fluid will I need to fill it back up again? And, is there any other maintenance that would be recommended while I'm at it? I'm a couple hours into the mountains so I wanna try and take what I need to get 'er done or I'll have to wait another week to get back up there. Thanks for any help.

 

[Deon]

From the 2 hoses on the right of the reverser, the front one flows oil to the cooler and the rear is the return from the cooler. Not sure if this photo will help. It's hard to find the reverser in there but you may get something from there. From what I can understand from the photo is that the (from the cooler hose) is in the right frame and (to the cooler hose) is in the left frame. Good luck and please keep us posted.

 

[BackhoeNewbie]

Thank you, Deon. That is a very helpful diagram. Where did you get that, if you don't mind my asking?
So if I'm reading this correctly, it looks like the Reverser Cooler (D) will keep the oil separate from the blue line, that goes to the Hydraulic Filter (Q), and from the bottom grey line that goes to the rear end in the right side frame, where the oil is leaking out? If that is true, then it should be the middle hose that goes back to the reverser. Any ideas on how much hydraulic oil I will need to refill it if I take the bottom off of the reverser to check the suction filter screen? The specs say the reverser oil capacity is 8 quarts but would that include the lines and cooler? Thanks again.

 

[Deon]

BackhoeNewbie,
That photo is from a tech Manuel I purchased online. It's called 310D TechManuel 1496. Don't remember what site I got it from nor do I remember the cost but it is for sale several places. Just do a Google search. I think but not sure that 8 quarts would include the torque converter so you may not even need that much?
I would attach the new hose to the old one and try to pull it through the frame.

 

[BackhoeNewbie]

I found that manual and was able to download it for free. Got five gallons of fluid and that was my plan on pulling the hose through the frame. Thanks again. I'll see what happens this weekend.

 

[Deon]

BackhoeNewbie,
Did you get it fixed?

 

[BackhoeNewbie]

I believe so. We attached the new hose to the old one and pulled it through the frame and found the problem (Rats had eaten the hose) then got it all hooked back up and replaced a couple other hoses that looked weak. But by then it had gotten really dark so we didn't have time to fill it up again and test it yet. We'll start her up this weekend. Anyone have any ideas on keeping rats off your machines?

 

[BackhoeNewbie]

Thanks for the help again.

 

[Deon]

Thanks for the help again.

Glad to hear you've got it fixed up. Don't know why rats would be living in your machine. Do you keep it near a food supply?

 

[hosspuller]

Glad to hear you've got it fixed up. Don't know why rats would be living in your machine. Do you keep it near a food supply?

Twice, I've found a mouse nest in the air filter box of my Chevy p/u. It's a 8.1 liter engine so there's lots of room, but no food around. They must like the intake tube for some reason.

 

[BackhoeNewbie]

No food supply close. I bought this farm last Spring that hasn't been lived at for 20 years and have been cleaning it up. The backhoe sits in a pole barn that was covered up in briers and weeds. It was so bad that after several months of bush hogging and parking a tractor in the barn, my father-in-law brought his backhoe up the mountain for me to use and was cleaning the brush out around the barn. We found an old Ford hay rake just five feet from the entrance to the barn. Got it refurbished and running again. The 20 acre pasture by the barn was overgrown with shrubs and sagebrush and when we were bush hogging it the first few times there were rats scurrying all over the place. Now that we cleared it off the rats can't hide from the birds. Also, we have been cleaning out the shed (12' x 24') attached to the barn and there was about two feet deep of trash and junk. I did find a few cool things but mostly trash. The bottom inch or two was almost solid rat poop. I guess we ticked them off when we destroyed their thriving community and they took it out on the backhoe hoses.

 

[BackhoeNewbie]

Got her up and running but I'm not sure it's all good. I had drained the pan and taken the bottom pan off to check out the screen and attached all the hoses a week or so ago. All looked good. This week when I went to fill it up, I poured about two quarts in it and then checked the dipstick and it was way over the mark. I figured I needed to start it and let the oil run through the hoses and cooler and then check it while it is cold and running like it says on the dipstick. After it ran for a few seconds, it looked like the oil had gone down so put some more oil in it. I'm guessing about a gallon and checked it again. It was still low so I poured another quart in and checked it again. This time it was way over the mark and foamy so I turned the motor off and after a few seconds the oil foamed up and came pouring out of the dipstick tube. It overflowed what seamed like about 1/2 a quart of foamy oil. I let it sit for a while and then started it up again and checked it to see if it would move back and forth now that it had oil in the reverser, and then let it idle for a while to see if I saw anything leaking out and it seamed fine so I drove it a little bit to do a couple things I really needed to get done. It seamed to run fine and didn't seem to run hot. After I stopped it, and did some other physical, back breaking, manual labor it got dark again before I got back to checking the oil level again or to check if it was still foamy. As I go up next time, do you have any ideas what would make it foam up like that or what I should be checking on? I had put some generic brand oil in it but I just bought some JD Hy-Gard and plan on changing it out.

 

[br1474]

The reverser on the 310D and any with a converter for that matter need to be checked with the engine running. It is most likely foaming cause it is out of oil or really low. It will also push the oil out if the case if the vent is plugged. I found many a years ago to look on both sides of the dipstick. It will fool you if your not careful. The 310D is a hard one to get right level. It will also rise once the oil gets warm. So just because it is overfull don't drain it. As on another post the system holds 8qts. and only 4qts can be drained the other 4 stay in the converter and cooler.

 

[BackhoeNewbie]

Thank you br1474, for the helpful information. Things are making more sense now. Will the foamy air bubbles ever work their way out of the oil?
You related to br549?

 

[br1474]

yes the air will come out by just getting oil warm and circulation.
Maybe a distant relative.

 

[popnjonny]

I have a 310 J D backhoe I just got and its gaining fluid in the transmission looks like its coming from hydraulic reservoir .

 

[br1474]

Looking at the diagram on the second post of this thread it shows the hose hookup locations. The only thing that makes sense is that the service brakes seals are leaking into the transaxle/rearend.

 

[Deon]

Makes sense br1474, but at least one of the brake pedals should leak down each time he brakes.

 

[lantraxco]

Or somebody got a couple cooler hoses transposed... what a rat's nest (pun intended)

 

[popnjonny]

Makes sense br1474, but at least one of the brake pedals should leak down each time he brakes.

The brake petal does leak down when I use left brake. Right brake works fine .I removed the cooler lines and blew air in the to make sure they were returning where they suppose to.