David Brown 885

[Bald n Grumpy]

You should be able to put a new o ring on the leaking pipe and remember to tighten the nut on the fitting
If you need to change the o rings in the three way valve always push the rod up from the bottom not down from the top as it will cut the new seals
You can get kits for this and the dump valve try somebody like barcley Williams always good for parts and advice

 

[Exfarmer]

Thanks @Exfarmer - all useful to know. The pipe is metal - it's the lower one in this photo (i.e. the red one):

View attachment 890940

I have given it all a bit of a clean since I took the picture!

99% certain their is just an o ring behind the locking nut
you need to take off the pipe, then slacken the lock nut at which point the 90 degree bend should unwind by hand unless it has been lick tighten in. Does have flats on it if you need a bit more force.
If you can find one a brass composite O ring is better
when you do it up do not tighten the lock nut until you have at least done up the pipe to the 90 degree first at least then be careful not to put excessive pressure on that union as you do up the lock nut, by putting a spanner on the flats

 

[Exfarmer]

Regarding row-crop wheels, the 6” wide wheels off an old Massey 30 grain drill will be similar.

The problem with these 6 inch wheels is nobody was making the tyres for them and they are most likely very badly perished. Make sure you can fin d the tyres before buying the wheels

 

[Netherfield]

Re the three way valve, sometimes it just needs the nut tightening a little, although an O ring is now shown in the parts catalogue, originally it was a thin bonded seal that was used, and they were prone to leaking after time.

 

[New Puritan]

Thanks @Bald n Grumpy - and others - I just phoned Barclay Williams and they knew exactly what I needed and will get them in the post today. Really reasonable price too, I thought.

 

[New Puritan]

I called Barclay Williams on Monday, the seals turned up this morning, and I fitted them this evening. It all went quite smoothly. Thank you once again @Exfarmer , @Netherfield & @Bald n Grumpy - I took note of your various suggestions and it all seems to have come together.

 

[2wheels]

The GF wasn't all that impressed when I tried reading it out loud to her the other night either. I need to sit and read it whilst in the tractor's cab I think.

did she not work the gear lever?

 

[J 1177]

Good firm Barclay Williams, i have used them in the past they are very helpful

 

[New Puritan]

I've not been on the forum for a while... Obviously I'm back because I have broken something.
The nearside ram on the loader on the DB885 was leaking quite badly, so I removed it and had a local mechanic put a new seal in it for me. Having refitted it, the loader now does not go up and down.
The other ram on the loader still works (that tips / crowds the bucket); and the other hydraulics on the tractor still work as they should (i.e. really confusingly). There's plenty of oil in it. What I have I done? What should I do?
Sorry, feel a bit bad for being silent for so long only to come back and ask for help... but any help will be much appreciated.
Many thanks,
NP.

 

[Netherfield]

Crack pipes on the lift rams to relieve pressure, now try lifting again, should be able to see the pipes move/stiffen/pressurise if you see what i mean.

If they do,

Try new quick release fittings on the repaired ram, or even both lift rams, it's possible one of the buttons is worn,, you've broken the pathway it had originally and it's not opened up again, or you could try a pressure gauge on one of the pipes, if that doesn't work it appears the seal isn't fitted right.

 

[spin cycle]

I've not been on the forum for a while... Obviously I'm back because I have broken something.
The nearside ram on the loader on the DB885 was leaking quite badly, so I removed it and had a local mechanic put a new seal in it for me. Having refitted it, the loader now does not go up and down.
The other ram on the loader still works (that tips / crowds the bucket); and the other hydraulics on the tractor still work as they should (i.e. really confusingly). There's plenty of oil in it. What I have I done? What should I do?
Sorry, feel a bit bad for being silent for so long only to come back and ask for help... but any help will be much appreciated.
Many thanks,
NP.

without the loader on .....will the rams move?....TBH may not be your fault as it might be the repair is wrong

 

[Oliveau]

I've not been on the forum for a while... Obviously I'm back because I have broken something.
The nearside ram on the loader on the DB885 was leaking quite badly, so I removed it and had a local mechanic put a new seal in it for me. Having refitted it, the loader now does not go up and down.
The other ram on the loader still works (that tips / crowds the bucket); and the other hydraulics on the tractor still work as they should (i.e. really confusingly). There's plenty of oil in it. What I have I done? What should I do?
Sorry, feel a bit bad for being silent for so long only to come back and ask for help... but any help will be much appreciated.
Many thanks,
NP.

Disconnect the repaired ram from the loader and [carefully] see if the loader will go up & down. It may be something in the ram or the locating pins that is jammed. I assume that its a single acting ram. You could also disconnect the pipe from the ram and see if oil comes out of the pipe when you operate the lever - put the end of the pipe in a can to collect oil. You need to pin down if its a hydraulic problem or a mechanical problem with the ram.

 

[robs1]

Is there air in the ram causing it not to allow the oil in

 

[Bald n Grumpy]

Double or single acting rams? If double are the pipes / connections gone back in the right places?

 

[Netherfield]

Double or single acting rams? If double are the pipes / connections gone back in the right places?

Single acting , pretty sure you couldn't double on the 885 loader

 

[David Bliss]

We ran DBs from early 50s Crop masters then diesels the last was 1390 nothing bigger, the time 885 came out they did cause some to get oil on the clutches as from around 75? they did away with a two piece top gearbox shaft so using just a one piece but the seal wears where it run on the PTO shaft and the O ring between gear and shaft that supposedly was to stop more oil getting in actually compounds the problem in stoping getting out, the earlier two piece had no seals nothing to go wrong as if oil did find its way up between the two shafts as it found its way up came to the loose coupling it was spun out, I used to modify these very simply by reaching as far in as possible with a boring bar and turn a grove, as the shaft is heat treated its hard so got them spark eroded with two holes in never had any oil on plates after that, did same on 995, think it was when they chucked the extra gears onto the front of the box to get twelve, and really I used to prefer the old 6 speed box for loader work, on a 990 upped oil pressure and just got close to a ton, no it didn't overload it mainly it helped no end in yard muck as it took more taring out, a must have is tie rods underneath that go back onto rear axle bits that the lift arm fit onto, 880s with loaders used to split as weak just behind bell housing, later Brown coloured 990s there were wedges fitted in from clutch housing to gear box so stronger. drove many makes and I liked my DBs could do more work, used to load for a contractor as couldn't get his loader in through entrance so I had the job clearing a big yard several days work loading two spreaders mostly kept them busy says allot. Someone mentioned axle problem, there was some weld issues, think changed welding from stick to Mig, we had one start to let go where the bracing is welded as had stuck to one side looked like tooth paste laid on had the HSE look at it, same with draw bar frame, our axle was changed. We worked our tractors very hard but alway could eat your dinner off them so looked after,

 

[Boohoo]

Single acting , pretty sure you couldn't double on the 885 loader

Double acting rams were available for them, but the loader in question has single acting rams.

 

[Bald n Grumpy]

If the rams are single acting then there's not much can go wrong . maybe just a coincidence that its happened and it's a worn coupling. Never take the loader of my 996 so have started taking the quick couplings out as the ones I've been buying to replace them don't last very long before they start p!ssing oil

 

[New Puritan]

Sorry - painfully slow reply. I no longer run the farm (gave up tenancy) but still rent some shed space while I sort out all the equipment. Inevitably there's always other things to do so tinkering with the tractors etc. keeps getting sidelined.

Thanks again everyone - I have tried disconnecting the ram but there is still nothing happening. Should it lift using just the offside ram with the nearside one disconnected? Apologies for my ignorance on such things.

This is with no implement / bucket on the front to make it as light as possible.

Should I try replacing the couplings? Or does it not working even with the suspicious ram disconnected rule that out?

 

[Netherfield]

It won't lift on one ram.