McConnel PA34

[Cheesehead]

At the moment I feel like burying ours but at the price the new ones are it would be nicer to fix it earlier in the season while working the rotor decided to stop working, it just wouldn't turn, it has lacked power for a couple of years now when cutting the top of hawthorn hedges but has otherwise been ok.

When I looked at it the PTO wouldn't turn, I drained and changed the oil out of the gearbox and couldn't see any untoward bits of metal and when when we took the pump off it would spin freely and I was informed by the mechanic that used to do our machines that it was more than likely the pump that had gone so I got a new one from Howfords and away it went and has been working no problem until today when it has done the exact same thing the only thing I noticed was that when I slid the pump back into the gearbox as I did the four bolts up the pump dropped a couple of mill with a little jolt so I am wondering if it is the gearbox that has gone.

I would like to say it is the head as it rattles ever since my dad decided to run it for half an hour minus a flail about ten to fifteen years ago but I don't particularly want to get a new head for it if is more likely the gearbox that is knackered as a couple of thousand versus a couple of hundred would make for a grouchy bill payer if it didn't solve anything for the little we do with it.

Any advice would be much appreciated

Cheesy

 

[Mursal]

Control handle giving it full jip, not just half open?
Visually check drive to the new pump?
Visually check the drive from the old motor to the rotor on the head.
Partially blocked oil supply or the filters wont let it return back quick enough?
Then consider the more expensive stuff motor/pump.

 

[Dave W]

Think I'm right in saying the gearbox on it only has fairly shallow teeth about 4 or 5mm so it could have easily come out of mesh without necessarily being obvious.
The gearboxes are common with hayter gang mowers which can be bought for scrap money

 

[joe soapy]

From what you are saying it sounds like the bearings have either failed or have spun and worn the
the housing, strip the box and look for the fault. The pump itself is just a pair of gears in a tight housing and be very difficult to seize

 

[Cheesehead]

Don't know what it was today but this morning when I went to check it it was working, ours has the F12 flails and no independent stop start for the flails other than on the tractor pro and as far as I can see on the parts diagrams it has only the filter on the top of the tank with just a straight pipe down from it in the tank and one plain pipe welded in down the bottom.

At at least 30 years old it has not done bad especially given the problems our neighbours have just had with their new one (well had it under 5 years) I just can't understand why it works out so much cheaper to get a brand new complete head, pump and gearbox than it is to buy a brand new one.

 

[Mursal]

So did you check the easy stuff?

 

[Cheesehead]

I checked the splines on the pump and where is fits into the gearbox and there was no sign of damage when I split the pump from the gearbox yesterday. I was going to check the oil flow this morning but when it started and worked I didn't see much point when it running properly, I haven't yet taken the motor off though I would have thought if that was the problem it would run and flow through the release valve on top of the pump instead of going solid on the PTO which when it randomly does it ceases up and whether it is on or off the tractor takes a hell of a lot with a 2 foot tyre lever to get it to turn.

 

[Mr Happy]

I strongly recommend you first check all the easy bits before playing parts darts. Then carry out a flow test on the pump. Next check the pressure relief valve is set at the correct pressure. If both items pass on test the only other item left is the flail head motor. Personally I test the components on the hedgecutter rather than taking them of to a hydraulic repair company. Look on the Bomford website as there's a great deal of info on testing hedgecutter hydraulic systems.

 

[Mursal]

Yes I agree @Cheesehead, sounds like a gearbox problem, especially if its still hard to turn with no motor attached?
(I misread your original post, sorry about that)