Merlo transmission expansion vessel.....

[Dan@JF]

......is pissing oil out all over the place at higher revs.

Im not 100% sure how the system works but my belief was that it is only meant to fill a little to relive the gearbox? Over 2000 revs and it almost like its constant pumping. However the loss of oil appears to be in the main hydraulic fluid tank rather than the transmission fluid tank, although this does loose some oil.

I've had 2 different dealers out and they have both changed something that they believe will fix it, but neither have worked and its becoming expensive with travel time etc. Im willing to try any basic mechanics if anyone has any clues or experienced this before.

Thanks, in advance.

 

[C.J]

Sounds like hydrostatic transmission fluid is leaking into the transfer gear box.

The transmission motor shaft seal must be leaking.

Have they taken the motor off the gear box and changed the output shaft seal ?

 

[Dan@JF]

Thanks for the reply, No they haven't done any seals as far as i am aware. Check some sensors, replaced some filters and tighten a few bits up.

I was rather hoping that it was something like a blocked breather or stuck open valve, what you describe sounds expensive!

 

[Mr Happy]

@ ACEngineering might know

 

[Extreme Optimist]

Just had this on my 40.7. It was the seals as @C.J says. Merlo wanted £500 for the seals but I managed to get some spurious ones for £300. I was quoted £5800 for a new motor ex labour!!!

 

[C.J]

I've reread your post and you say it's the main hydraulic oil level going down.

In that case its most likely the seals in the piston that operates the high / low gear.

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

@ ACEngineering might know

He's not really a merlo guy as I recall. He kind of hates them actually

 

[Jim B]

@x121x @asm @Planttech

One of these guys will hopefully be able to help!

 

[JJT]

If I'm reading your post correctly its loosing hydraulic oil, so what makes you think its transmission fault? Or have I got that wrong? Had the main pipe from hydraulic pump to spool block rub through on our merlo, it pee'd oil out but only when working at full pressure such as when powering a ram that was already at end of stroke.

 

[Mr Happy]

He's not really a merlo guy as I recall. He kind of hates them actually

@ Pheasant Surprise in future I'll remember that [emoji54]

 

[asm]

You say it's pissing out all over the place, what model merlo is it ?
Does it do it when just reving at over 2000 rpm ? Or are you working a service eg lifting the boom ?
Is it leaking from the white expansion bottle for the gearbox ?

 

[rddrrr]

Excess oil out of the gearbox expansion tank will either be from the motor seal or the seals on the high-low gear pistons. Should be fairly easy to tell by removing the pistons from the gearbox and watch for any oil leaking from them while revving.

Had this happen on our 40.7 which turned out to be the piston seals.

 

[asm]

Is the engine oil level going up ?
And is it getting clearer ?
When running does the oil come out of the steel engine breather pipe ?

 

[Dan@JF]

Many thanks for all of your inputs, its giving me quite a headache. The dealer on the phone told me to keep using it as he now suspects it the main transmission seal, and keep an eye on it but it loosing so much oil there is no way it can be good for it. It lost nearly 15L in hour under 2000 revs, so im not prepared to keep using it until i can get something sorted.

If I'm reading your post correctly its loosing hydraulic oil, so what makes you think its transmission fault? Or have I got that wrong? Had the main pipe from hydraulic pump to spool block rub through on our merlo, it pee'd oil out but only when working at full pressure such as when powering a ram that was already at end of stroke.

Im assuming transmission fault as the excess oil is coming from the header tank for the transmission and i cant see it coming from anywhere else.

You say it's pissing out all over the place, what model merlo is it ?
Does it do it when just reving at over 2000 rpm ? Or are you working a service eg lifting the boom ?
Is it leaking from the white expansion bottle for the gearbox ?

It is a Merlo mulitfarmer 2009. It does loose oil at lower revs but significtaly more over 2000, but yes this was loading bales onto trailers so a combination of everything. The bottle im looking at is a small (250ml ish) white bottle at the highest point under bay with a lid on but it is pushing out from under the lid.

Is the engine oil level going up ?
And is it getting clearer ?
When running does the oil come out of the steel engine breather pipe ?

I have checked the engine oil as my original thought was that this pipe is where it was coming from and i assumed it was crank breather and got very worried. However one of the parts that got changed was a filter at the top of this, but now on using it again and looking more into it the oil is coming from expansion vessel. However that not to say it isnt coming from this pipe also or that it wasn't before. I was checking for engine oil wasn't decreasing, which it wasn't but didnt ever check for increase.

 

[C.J]

Ah its a Multifarmer.

I have no idea how the transmission differs from a standard Merlo telehandler,but I was going to ask if it can change between hi / lo range and whether the oil leakage is worse in hi or lo.

 

[ACEngineering]

@ ACEngineering might know

not my cup of tea, wont touch them

 

[asm]

Get P &D from Tewkesbury to come to the machine
Make sure you are there to operate it and show them.
I don’t think the main hydraulic tank is linked to the transmission.
May be you have 2 faults

 

[C.J]

Get P &D from Tewkesbury to come to the machine
Make sure you are there to operate it and show them.
I don’t think the main hydraulic tank is linked to the transmission.
May be you have 2 faults

I don't know if the Multifarmer is the same ,but this gearbox has a hydraulic fitting (bottom left) for changing range.I'can't remember how exactly it works because on mine there is an electric rotary switch in the cab for 1,N,2.This is connected to a spool block with solenoid coils on which changes the range in the transfer gear box by hydraulic pressure.

 

[Dan@JF]

It has high and low options but this hasnt worked for 12 months or worked intermittently. It is also diagnosed as a dirty sensor and works for about an hour once cleaned but then gives out again.

I believe the transmission is very similar to norm merlo transmission.

 

[C.J]

I've looked at my parts book and the piston and seals are in the silver cylinder visable in my above picture. So it should be an easy fix , and sounds like its been faulty for some time.