[Satz28]

Need advice as I'm a newbie.

Last night I hooked up the plow for the snow storm that fizzled out. When giving the plow a a little bit of a helping hand, so that I could lock the plow in place, I was able to "angle" the plow back and forth by hand. This was before the power harnesses were connected.

This morning, I disconnected the plow before I left for work and I didn't have time to check anything further.

Tonight, I needed to move the plow and the same thing occured.

1) Should you be able to "angle" the blade back and forth when the unit is not powered up?

2) When I try and colapse the cyclinder that raises and lowers the plow, it does not colapse all the way down. When I let go, it goes back up.

Background information: When I returned to the dealer and picked up the correct plow (a week later after taking delivery because they had installed a smaller plow on my truck and I didn't notice it until the next day.) from the dealer, they had to add fluid to the pump before I left.

In addition, they had left a fitting loose and I lost some fluid (noticed the next day) after I had gotten home and dropped the plow.

Are these symptoms of low fluid or air in the system? Or are these normal conditions?

 

[Lawngodfather]

There is a lot of air in your system.

Run it a bunch of times to work it out.

Then check fluid lever periodicly with the lift cylinder all the way down.

 

[wyldman]

It does sound like air.Parking it on a steep downhill and working the plow back and forth fully may help work it out.

 

[Satz28]

Thanks for the input. I worked on the plow this afternoon.

There must have been a lot of air trapped in the system. Every time I took out the fill plug after side-to-side, and up down cycling of the system, quite a bit of fluid would drain out. The fluid was pinkish do to the air trapped within the fluid. I followed the directions in Western's manual until I had no more fluid drain out of the reservoir.

It seems to be fine now, although I can still move the blade just a little bit. Maybe a 1/4" or so cylinder movement

Thanks for confirming my suspicions.

LG, where in the St. Louis area are you? My wife has family out just south of Wentzville. We were down in the area over Thanksgiving.

 

[Lawngodfather]

about a half our east of there.

I know where you're at too... I was just there the Wed before thanksgiving.

Pink usually mean moisture in the system, must of been a lot of air, also your relief valave might be set to low.

 

[Satz28]

I think it was air as the fluid that drained into a container turned red after a few minutes.

 

[sbrennan007]

I had the same thing with my new plow. I usually cycle it from side to side and hold it for a few (2-3) seconds towards each side and this usually gets all the air out.

My fluid was the same as yours (lots o little bubbles).

 

[Satz28]

Sean,

You didn't have the plow installed up at RA Adams did you?

 

[sbrennan007]

No. I had it installed at Herman Brothers (Wildwood Towing) in Grayslake IL.

Now it would just be nice if it snowed out.