L3 header raises very slowly? update

Got the bean machine out and the header wagon and I noticed when I was hooking up to the header the throat was moving very slowly. After I got the header on it would lower as it should but it would take 15 seconds to raise the head. It moves so slowly you can barely see it move. any help would be appreciated. All other hydraulics seem fine, steering unloading auger.
Leon B Mo

Edited by Leon B MO - 15 Oct 2020 at 1:34pm

Remove the rate of raise assembly with header on ground. On opposite end of valve block, remove plug opposite valve you took out. With pick or wire, go through hole through valve and push the small seat out and replace oring. Rate of lower is usually the one that fails .          MACK

Thanks guys. Yes it is an 85/86 model, sn 30,xxx. I'll look at my parts book tomorrow to see if can find the right valve and coil.
Leon B

Edited by Leon B MO - 09 Oct 2020 at 8:25pm

Are you sure it had plenty of fluid? As stupid as it sounds, try to use another hydraulic function while holding the button up and see what happens. I chased and chased what ended up being a bad ground that showed up all sorts of weird ways. Try turning the auto height control off and on also. The raise and lower header valves are the front pair. First one by itself is the master. Lower is closer to you and raise is close to the machine. Good luck!

I got the orifice out of the valve part number 71320199 but there was no o-ring on that orifice which would be part number 71321101. in my parts book it shows an o-ring that I did not see or understand where it belongs, part number 70923845. after reinstalling an o-ring on the orifice that I got at the hardware store it looked to be a very close match for now but it did not change the speed of how fast the head goes up even after adjusting the rate of speed. I will get the correct o-ring for the orifice but I'm still wondering if I'm on the right path.
Thanks
Leon B Mo

thanks to you tbran. Tomorrow I'm ging to run a hot wire to coil to verify i have a good power source to the coil. If that checks out ok I'll try you suggestions. I do know now that I had mice in the machine since last fall. I found a nest in the cab fan. Could the coil be "partially" engaging?
Thanks again
Leon B Mo

Been 40 + years but MH 2 did the same thing.  As I remember the spring broke and the ball could not move. I believe it was put back with a new o ring and no spring. Took longer to clean the block off than pull plug and fish the broken spring out and put the ball back in. But I remember mechanic testing for voltage at block and also the magnet before looking inside.

Edited by Ray54 - 12 Oct 2020 at 11:24am

LOWER SIEVE NEEDS TO BE OPENED UP A LOT MORE.

In the L3 I'm running the tailings have tiny bit of faughter and the broken tops of a few cobs. It takes several seconds to get a handfull.  In 200 bu corn, if  I run over 2.7-2.9 mph or on a side slope I do get carry over in the tailings. So I just don't push it that hard. Tank sample is always clean. I do enjoy the sound of the cylinder growling under the seat. 180-200 bu corn in the hills around here sure is fun to shell.

we HAD A LONG SHOE L2 for years. With a 6 row head and 160 bu/a we could overload the shoe even with the Corn Chaffer. (1 5/8" spacing long finger)  . We could judge the capacity by watching the tailings.  The sieve should be about 1/2 " or more - do the cleaning with the chaffer - and yes on a slope the gold in the return was the gauge for speed.  We always used a 25 tooth speed up sprocket for the thresher beater and make sure the metal curtain over the raddle is raised or removed for everything 'cept wheat.  At night the walkers would be a limiting factor in loss as well when the dew falls.\. any progress on header raise -  

Please keep us posted . 

O-rings came in yesterday afternoon so I put them in , reinstalled valve, no change. I ordered both o-ring for welded or threaded. The one for threaded did not come in. Not knowing for sure which one I needed I used the welded sleeve o-ring but the poppet did go in with some resistance so I felt it ok to proceed. I did not check the .031 orfice or remove plug on the side. I've got to get by with it until a rain day. Thanks.
Leon B Mo

Edited by Leon B MO - 15 Oct 2020 at 6:01am

Corn settings for an "L" series.  A corn chaffer (top sieve) is a MUST !!!  This has 1 5/8" long fingers for the higher yielding corn crop. I prefer the square tip myself, but I think there are more round end styles in use. These are shown in your owners manual. I always modify my corn chaffers to allow the front 8 rows to be on their own control lever and the remaining rows all the way back are then all together. I don't use the adjustable rear section in corn. I open the lower sieve pretty much wide open to start with and do all the cleaning with the chaffer, operating the front 8 rows up to 1/4" wider than the remaining rows. Sometimes they are equal in opening, but generally the front will be wider to have good capacity and still get an acceptable bin sample.  Any time that combine leans left or right, your cleaning shoe capacity is less and less. So, this means you may have to slow down or make adjustments for the side slopes. An overloaded cleaning shoe always shows excessive clean grain in the tailings elevator.  Changing cylinder bar "V" direction can help with side slope harvesting. The Air-Flow grain saver does too.  Always tie up the metal curtain above the separator raddle for corn and soybeans or simply remove it altogether.  I have made deflectors for that area to help direct material more to the center to also help with sidehill capacity in corn.  The moisture level of corn you are talking about, I would expect 4-hoppers harvested and dumped in 60 minutes or less with wagons placed properly. Unload on-the-go helps even more with BPH.

Leon B MO wrote: we found a salvage f3 nearby. I went and got the valve to raise the header and installed it on my L3. we used his coils. we put oil in it fired the machine up and it works perfectly. I don't know what I'm missing in the original valve but the mechanic is going to take it and try to figure out where I went wrong. anyway thanks for all the input and help from everyone. Leon B Mo