Hydraulic issue with 546 valmet harvester

nath78 · October 28, 2013, 03:27:32 PM

I have a 1996 valmet 546 woodstar harvester the hydraulic brakes are locked and my main boom won't lift the head off the ground has anybody had this issue any help would be great.

snowstorm · October 28, 2013, 04:47:18 PM

i had one. well still have it just dont use it. the parking brake should come on when the trans is in neutral go off when put in gear. with any brake problems on a 546 the first thing to do is change the oil filter. left side of motor in the rear. mine were slow to come on that fixed it. have you had any of the hoses to the brakes off? there is a switch in the trans left front just below the shift cables. the boom wont lift in close? or full reach? may be shuttle valves. they cause all kinds of trouble. when something dosent work as it should thats the first place to look. if you dont have any buy some. they have 2 small orings that go missing. i never had much luck putting new orings on. they are very hard and by the time you get then on it wont go back in the hole. they used to be $65 each. that machine uses an open center gear pump......but.....it has load sensing pressure compensating valves. kinda odd with a gear pump but it works. do you have a tech manual and parts book ?? if not get one. what part of the country are from????????

nath78 · October 28, 2013, 09:02:14 PM

Thanks for the info I don't have any books on machine I bought it on a auction site not sure why got a deal I guess been an ok machine the boom won't lift at all well when I roll my wheels for the head then let off button it wil raise a little bit started this when I cut down a big basswood tree I operate in northeast lower michigan

snowstorm · October 29, 2013, 05:36:57 PM

to get to the shuttle valve take the aluminum cap off. on the vale bank behind the cab. i would start with the one that lifts the boom.4 screws to take the cap off.one side of the machine they are on the top other side the bottom. the shuttle is about 3\8" in dia it takes an allen wrench. you need a good 3\8" drive wrench. put it in and tap with a hammer. they can come out hard so the head of the old one may be beat up a little. its a couple inchs long has 2 orings and backup washers. like i said buy a new one. chances are at least one oring will be missing

nath78 · October 29, 2013, 06:45:44 PM

I had that valve section out and took off aluminum head for boom lift looked ok so i pulled the valve sections apart on my bench to see if I had a bent spool or something like that everything seemed to be ok so I am wondering if its not a pilot issue with the boom and brakes both acting up I tried switching hoses on valve bank to see if it work and it did kinda funky though probably was puttin oil in funky places some times just want to bang my head on the wall want to move machine to another job and leave my track harvester on this job but can't get the brakes to release thanks for your help was hope in to show up on job and I just worked no luck :

1270d · October 29, 2013, 06:50:47 PM

You should be able to manually cage the brakesif you need to move it.

snowstorm · October 29, 2013, 07:46:17 PM

its not the spool........the shuttle valve is a 1\4" in dia at the most. i would have to look it up seems like the parking brake takes its oil from the trans. and only works on the front axle. they are spring applied hydraulic release. the reason things went funkie when you swapped hoses is because the orings are missing on one of the shuttle valves. there is a primary and secondary shuttle valve. i only had trouble with the primary. take the cap off if you dont see what looks like a plug with an allen head then take the other cap off an look there. i went through all this when i first got mine with no one to help. go to the valmet dealer and buy at least shuttle valves. you will use them. they updated the orings and they are much better. the old ones would last from a few months to a year

snowstorm · October 29, 2013, 07:54:31 PM

pilot oil comes from the main hydraulic pump. it is bolted to the trans. tandem pump pilot press is not adjustable. this have the ford motor? should have. very good engine. there are 3 hydraulic pumps. left side of motor that one only pumps oil from the tank thru the cooler. left rear is for the brakes only. main pump on the trans runs the crane head

nath78 · October 29, 2013, 09:55:40 PM

So are the shuttle on top of valve bank under tall aluminum cap with two Allen heads holdin cap on I took them off just a spring and half inch nut under that or am I looking in the wrong place

snowstorm · October 30, 2013, 05:56:49 AM

yes it is under that cap. if its not on the top then its under the bottom cap. there are 2 valve banks. one side will have them on the top the other on the bottom. the parking brake uses an electric valve to release. check fuses. should be a red light that will be on if it has power. the light will be on the electric valve

nath78 · October 30, 2013, 06:55:56 AM

Ok my mechanic is suppose to show up this morning I will let him know what you said the valmet dealer in my area won't deal with me because I bought the machine some place else ain't that something guess my money is no good called yesterday about shuttle valves told me go get them where I bought the machine nice guys hey. Not sure what to do

wesley · October 30, 2013, 08:31:08 AM

I am getting a 94, 544 forewarder dilivered today which I just bought, I have owned several diferant types of equipment but never valmet. so have been reading your post with interest.

It is amazing to me that some dealers act this way, All my life I have been in and around logging and the one thing that has always been consistant is that loggers spend a lot of money on parts and repair, I understand that they want to sell more machines but they cant sell them all. Why not sell parts and service to whoever.

snowstorm · October 30, 2013, 08:39:28 PM

Quote from: nath78 on October 30, 2013, 06:55:56 AM
Ok my mechanic is suppose to show up this morning I will let him know what you said the valmet dealer in my area won't deal with me because I bought the machine some place else ain't that something guess my money is no good called yesterday about shuttle valves told me go get them where I bought the machine nice guys hey. Not sure what to do

who is the valmet dealer?? dose your 546 have the 960 head? cant help you with that. had a keto on mine. its now on the rottne

Gary_C · October 30, 2013, 08:54:14 PM

Quote from: wesley on October 30, 2013, 08:31:08 AM
It is amazing to me that some dealers act this way, All my life I have been in and around logging and the one thing that has always been consistant is that loggers spend a lot of money on parts and repair, I understand that they want to sell more machines but they cant sell them all. Why not sell parts and service to whoever.

I am sure that Roland Machinery in Escanaba will take care of your needs. And their service guys are more than willing to talk to you on the phone too if you need help. And if they get stumped, just ask for the number of "Harvey my friend." He probably built your 544 forwarder in Gladstone back in 94. Harvey now works for Komatsu but those guys in Roland know his number. But the service guys have seen it all and don't need help anymore. So don't be afraid to call them. They stock plenty of parts too.

Gary_C · October 30, 2013, 09:02:09 PM

Quote from: nath78 on October 28, 2013, 03:27:32 PM
I have a 1996 valmet 546 woodstar harvester the hydraulic brakes are locked and my main boom won't lift the head off the ground has anybody had this issue any help would be great.

I still have a 546 harvester that is not running right now, but I can't recall ever having that problem. However there is an auxilliary hydraulic pump on the side of the engine that does cause some problems. And the drive gear or key for that pump sometimes fails and causes problems with the brakes I think.

But you really do need a book with that machine.

nath78 · October 30, 2013, 09:55:05 PM

Well my mechanic came out today tried to raise boom by pushin spoole down with a bar nothin happened so we are kinda stumped not sure why but boom will raise when I run the saw or use rollers he thinks the nitrogen is gone from the bladder ball that's the problem with the brakes did not know anybody used a system like that we had aluminum cap off valve bank oil is doing some funkie things on pilot hoses

nath78 · October 30, 2013, 09:57:37 PM

Does anybody know where I can find the books for machine I looked every where I can think.

Gary_C · October 31, 2013, 02:05:27 AM

Tell us where you are located, it makes a big difference.

Any Valmet dealer should be able to get you manuals.

snowstorm · October 31, 2013, 05:50:43 AM

Quote from: nath78 on October 30, 2013, 09:55:05 PM
Well my mechanic came out today tried to raise boom by pushin spoole down with a bar nothin happened so we are kinda stumped not sure why but boom will raise when I run the saw or use rollers he thinks the nitrogen is gone from the bladder ball that's the problem with the brakes did not know anybody used a system like that we had aluminum cap off valve bank oil is doing some funkie things on pilot hoses

it dose that because its a shuttle valve. you move a function next to it the boom moves. thats what it means. these are rexroth valves and they are not a plain old open center valve. thats why you cant push the spool with a bar and have it work. take all the shuttles out and look them over real well. they have a joint in them along with the orings.

snowstorm · October 31, 2013, 05:53:10 AM

Quote from: Gary_C on October 30, 2013, 08:54:14 PM
Quote from: wesley on October 30, 2013, 08:31:08 AM
It is amazing to me that some dealers act this way, All my life I have been in and around logging and the one thing that has always been consistant is that loggers spend a lot of money on parts and repair, I understand that they want to sell more machines but they cant sell them all. Why not sell parts and service to whoever.

I am sure that Roland Machinery in Escanaba will take care of your needs. And their service guys are more than willing to talk to you on the phone too if you need help. And if they get stumped, just ask for the number of "Harvey my friend." He probably built your 544 forwarder in Gladstone back in 94. Harvey now works for Komatsu but those guys in Roland know his number. But the service guys have seen it all and don't need help anymore. So don't be afraid to call them. They stock plenty of parts too.

i called harvey a few times when i first got mine. nice guy and he knows them inside an out

snowstorm · October 31, 2013, 05:58:02 AM

Quote from: nath78 on October 30, 2013, 09:55:05 PM
Well my mechanic came out today tried to raise boom by pushin spoole down with a bar nothin happened so we are kinda stumped not sure why but boom will raise when I run the saw or use rollers he thinks the nitrogen is gone from the bladder ball that's the problem with the brakes did not know anybody used a system like that we had aluminum cap off valve bank oil is doing some funkie things on pilot hoses

accumulator is there so that the service brake will work if the motor stoped. has nothing to do with the parking brake

nath78 · November 01, 2013, 10:19:05 PM

My mechanic called Roland today they told him that the machine was to old wouldn't make any money and I should buy a new unit they basiclly were no help so I guess I'm just screwed on this machine not sure what to do maybe like Roland thinks I should turn it into scrap metal

Jamie_C · November 02, 2013, 08:32:35 AM

I expect a machine that old will be nothing but headaches and big repair bills. Up here the life expectancy of wheeled harvesters isn't much more than 7 or 8 years, by that time they are broke down more than they run in a lot of cases.

snowstorm · November 02, 2013, 09:02:28 AM

i would not give up yet. brakes......i looked it up in my book. they are spring applied hydraulic release and they take there oil pressure from the clark trans. there is a test port . also an electric valve. find it. its under the floor. the wire plug to the valve has a red lite in it if it has power. if it dosent have power the machine cant move. the boom is shuttle valve problems. buy some you will need them. you will have to have a tech manual buy one. you didnt answer if it has a valmet head. if it dose and has the old vm1000 computer. i hear parts are no longer available. they run 30 something wires to the head. the newer heads use 6

nath78 · November 02, 2013, 11:04:52 AM

Ya it has a 960 valmet dangle head on it I do have a brand new computer that came with machine when I got it where did you get your shuttle valves from like I said Roland hasn't Been much help 7 years on a machine seems kinda short to me if I had the half a million dollars they want for a new machine I think I would just go hunting and save my money like I tell my buddy's I LOG TO LIVE I DON'T LIVE TO LOG.