Bale Spike Hydraulics Problems. (2024)

12 volt powered hydraulic motor/pump for bale spike. Raises and lowers spike. Motor appears to have two power terminals. Never seen that .

Motor has quit functioning in one direction(down).

Also haven't figured out how to get motor loose from pump/valve body. Two long bolts thru the motor to valve body. Don't remember any bolts on reservoir side of valve body.

Anybody seen this before, idea who made motor, ideas on motor removal?

Got the motor off. The two long bolts are all that hold it on. Shell fits in a pocket about a sixteenth deep. Couple of healthy whacks with 3 pound hammer broke the rust and crap loose.

I wondered about the solenoid as I have had the same as you described. I don't think the solenoid is the problem this time. With the motor hooked up, the incoming voltage drops to zero when solenoid is activated. Jumped across solenoid and got the same voltage drop. Remove the motor and the voltage doesn't change on either terminal. Still, the solenoid is not completely removed from suspect list.

Now, to figure out how motor is wound and if it is bad.

I am working on the assumption that the motor reverses rotation when it operates.

Bog standard truck or atv winch setup..

If motor was grounded like a car starter, you would have to reverse polarity of entire car, to rotate motor in reverse.

So both brushes go to relays/contactors/switch, that reverses polarity and thus direction...

Look up wiring and trouble shooting, for just about any ATV, or 12 volt truck winch..

Troubleshooting for them, is exact same as your unit..

If down is controlled by a solenoid valve.. It just opens and bleeds oil back to reservoir, spike lowers, motor does not need to even run...

Most truck plows operate that way, troubleshooting is the same deal...

Motor always runs one way. Solenoid valves direct oil for up vs. down.

What I can see from here…..

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Adding to previous post:

Appears to be double acting. Does cylinder have a hose at each end?

If so, I think your down solenoid is shorted and drawing voltage down too low to fire the motor solenoid.

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The spike is not heavy enough to fall by itself. Makes it real hard to get low enough to stab a round bale. Therefore, need power to lower the spike.

Double action cylinder. Bypassing solenoid contacts did not make motor run.

Almost positive that the motor reverses. Have not found a schematic that resembles what I think is the construction of the motor.

End bell covering brushes was a bitch to get off as someone had siliconed it and brush plate to the case. Factory or someone else?????

Same problem, but with a hydraulic tilt gooseneck trailer. It was the solenoid that powers the motor. Motor doesn’t spin in reverse, it’s simply powering a hydraulic pump. Reversing the direction of the cylinder happens from changing the flow through two solenoid valves, shown in your pic

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Running a hydraulic pump backwards to reverse the system would take some very special valving. Your system is built to the absolute lowest price point.

If you run the hydraulic pump backwards you put the load on the suction side of the pump.

I used a similar double acting power pack for a project. Yours COULD be different, but I’m positive my motor runs one direction.

One possible complication on troubleshooting….There are most likely a pair of diodes in the harness to prevent back feeding the inactive solenoid valve.

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gbent said:

Running a hydraulic pump backwards to reverse the system would take some very special valving. Your system is built to the absolute lowest price point.

If you run the hydraulic pump backwards you put the load on the suction side of the pump.

Click to expand...

One of the reasons I think the motor reverses is that there are two pick-ups/suction lines in the reservoir that go into different holes of pump.

Waiting on a bearing before putting it back together.

alphonso said:

One of the reasons I think the motor reverses is that there are two pick-ups/suction lines in the reservoir that go into different holes of pump.

Waiting on a bearing before putting it back together.

Click to expand...

One is suction, other is probably "return to tank"

digger doug said:

One is suction, other is probably "return to tank"

Click to expand...

Then why would they both have filters on them?

alphonso said:

Then why would they both have filters on them?

Click to expand...

I see...leaving out important bits is how you operate.....

Look, you've made up your mind, your pushing your theory, why did you even ASK here ?

Goodbye.

digger doug said:

I see...leaving out important bits is how you operate.....

Look, you've made up your mind, your pushing your theory, why did you even ASK here ?

Goodbye.

Click to expand...

Until it was mentioned I didn't think that was particularly relevant.

Any way, it is back together and functioning. Replaced suspect solenoid. Also turned commutator and squared up brushes.

The slot in the armature shaft is so tight to the tang on the pump that I had to tap the armature onto the tang, then slip the case over that. Then get the brushes into their holders and set the springs. Then tap the end bell onto the case and bolt it up.

When checking the windings I determined that the posts are at the opposite ends of the winding in a single circuit. The hot brushes are physically midway of the circuit. So, does the motor reverse?? I don't know. At this point I don't really care, just want this thing gone.