Note that if you are running a DAM equipped head and it is ON - your first description is generally correct operation. Otherwise your Lower solenoid is stuck on.

Then it sound like the lower solenoid would not turn ON....like stuck OFF. Note that Raise & Lower are separate solenoids.

I can't think of any specific electrical scenario that would do what you suggest.

Note you really need to drain the hydraulics tank first, otherwise it just keeps running out. Other than that these spools are pretty easy to remove and clean. Use new orings when reinstalling.

 

Note that if you are running a DAM equipped head and it is ON - your first description is generally correct operation. Otherwise your Lower solenoid is stuck on.

Then it sound like the lower solenoid would not turn ON....like stuck OFF. Note that Raise & Lower are separate solenoids.

I can't think of any specific electrical scenario that would do what you suggest.

Note you really need to drain the hydraulics tank first, otherwise it just keeps running out. Other than that these spools are pretty easy to remove and clean. Use new orings when reinstalling.

I think you nailed it.... apparently the first step in fixing the problem is educating the loose nut behind the wheel. I have never used anything but pickup headers and have a distaste for automation in general so I've never used those settings before. I showed your comments to my mechanic (that isn't much older than the machine) and we turned to each other and said WTF is a DAM header?? Dial A Matic.... dah. So for starters the switch was in the wrong position for the way I wanted the header to work... basically "Off". That fixed half my problem, but the header will still occasionally lock up when fully extended up, so for now I've just been avoiding lifting it all the way. Next rain I'll have to get back into the stack pack and find out what's sticking. Thank-you to Jeff

 

We're still running with the other machine so I don't have much time to deal with it right now but I know a "guy".... I will relay your comments to him when he gets here...

 

Been running 3 days without putting the header all the way to the top and it was working fine. Tonight it stuck again for a while and I don't think I hit the max height. I'm starting to wonder... could this be the rocker switch in the joystick handle getting crud in it and losing connection to the "down" side?

 

Its possible - only way to tell is measure voltage on the wires or solenoids when pushing the switch.

 

I was thinking about that.... it's going to be difficult to track down when it's a "once an hour" occurrence. Might be faster to just change the switch and hope the new Chinese crap lasts.

 

Do you know if there is an actual hydraulic throttle valve (to slow descent of the header) on this machine? At this point my plan is to rebuild the 2 solenoids in the stack that control up and down, replace the switch in the handle and clean any debris from the throttle valve (if there is one). Other than this little problem, the combine has performed flawlessly so I would like to make the issue go away.

 

YEs, thtere are actually 2 "flow controls". ON the main valve body there is a bolt in front and one behind. Loosen the lock nut and screw it in or out. The front bolt is manual drop rate, the back one is manual raise rate. Then, on a separate valve block mounted on top of the main valve, there is another solenoid and adjustment screw for Automatic Drop rate. Loosen the lock nut and use a screwdriver or allen wrench to adjust the auto drop rate here separate from the manual drop rate

 

I am assuming this probably has nothing to do with the issue but thought I would mention it regardless, these series of combines can have an issue that relates to having the rocker switch for the in/out swing of the unload auger in either the in or out position and then using the reel lift. It can cause the reel to move in the opposite direction when operating the reel height rocker. I thought that if nothing else, just to make sure the unload swing hydraulics are set to the center position when not in the process of moving the auger and see if that makes any difference at all to the header lift circuit acting up.

 

Definitely worth a mention, but I'm pretty sure that can only happen to the single acting circuit, like the reel lift. The feederhouse lift is actually a double acting circuit even though it uses single acting cylinders.

 

No... every time it's happened we're in full operation with the unload in neutral. Thanks for trying, but I don't think that's it.

 

I've had a very similar problem on my 9500 before. https://www.thecombineforum.com/threads/header-lower-hydraulics-sticking-solved.23523/ There's an internal seal in the hydraulic block that deforms over time, and the poppet that does the lowering gets jammed. After a while it releases and you're operational till it jams again. It's a pretty easy fix, you just need to hook the old seal out of the hole and replace it.
No need to empty the hyd oil - If you duct tape a vacuum cleaner to the fill port of the hydraulic tank, you can do it without oil going everywhere.