Hi all,
I'm joining this group of FLU 419 owners as I had mine delivered 2 weeks ago after "winning" one at the Texas auction. Before taking the plunge I did several months research including reading threads like this. I was looking for a tractor device to help out on our 40 acre farm operation. It has pasture and forest, a couple of ponds, an old gothic arched barn. We plan to manage sheep, cows, poultry as well as do some crops on terraces. It has rolling hills. We also plan on building several residences to house our offspring's families. That means making roads, digging trenches and foundations, hoisting beams, etc. The FLU seemed like a good alternative to the standard farm tractor and at half the price, twice the weight and thrice the power. And I'm a hobbyist Mercedes car mechanic x 45 years.
So I got a non-running example. The auction pictures looked good to me, not too much damage or too many missing parts. I was willing to take the risk. One thing I noticed from the pictures was that the engine was painted black and the exhaust manifold still had black paint on it-not burned off. I was thinking this could be a new "crate" engine. The inspector's report was pretty useless as nothing could be tested, but it did say the engine turned when they attempted their jump start. It had four inflated tires and spare, so it could at least roll. I had it shipped on a trailer 2500 miles.
Since arrival I have had about 2 full days available for inspection and repairs. I got it running after charging up the batteries and replacing the rubber portion of the 2 cracked fuels lines at the tank. When nothing happened when I pressed the starter button, I followed the trouble shooting guide and cleaned up the K1 and K2 relays from their corrosion. After cranking for a minute to get the oil pressure up I released the throttle and it fired up with minimum smoke or rattles. Nice.
But there is still more to do. The pictures nor the inspector's report indicated the writing on the driver's door: "no clutch". The clutch does not disengage. The pedal goes down about half way before meeting firm resistance. It must be a rusted clutch disk. I can still drive it around by starting it in gear. And I've made a few attempts of running it against an immovable object, a large pile of sand. But the rear wheel just starts spinning in the somewhat wet ground. I have been unable to activate the 4 wheel drive or lock the differentials. The selector switch rotates and various hissings and spurts can be heard.
So the good, the bad and some questions for you all.
Good:
Brand new engine with Injection pump, alternator, starter and airpump.
Many new parts: air regulators, hydraulic hoses, cables, rubber mounts. Clutch slave and master cylinder, the brake master cylinder and booster look new, too. The front loader has a 2001 date.
No rats!!!! Lights and most gauges work.
2 new appearing (dated 2009) huge AGM batteries that charge up to 100% after 2 days of gentle 6 amp charging.
It runs, front loader works fine, Brakes are great, including hand brake, air system comes up to pressure and does not leak.
Bad:
Frozen clutch
Unable to activate 4 wheel drive or differential locks
No keys, hood release tool or electric main switch key. No chainsaw (but all the other hydraulic tools and bits are there).
The charging light stays on (the alternator does not seem to be charging as there is no boost in the voltage with the engine running) and the tachometer does not work.
Questions:
Any advice from those with experience on the best way to free up the clutch?
How do I get the 4 wheel drive to work and know that it is engaged-the manual is not too clear from what I have gleaned so far?
Any recommendations for a modern, safe hydraulic chainsaw?
