Grapple Install

[BamaRob]

As promised, I plan to document my grapple install here. Hopefully, my experience will benefit others that are contemplating or doing the same thing.

After much consideration and negotiating with my CFO, I finally convinced her that I needed a grapple to efficiently clean up the mess being made on our property by timber harvest activities adjacent to our lawn. I decided on the LD-48 Grapple from Millonzi International and an Electric Hydraulic Valve Kit from WR Long, Inc. I've had the valve kit for a few days now, and the grapple is scheduled to arrive today.

I chose the Electric Hydraulic Valve Kit from WR Long partly because they would custom fabricate a bracket and make the hoses specifically for my loader (ML 106 on a Mahindra 2615 4WD). This would save me some time and effort, plus I'd heard lots of good things about WR Long.

The package arrived from WR Long:




Included in the package was:

1. The valve kit mounted on custom bracket
2. New joystick handle with rocker switch
3. 10 amp. in-line fuse
4. Wire protector
5. Optional bulkhead kit, hoses, quick connects
6. Instruction sheet
7. 3 bolts to replace the shorter bolts holding joystick valve in place

The first thing to do was to mount the vavle/bracket on my loader control post. From Mahindra, the Prince loader control valve is mounted to the loader control post by three 1" bolts. The bracket from WR Long is designed to fit between the loader post and Prince valve. The 1/4" thickness of the bracket requires replacing the 1" bolts with the longer bolts shipped with the bracket from WR Long. Sounds easy enough...

This is what I found when I first attempted to mount the bracket:





As you can see (hopefully), when the lower left hole in the bracket was lined up, the other two holes were off by about 1/8". So, after studying it a bit, I decided to remove about 1/8" of material from the top of the bracket with my grinder. This got the upper left and right holes lined up, but left the lower left hole off by approximately 1/8". So, after much drilling and filing (with a chainsaw file), I was finally about to get all three bolts in.

I then discovered that the longer bolt would not work in the right-hand hole (unless I add several washers). The bolt was too long and was bottoming out in the Prince valve. So, I used the original shorter bolt in that hole with a single washer. It was long enough to get a couple of turns on the threads, so I think it'll be OK.

I followed the directions from WR Long and rerouted my hydraulics to flow through the new valve and connected the wiring from the new joystick handle to the solenoid switches in the valve. (I'll provide pictures of this when I get home this evening).

This is as far as I've gotten so far. My Millonzi grapple should arrive today. Once I get it home, I'm going to remove my bucket and attach the grapple to figure out where I need to weld the bulkhead kit on to the loader cross bar.

I'll continue to post pictures as the project progresses.

Later,

BR

[n8wrl]

Impressive write-up. I selected the same products for my Kubota and meant to do the same documentation but got ahead of myself in the project. Some notes, as I recall, from my project:

1. I am not sure if you got the bracket from WR Long that mounts near your FEL QA. If so, You may need to take the QC disconnects off the 'extra' hoses Long provides because they will not be on the ends of of the hoses on the grapple.

2. My dealer complained that the hoses that came with the grapple weren't great, so I had them replaced. I took it to them becuase I ended up breaking the nuts on the 90 elbow that goes to the Millonzi cylindar. This will make more sense when you see it - they aren't very sturdy. I disconnected them so I could put the hoses in a nylon sleeve for protection.

3. I had a lot of trouble getting the hoses routed from the tractor's hydraulics to the WR Long Valve. Well, the hoses routed fine but the connections leaked. I chalk it up to a severe case of Hydraulics Newbieness but I was not able to stop several small leaks, so I took the whole thing to my dealer who straightened it all out for me. That's when he replaced the hoses from #2.

4. You'll need to select a circuit from which to pull power for the valve. I selected one that was energized with the tractor off. I thought about this a lot, but decided to go this route so I could flip the toggle with the tractor off to relieve pressure. I was afraid if I could only operate the valve with the tractor ON I would never be able to disconnect the hoses - I would never get the pressure relieved!

Now that it's all done it works like a champ! Very sturdy units.

Have fun!

-Brian

[BamaRob]

Thanks for the tips. I was wondering which route to go with the hot wire. I should be able to run it where if the key is on, it has power (similar to the glow plugs). This way, the tractor wouldn't have to be running to cycle the valve, but the key would have to be on, right?

I did get the "Optional Bulkhead Kit" from WR Long. It includes a 1/4"x4"x4" plate with quick connects that is to be welded to the loader cross bar. And, there is an "extra" set of hoses that came with the WR Long kit. So, you're saying that I may need the quick connects off of the "extra" hoses to put on the grapple hoses? Or, just use those hoses in place of the ones that come with the grapple?

Just called the freight company that's delivering my grapple. Their online tracking has been saying that it should be delivered today. I called to get a status. Dispatch contacted the driver to see when he could get by here, and the driver told him that he had the bill, but not the freight. Apparently, they forgot to put my grapple on the truck!!!! Dispatcher said it'd be here tomorrow.

Thanks,

BR

[n8wrl]

Thanks for the tips. I was wondering which route to go with the hot wire. I should be able to run it where if the key is on, it has power (similar to the glow plugs). This way, the tractor wouldn't have to be running to cycle the valve, but the key would have to be on, right?

That makes sense. I went with the hazards (10A on my tractor, I think) which was plenty.

I did get the "Optional Bulkhead Kit" from WR Long. It includes a 1/4"x4"x4" plate with quick connects that is to be welded to the loader cross bar. And, there is an "extra" set of hoses that came with the WR Long kit. So, you're saying that I may need the quick connects off of the "extra" hoses to put on the grapple hoses? Or, just use those hoses in place of the ones that come with the grapple?

The hoses that come from WR Long won't be long enough, so you'll have to use the ones that come with the grapple (or get better ones made). But the grapple hoses will not have QD's on them.

Just called the freight company that's delivering my grapple. Their online tracking has been saying that it should be delivered today. I called to get a status. Dispatch contacted the driver to see when he could get by here, and the driver told him that he had the bill, but not the freight. Apparently, they forgot to put my grapple on the truck!!!! Dispatcher said it'd be here tomorrow.

I saved some $$ by picking it up at the depot. There was some confusion there too, but it worked out. Handy to have the guys at the depot load it onto my truck, and then get it off with my pallet forks at home. Amazing how heavy it is.

Have fun!

-Brian

[BamaRob]

The hoses that come from WR Long won't be long enough, ...

The grapple arrived today. That's one heavy, mean looking piece of equipment.

I see what you mean about the hoses that came with it. I'm hoping the ones that came from WR Long will, indeed, be long enough. They only need to reach from the cylinder ports on the grapple to the bulkhead kit welded to the loader cross member with a little slack for grapple movement. I don't remember how long they were, but I think they were comparable in length to the ones that came with the grapple. I'll have to check it when I get home.

Later,

BR

[RedRocker]

My grapple is in limbo, last I heard they were waiting on the specs for the CK30 attach points. I guess they're encrypted somewhere.

[n8wrl]

... I'm hoping the ones that came from WR Long will, indeed, be long enough. They only need to reach from the cylinder ports on the grapple to the bulkhead kit welded to the loader cross member with a little slack for grapple movement. I don't remember how long they were, but I think they were comparable in length to the ones that came with the grapple...

Don't underestimate the amount of slack you need - when you curl the grapple foward, for example, you'll need a lot of slack. I had a problem the first time I curled forward where the hose had gotten under the QA handle and lifted it which disengaged the QA pin! The grapple came loose! Luckily I noticed it before any damage had been done.

-Brian

[BamaRob]

After getting home and looking at the hoses from WR Long, they're going to be much too short. So, it sounds like I need to attach the grapple and curl it all the way forward, measure the required hose length, and add a few inches for wiggle room, right?

Only things I have left to do are:

1. Get a couple hoses made up.
2. Position and weld bulkhead bracket in place.
3. Secure all hoses.
4. Start cleaning up brush!

Thanks,

BR

[n8wrl]

Sounds good to me. Folks recommended I go to a 'hydraulics place' to get hoses made, but I don't know where that would be around here. So I went to my dealer and they did a great job.

-Brian

[BamaRob]

I think (hope) the guys here at work can make me a set of hoses. Actually, I know than can. I just don't know if they will.

Later,

BR