Direction of flow from diverter valve

[jcummins]

I recently installed a grapple using a diverter valve. Yesterday did quite a bit of sawing down dead trees and stacking them. I put an atv winch switch onto the fel handle works fairly well, but I found the grapple would open as I curled up, and close when I curled down. I want the opposite of that, so I can curl up with a load and also tighten the hold as I curl up by off and on with the button.

SO....I switch the lines from the diverter valve going to the grapple, at the outputs on the grapple. Tested, and grapple wouldn't close or open???? Confused by this. Since it didn't work, what did I do wrong and how do I adjust.

 

[J_J]

You should only have switched the curl cyl hoses at the tee, or at the diverter valve.

Trace the hoses back from the grapple and figure out what you did.

 

[jcummins]

Wouldn't that also change the direction of the curl when the valve isn't active?

Top hoses to grapple. Left side to the loader curl. right side flow from the tractor.

 

[J_J]

When the valve is not active, there is no movement of the grapple cyl, However you can tilt the bucket up to the grapple, maybe. Depends on where you left the grapple.

 

[jcummins]

When the valve is not active, there is no movement of the grapple cyl, However you can tilt the bucket up to the grapple, maybe. Depends on where you left the grapple.

The grapple was closed, cylinder extend when I switched them. I made a point of keeping the hydraulic flow path going to the curl function the same when I installed the diverter. Seems changing any other hose would change the curl.

 

[J_J]

You can make the curl lever move the grapple anyway you want just by switching A/B port or C/D, which ever it is connected to on the diverter.

 

[jcummins]

You can make the curl lever move the grapple anyway you want just by switching A/B port or C/D, which ever it is connected to on the diverter.

That's exactly what I did, and the grapple wouldn't move no matter how I curled it. Diverter is working, since I held on to the grapple hose as I worked it. Really confused on this.

 

[J_J]

Are you using regen/fast dump?

Push the lever to the far right for normal operation.

If you move the valve lever you should provide fluid to one side of the cyl. In regen, the pump flow and the cyl flow is added into the extend side of the cyl. The valve blocks the rod end port so the fluid can add top the extend port.

Remove grapple from the diverter and move the lever and see if fluid comes out of the diverter.

Watch out for the mess.

 

[jcummins]

I don't know what regen/fast dump means. Could you enlighten me.

I simply installed the diverter in the flow of the curl hydraulic lines...at the point the loader connections are. The grapple works, the curl works. I just want switch the open/close of the grapple to the opposite move of the fel handle.

I know flow is coming out of the diverter, because it did before I switched them...AND..I can feel the pressure pulse in the grapple lines when I move the fel with the diverter switch active. It's as if the grapple cylinder is locked up. A bit later I'll go out and switch the lines at the QDs at the front of the loader (didn't do that because one is shorter than the other and wanted to keep how they plug in the same...hence the switch at the diverter), and take all the pressure out of the grapple lines. I've switched lines like this before on rear remotes on a TNT setup to change the direction the cylinder activates, so feel this is something strange.

 

[J_J]

A regeneration circuit can double the extension speed of a single-rod cylinder without using a larger pump

Regen is fluid from the rod end added to the pump fluid going into the extend side of the cyl for faster operation. You have increased speed, but less power.

Some FEL valves have regen built in the valve for a fast dump or fast curl down. using grapple, you would have fast close grapple. If yu reverse the hoses on the grapple, y will have fast open grapple. On the Kubota valves it is in the first part of the FEL valve. Push the lever to the far right for power mode.

If you are using QD's, uncouple and re-couple. A QD not connected/loose will not flow fluid.