Backhoe/Loader Work

[jgbanshee]

I took a job spreading stone and digging a few rocks from a house a couple miles down the road. I am a little nervous because I will be using my Ford 345C TLB. As some of you already know, I split one loader valve and broke one hydraulic pump with the addition of the Bradco backhoe. I have since replaced the pump with a new one (26 GPM @ 2200 RPM) and replaced the loader valve with a Cross valve with power beyond (30 GPM) and replaced the relief valve in the backhoe. I have been using the machine now for a couple small jobs around the property. The relief valve in the backhoe was preset for 2550 PSI and my loader valve I set with a gauge to 2450 PSI. I can hear the relief working while using both the loader and backhoe. Nothing seems to be wrong or anything but I am a little nervous to drive this down the road to another site. I guess I am worried about the hydraulic oil heating up as I drive at high RPM down the road. Should I be worried?

[john_bud]

Congratulations on the machine holding together !

Traveling down the road won't be any strain on the machine. Just make sure that if you have a screen in front of the radiator that it is clean and that the radiator itself is clean. There is little stress on the machine driving on the road, much more power is dissipated using the hoe.

Before you start the process, make dilly darn sure that the people from dig-safe or diggers hotline have been out and marked all utilities and such. With your luck, your first scoop will bring up two halves of a fiber optic bundle. (Your liable for the total cost to repair and all customer damages if you didn't have dig-safe out first - can be 1/2 million no fecal matter!)

jb

[Dougster]

I guess I am worried about the hydraulic oil heating up as I drive at high RPM down the road. Should I be worried?

Depending on how you've got things plumbed, that new "mega-pump" could be putting quite a strain on your various hydraulic components. If you haven't yet run the machine very long at cruising engine RPMs, I'd do a test before the trip and see if your new loader valve or anything on the Bradco starts glowing cherry red. The new loader valve sounds fine... but if you can easily disconnect (or otherwise isolate) the Bradco while traveling, it certainly couldn't hurt.

Dougster

[jgbanshee]

The new pump is exactly the same as the original one that broke. The backhoe valve is a Gresen V20 series which says it is 20 GPM nominal. I have talked with people from Bradco and their hydraulic setup for my tractor is a selecter valve, which takes the full flow from the loader and runs to the backhoe. I am assuming that the backhoe valve can handle my flows then. Correct?

[Dougster]

The new pump is exactly the same as the original one that broke. The backhoe valve is a Gresen V20 series which says it is 20 GPM nominal. I have talked with people from Bradco and their hydraulic setup for my tractor is a selecter valve, which takes the full flow from the loader and runs to the backhoe. I am assuming that the backhoe valve can handle my flows then. Correct?

Didn't realize that the new pump was essentially a replacement in kind... sorry.

I think I remember you buying an 11HD... the older version of the current 611... correct? Not sure about the older 11HD, but the current 611 has a recommended hydraulic flow range of 11 to 14 GPM with the bypass valve setpoint at something higher... maybe 16ish GPM??? Seems possible that you could be doing a fair amount of "bypassing" flow while actually operating it unless you back off on engine RPMs.

On the other hand, if you leave it connected and flowing but unused while traveling at high engine RPM... all you are doing is putting a lot of low-pressure "PB" flow through the backhoe's hydraulic system. That's a different matter and limited only by the ability of the backhoe system to pass unused, low-pressure flow through its valves and system without generating too much friction and heat. Only Bradco could tell you how much flow for how long might start to be too much.

Dougster

[john_bud]

You'll be fine. If there was going to be a problem it would show up when using the hoe, that's where a restriction would show up. The "thru-flow" is not going to be an issue.

Turn on the flashers and enjoy the sights.