W.R. Long kit plus Gator grapple

[Herkypilot]

One more thing for anyone considering a grapple...

On multiple occasions while operating my grapple in heavy brush, stray limbs kicked an SSQA lock lever into the unlocked position. On one of those occasions, the grapple actually detached from one side, twisting and bending the cross tube between the SSQA plates. I had to cut out a section of the tube and weld it to accommodate the bend. (There are other ways to fix such a thing, but that was the quickest way for me personally with the equipment I had on hand.) If you look closely, you can see the two cut/weld points on the tube; one just to the left of the U-bolt, and the other a few inches inboard of the QA plate.

In the aftermath, I decided to rig up a lever lock system to prevent anything from knocking a lever into the unlocked position. Pic below. (It's painted now.)

Jay

I know this post is over a year old, but I just installed the W.R. Long kit on my MX 5100. I'm glad I ran across this post Jay. I'll configure something to keep those QA arms down. That must have been quite a bad day when you bent that tube!
Thanks for sharing so that others may learn.

HP

 

[jcliburn]

Thanks Herk. (Great aircraft, btw.) I haven't changed my grapple usage pattern at all, and since installing the lever lock cable, I've never had a repeat of that awful experience when the grapple detached while in use. I posted the whole sordid affair here and here.

When I'm not using the grapple, I just remove the lever lock cable contraption by spinning out the shackle pins and sliding the cable through the inverted u-bolt. But if the grapple is attached, by George, so is the cable.

 

[zook]

I got a W R Long grapple built for my BX 2660,, instead of going with the elect valves I just ran the hoses to the back of the machine and used the remote valves.. :2cents:

Jay nice avatar, I served on the USS Swordfish,, the Birmingham and the Stonewall Jackson.

 

[jcliburn]

Jay nice avatar, I served on the USS Swordfish,, the Birmingham and the Stonewall Jackson.

Guardfish (SSN-612) and Richard B. Russell (SSN-687). Good to meet another submariner!

 

[don white]

One more thing for anyone considering a grapple...

On multiple occasions while operating my grapple in heavy brush, stray limbs kicked an SSQA lock lever into the unlocked position. On one of those occasions, the grapple actually detached from one side, twisting and bending the cross tube between the SSQA plates. I had to cut out a section of the tube and weld it to accommodate the bend. (There are other ways to fix such a thing, but that was the quickest way for me personally with the equipment I had on hand.) If you look closely, you can see the two cut/weld points on the tube; one just to the left of the U-bolt, and the other a few inches inboard of the QA plate.

In the aftermath, I decided to rig up a lever lock system to prevent anything from knocking a lever into the unlocked position. Pic below. (It's painted now.)

Jay

I have had the same problem and also bent up my skid steer attachment. I pushed against a big rock to bend it back. I like your cable set up. I may just wrap it around the tube instead of welding the hoop on.

 

[Bfitzgerald3]

So i'm doing my best to follow your directions... When connecting the fuse from the starter to the hot lead on the switch, how the heck did you manage to ge all three wires in the boot and on the post? There's barely enough room for the boot in the space between the starter and the loader frame...combine that with several wires that seem to be spring loaded away from the post, desperately want to snake out of the boot, and you have me, cussing up a storm. Ugh!

Everythng else went together pretty well. Thanks for the great post.

B

 

[jcliburn]

So i'm doing my best to follow your directions... When connecting the fuse from the starter to the hot lead on the switch, how the heck did you manage to ge all three wires in the boot and on the post? There's barely enough room for the boot in the space between the starter and the loader frame...combine that with several wires that seem to be spring loaded away from the post, desperately want to snake out of the boot, and you have me, cussing up a storm. Ugh!

Everythng else went together pretty well. Thanks for the great post.

B

Yeah, that wasn't fun at all, as I recall. I honestly don't see a reason why you couldn't just leave the wire outside the boot. Maybe wrap some electrical tape around the wire from where it exits the flex conduit down to the ring connector, just for added protection.