Add a Double Pilot Check valve to Side Link Cylinder?

[kcoburn]

I installed the cylinder on the L5240 using the factory remotes. Hung the big old back blade up in the air and measured the cylinder's rod position. Let it hang there for an hour. The rod pulled out roughly 9/16"--nothing like the drop I used to get using the cylinder on the older tractor with the remote through the 3 solenoid valve block. Disconnected the couplers from the valve and let the blade hang for another hour. Hard to tell for certain but the rod may have dropped another 1/16". Brian-you were right. The problem I had with the cylinder was largely a result of the cobbled up valving system, not the cylinder itself. Adding the check valve to the cylinder would have done little or nothing for me.
Thanks again for your help.

 

[bandaidmd]

"Adding the check valve to the cylinder would have done little or nothing for me."

9/16" drop at the cylinder is still a significant amount at the blade tip so its likely it still would have been worth the investment.

I will be adding one to mine at some point.

 

[kcoburn]

That 9/16" drop was over an hour. With my old setup I'd get that amount of drop in a minute or two. The fact that it dropped 1/16" or less with the hoses disconnected indicates the drop is almost all a result of valve leakage, not cylinder leakage. The check valve on the cylinder will do nothing for the remote valve leakage if I understand it correctly.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

That 9/16" drop was over an hour. With my old setup I'd get that amount of drop in a minute or two. The fact that it dropped 1/16" or less with the hoses disconnected indicates the drop is almost all a result of valve leakage, not cylinder leakage. The check valve on the cylinder will do nothing for the remote valve leakage if I understand it correctly.

Actually it is just the opposite. The check valve takes care of a faulty valve, because it isolates the valve problem from the cylinder. It will do nothing for a faulty cylinder. So it would have eliminated the drop and would still do so with your current set up. Do you have the float function with your current rear remotes? If so, the existing drop rate would be livable for me. Try a different set of rear remotes if you have them, just to see. I know that on my own tractors, all the valves do not hold the same.

 

[kcoburn]

Brian,
I can live with the little leakage that I get with the current setup.
I apparently misunderstood what the check valves on the cylinder does. I thought it prevented fluid internal leakage from one end of the cylinder to the other. If I understand what you're saying, it prevents movement of fluid from one end of the cylinder to the other that occurs back through the valve. Do I have that right?

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Brian,
I can live with the little leakage that I get with the current setup.
I apparently misunderstood what the check valves on the cylinder does. I thought it prevented fluid internal leakage from one end of the cylinder to the other. If I understand what you're saying, it prevents movement of fluid from one end of the cylinder to the other that occurs back through the valve. Do I have that right?

Actually what it does is stop any fluid from simply leaking through the valve back into the system, not just back into the cylinder. If you are good with that amount of drift, then you are GOOD TO GO. :thumbsup: If you use your setup mostly for grading, then you make adjustments often enough that it usually won't matter. If you are doing chores that require the same setting ALL DAY LONG, then it can be bothersome to some.

 

[ovrszd]

If you use your setup mostly for grading, then you make adjustments often enough that it usually won't matter. If you are doing chores that require the same setting ALL DAY LONG, then it can be bothersome to some.

Well stated. I never notice my drift until I put on the brush cutter. Then I have to correct periodically or leave an unlevel cut. If I'm using the brush cutter for long periods of time, day or more, I remove my tilt cylinder and install the factory link.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Well stated. I never notice my drift until I put on the brush cutter. Then I have to correct periodically or leave an unlevel cut. If I'm using the brush cutter for long periods of time, day or more, I remove my tilt cylinder and install the factory link.

While this is probably the best thing to do, most likely all that you need to do is unplug the hoses and the side link would stay put.

 

[ovrszd]

While this is probably the best thing to do, most likely all that you need to do is unplug the hoses and the side link would stay put.

Yep, I agree. I'm a bit OCD about things like this and not sure I could live with looking at the hoses hanging...

I carry my factory link and it's pretty easy to swap out.

But, with all that said, I totally agree that the cylinder would mostly likely stay put if unplugged.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Come on now, there has to be a place at the back of your tractor where you could nicely lay the hoses. :confused3: But then again, that is also why I agreed with you about just changing the links out. :thumbsup: Not really a good idea to have loose hoses about when mowing.