Backhoe Adding a Kubota hydraulic thumb to my BH 92
- Thread starter Thirsty
- Start date
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Today, even though I don't have the parts to for the thumb, I started getting the Backhoe ready. I removed the housing for the valves. I'll have to add the new control valve between the first and second valve (left side in picture). These valves are held together by four tie rods. I'll also have to change out the tie rods one at a time for longer ones. I assume they will be in the kit. I'm thinking the only way to insert the new valve will be to disconnet all 14 hydraulc hoses and move the valve block to the work bench so I can hold them all together while I add the new valve. From the drawings I have, there are o-rings between each valve. If I allow the assembly to fall apart/pull apart, it will be a mess to reassemble. I'm thinking the tension from the hoses will tend to pull the valves apart. (This is where I would appreciate any input from those of you with experience in doing this or something similar) ;-)
Still no parts but deceided to remove valve block. First, I made sure to releive all hydraulic pressure.
I then labeled the hoses so I knew for sure where they went when I went to reassemble. As I removed each hose pair, I put them in a rubber glove and labled the glove with the order removed.
Only fluid lost was what drained from valve block.
Valve block is now on work bench for a few days while I wait on parts. I already had plans for next few days so even if I had parts, no time to work on installation. Here is a picture with the clamps I plan to use to keep valve blocks together while I remove end block and install new valve. Should be interesting!
I then labeled the hoses so I knew for sure where they went when I went to reassemble. As I removed each hose pair, I put them in a rubber glove and labled the glove with the order removed.
Only fluid lost was what drained from valve block.
Valve block is now on work bench for a few days while I wait on parts. I already had plans for next few days so even if I had parts, no time to work on installation. Here is a picture with the clamps I plan to use to keep valve blocks together while I remove end block and install new valve. Should be interesting!
scdeerslayer
Gold Member
Oh, I'm sure there's no issue with learning to use it, my concern is platform foot space, and ease of moving your foot from the platform to the control lever. My long legs and size 12s make is awkward enough without something else in the way.
The foot pedal can be folded up when not in use. I know the operating platform is tight. Truth is, I won't know how well it will all work together until it is installed and I have a chance to try it out. I'll post my opinions on here after I give it a try. My opinion may be different than yours. That is not saying I'm right and your wrong, just a different point of view. Have a great day.
Parts arrived today. So back to work I go. Adding in the extra control valve was not as hard as I thought it would be. The new valve arrived with a layer of misc dirt on one side and a layer of plastic on the other. Of the two, the plastic was by far the harder to remove. Took me longer to clean up the new valve and swap out the shorter tie rods for longer ones than it did to add the new valve. Reinstalling the all of the hydraulic lines was a bit of a pain but not overly difficult.
Okay, who can see the error I made in my setup?
Well, I'll give you a hint.....
I cannot route hydraulic hoses through an internal tunnel at a better than 90 degree bend. My bad!!
Sooo.... What next? Well, I have to get the boom straightened out. To do that, I have to start the tractor, to do that, I have to cap and or seal the ends of the hydraulic lines. Caps at the end of the lines before the new cylinder, provided with install parts, so no problem. I'll just hook up the new lines temporarly to prevent fluid loss and I'll be able to lower the boom. I have some things I have to do in the AM so I'll be starting late tomorrow if at all.
Other pictures don't want to download from my phone for now so I'll have to add later.
Later all.
Okay, who can see the error I made in my setup?
Well, I'll give you a hint.....
I cannot route hydraulic hoses through an internal tunnel at a better than 90 degree bend. My bad!!
Sooo.... What next? Well, I have to get the boom straightened out. To do that, I have to start the tractor, to do that, I have to cap and or seal the ends of the hydraulic lines. Caps at the end of the lines before the new cylinder, provided with install parts, so no problem. I'll just hook up the new lines temporarly to prevent fluid loss and I'll be able to lower the boom. I have some things I have to do in the AM so I'll be starting late tomorrow if at all.
Other pictures don't want to download from my phone for now so I'll have to add later.
Later all.
Well I finished up the install tonight.
With the thumb fully open, it was hitting on a cylinder hydraulic fitting. I tightened the fitting slightly to eliminate the contact point. Now the cylinder just bottons out.
Straightening out the boom made hydraulic hose much easier.
A couple of things I would have done differently, when I went to straingten the boom, the hoses for the thumb cylinder filed with fluid but did not flush through the air so when I needed to remove these hoses, considerable fluid came ot and ended up everywhere. I should ahve laided down the booom before I started.
Another thing was the foot control and its associate linkage. I did not adjust it when I hooked it up because it was on the work bench with no reference on where it needed to be adjusted. I should have adjusted the foot pedal as soon as I mounted the valve block back on the tractor. I waited until I had all of the hoses reconected. This made it almost impossible to even reach the linkage, let alone adjust it. I ended up removing a couple of hoses and bleeding even more hydraulic fluid on the floor. Live and learn.
Bottom line is it is all installed now. It I can, I'll test it out tomorrow.
I'm sure I left out out plenty. If anyone has any questions, just ask.
With the thumb fully open, it was hitting on a cylinder hydraulic fitting. I tightened the fitting slightly to eliminate the contact point. Now the cylinder just bottons out.
Straightening out the boom made hydraulic hose much easier.
A couple of things I would have done differently, when I went to straingten the boom, the hoses for the thumb cylinder filed with fluid but did not flush through the air so when I needed to remove these hoses, considerable fluid came ot and ended up everywhere. I should ahve laided down the booom before I started.
Another thing was the foot control and its associate linkage. I did not adjust it when I hooked it up because it was on the work bench with no reference on where it needed to be adjusted. I should have adjusted the foot pedal as soon as I mounted the valve block back on the tractor. I waited until I had all of the hoses reconected. This made it almost impossible to even reach the linkage, let alone adjust it. I ended up removing a couple of hoses and bleeding even more hydraulic fluid on the floor. Live and learn.
Bottom line is it is all installed now. It I can, I'll test it out tomorrow.
I'm sure I left out out plenty. If anyone has any questions, just ask.
Baby Grand
Elite Member
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2007
- Messages
- 4,649
- Location
- Windsor, CT.
- Tractor
- Kubotas: L3240GST B2320HST B5100D & G5200H
Great write-up, Thirsty - I have my fingers crossed that your sea-trials go well.
Can you please post a pic of the foot pedal, from the opposite side of the last picture & maybe one more, looking down on it?
I have clown feet and I'd like to understand just how much tighter the stage gets with that addition.
Thanks for taking the time to clearly document your work, the trouble points and all the good photos.
This makes me feel a whole lot less anxiety about doing a similar mod.
-Jim
Will do. Overall, If I had extended the boom at the start and adjusted the foot pedal when initially installed, this would have been a painless modification. The way I did it cost me some hydraulic fluid. While not free, the cost was minimal compared to the cost of dealer install. Pictures requested will follow tomorrrow. As far as initial testing is concerned, I love it! No hydraulic leaks was a plus. I've picked up trees to make them easier to cut into fire wood and cleaned up a drywall dump site I established during house construction.
To do this mod you will need both metric and standard socket/wrench sizes. Sometimes two wrenchs of the same size. I cleaned up my wrenches/sockets but haven't put them all away yet. If you want to know some/most of the sizes, I can include in my next post.
scdeerslayer
Gold Member
Here are the pictures of my setup as requested:
I forgot to take pictures of my switch setup though. I have a push button on the joystick that when pushed opens the valve on the thumb cylinder.