Adding Drain Holes For Condensation In Loader Valve

[jimainiac]

There have been questions from time to time about frozen loader valves, and often the problem is the lack of drain holes to allow condensation to drain out. I learned how to fix it years ago on TBN when it first happened to me in subfreezing weather, but there are always people that are just encountering the problem for the first time.
The answer, for me, was to drill a 1/8" hole in the lowest area of each of the two caps on the lower end of the loader valve. Besides giving the condensation a way to drain out, it provides a good entry point to insert the plastic tube on a can of WD-40 and give it a flush. I've never had the problem recur since I drilled the holes.
I just took some pictures to show where the holes are on my particular valve. I know there are different valves and configurations, but this is one example.
In a couple pictures I inserted the 1/8" drill bit to show the area and the angle that I drilled the holes.
Hope this helps.

 

[jodebg]

Hi Jim-
Thanks for posting the photos. Did you remove the cans before drilling the drain holes-sorry if I asked this before.

Still not sure if I need to disassemble first on my B7800?
Looking at the diagram of my valves, it looks to me as if the cans have a bottom plate that removes-if I am reading this correctly?
Don't see a way that they remove from the bottom?

I was just searching for the thread that I started regarding my issue with the control valve and can't find it. Do you by chance know how to
locate the thread?

 

[Baby Grand]

Thanks for posting those pictures.
I'd been trying to understand exactly what part of the valve assembly was being drilled in another thread.
Now I know!

 

[jimainiac]

Hi Jim-
Thanks for posting the photos. Did you remove the cans before drilling the drain holes-sorry if I asked this before.

Still not sure if I need to disassemble first on my B7800?
Looking at the diagram of my valves, it looks to me as if the cans have a bottom plate that removes-if I am reading this correctly?
Don't see a way that they remove from the bottom?



Jodebg, I'm pretty sure that I just went ahead and drilled the holes without taking the caps off. On my valve, I don't think anything is in there at that spot when the loader control is not being operated. I think it's just an empty space, until you work the valve and a part of it travels down there. I hope I'm not filling you full of bull, but that's how I remember it. And I think your valve is a bit different, but hopefully it works the same way.

As to your original post, I found it by searching the "my home" page. I just went down the list untill I found it. It was titled, "OK to add anti-freeze to hydraulic fluid". When I read your problem, it sounded just like what I had gone through. And I don't think it's a good idea to add antifreeze to hydraulic fluid. Hydraulic fluid doesn't freeze, and if there's water in there it needs to be drained out. Maybe there is some specialized additive for hydraulic fluid, but I'd want an expert opinion, and I'd want to read it on the label of the product.