Backhoe Feet

[3RRL]

I really wrestled with the gusset idea and decided to leave them off. The 3/4" thick risers are sitting an a flat milled surface and I clamped them up tight before welding them. I'm gonna try it like it is. LOL ... If they fold over, I won't tell you guys.

John,
Lengthening the stabilizer legs themselves would have increased the distance between the hydraulic cylinder pivots. I'm planning on using the same cylinders. But you are right about gaining more width that way. Plus I got everything cut and milled already.

tommu,
Pimp my tractor? Well, it is an Italian backhoe ... a Nardi. So I figured red high heel pumps would be just the ticket.

Oh la la!

 

[3RRL]

I got my feet back on the backhoe and this is how they look.



You can see where the cylinder attaches and lengthening the legs themselves would require longer cylinders. The ones I have would bottom out before the feet hit the ground and then they couldn't retract fully anymore.



I haven't tried them out yet, but I am more confident that they won't fold over. That 3/4" bar stock is pretty hefty and the fit over the stabilizer legs helps too.

 

[3RRL]

So I decided to add to my project.
My stabilizer legs bleed down and I am constantly re-setting them. This is annoying...
I bought two DPOCV's (double pilot operated check valves) from Mark at CCM. I have one of their hydraulic top links and their DPOCV's are small compared to the ones I bought from Surplus Center. About 1/4th the size. Problem is they are Metric. But then so are my hydraulic cylinders on the backhoe.

Mark warned me there would be some work in hard plumbing them.
Here's some of the stuff I got for this part of the project:
Cylinders and Banjo fitting hoses which are from the Nardi Backhoe.



CCM's DPOCV



Banjo Bolts and crush washers.

 

[3RRL]

Here's my plan. I want to mount the DPOCV's with hard lines to the cylinders. That means I have to make a fitting that goes into the cylinder ports. Guess what, they are 13mm x 1.5 pitch. Yup, not 12 or 14 but 13mm! The bolts measure .511" in diameter. I looked all over and found a supplier in Florida who sells 13mm x 1.5p taps and dies so I bought one of each.

The fitting I will make will have a 13mm male thread and an "O" ring groove to seal it. Then I will drill and tap it on the side for a 1/4NPT hole. I wil shave off what I need to have it facing the right way when tight... whatever it takes. That will fit the tube I am making too. Reason is because the DPOCV's have a compression fitting, not a flare end! And it is 12mm so no one has tube in stock and the minimum you have to order is a 20' length, so I'm making my own out of tubing stock I have for my plastic injection molds.



OK, now the tube will have a 12mm OD on one end that will fit into the compression fitting of the check valve and the other end will screw into the 1/4 NPT port fitting. The reason for a compression fitting is so you can assemble the whole thing with the tube inside the check valve and screw in the 1/4NPT into the port fitting. Wherever it screws to, it will leave some tube inside the check valve and you tighten the compression fitting at that point. After that, I plan on reusing the hoses, which have the banjo fittings and bolts. But they are the 13mm ones. They also have a 90° metric JIC on the other end to fit the valve spool, so I'm not going to try to chase that down too.

Now for the last fitting. The outlet and inlet on the DPOCV is 3/8NPT of all things! So I got a 3/8NPT bushing to thread into the check valve and will drill and tap the inside of it to 13mm x 1.5. Then I can bolt the old hoses on with the old 13mm banjo bolts and be done with it.
This how I'd like to have the check valve sit on the cylinder.



This adds another dimension to my "no-brainer" project.

 

[3RRL]

Well, I got the 13mm tap and die ... set me back a cool 68 bucks for nothing. I drilled and tapped a practice hole to see if the banjo bolt goes in ... no dice. So they are not 13mm after all. Now I think they are British straight (parallel) thread. Crap.

I'll order some adapters from Discount hydraulics and get several different kinds until one fits.

 

[sandman2234]

I was just wondering why you didn't remake the whole part instead of welding in short pieces? Seems like cutting out the shape and drilling the whole would have been about as easy and almost as pretty, and a little stronger.
David from jax

 

[dtd24]

Rob,
Did you get a deal on that red paint? I enjoy reading and watching your customizations. Gives me lots of ideas.

 

[3RRL]

I was just wondering why you didn't remake the whole part instead of welding in short pieces? Seems like cutting out the shape and drilling the whole would have been about as easy and almost as pretty, and a little stronger.
David from jax

David,
I used a 3/4" x 3" bar I had in the garage. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

 

[3RRL]

Rob,
Did you get a deal on that red paint? I enjoy reading and watching your customizations. Gives me lots of ideas.

Thanks,
I guess some mods I have done are pretty cool and others ... well ...
Yeah, red paint is cheap at Home Depot. And it matches my tractor. Now I've got to paint the backhoe and fel red too.

 

[3RRL]

Here's an update. I started trying to make the hydraulic tube that goes from the cylinder ports to the DPOCV. This required making an NPT thread on on side and a Ø.480 on the other to fit inside the metric compression ring. I used 303SS hex stock, turned one side and used a 1/4NPT die to put the threads on. Then flipped it around to turn and drill through.







This is how they turned out.
I left the hex for a wrench so I wouldn't need to use a pipe wrench and scuff up the tube.