Caterpillar Diverter Valve

[bindian]

What is the thumb cylinder ID?

The rod is 1.5 inches and the cylinder OD is 3.5 inches with a stroke of about 24 inches or less.
Hydraulic Excavator Thumb 14"x4" (HT144) - Gentec Equipment
hugs, Brandi

 

[Xfaxman]

Well according to my calculations (SWAG), it should be just perfect. :thumbsup:

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Or not. :thumbdown:

 

[bindian]

Well according to my calculations (SWAG), it should be just perfect. :thumbsup:

.
.
.
.
Or not. :thumbdown:

When I installed the diverter and lines on the tractor, for the grapple, I made the lines one smaller than the Loader's existing lines....3/8th inch. Some folks even said 1/4 inch lines.

The existing lines on the CAT are approx. 1 inch or a little smaller 7/8th?). So 3/4 should have been one size smaller. I think 1/2 inch lines will do nicely, yet I was thinking thinner wall then I got. So I'll toss a quarter up in the air also.
hugs, Brandi
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[bindian]

Saturday and Sat. evening, I finished installing the bucket lines and ops checked. No leaks. Woopee! ...and the bucket moves at it's normal pace.

It took some time to get the hard line formed and clamped up. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/hydraulics/506946d1492933387-caterpillar-diverter-valve-cat-thumb-forward-line-clamp

Only to realize the hoses to the thumb are a tad short. I have male to female swivels ordered for both ends of the two hoses. As it is now, the aft line bend is up into the aft clamp.

I tapped a 10-32 hole in the thumb cylinder bracket for an adel clamp. I need to install a handful of them to clamp hoses together that are too close to each other. Figuring out the geometry where the clamps need to go was going well.....until I realized the hoses were a tad short.

I did away with the mocked up QDs and connected the hose right to the hard line's compression fittings. Just more fittings to return.
All that is left is the handful of clamps and wiring the switch to the valve, then leak check the thumb hoses and lines. That should be fun. Hopefully,....no leaks!

What does this remind you of. My Granddaughter says............"Octopush"
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

I got the thumb plumbing and wiring finished up Saturday evening. It valve was not working at first, but sanding on the fuse contacts fixed that. It moves faster than expected. I thought it would be so slow, I would have to change everything to 3/4 inch lines. All that plumbing and no leaks. I did plumb the thumb lines wrong. I had to swap them Sunday, as it was not intuitive closing the thumb with opposite control inputs than the bucket. Now I need to install a T for the relief valve, as it is now relieving the retract line.

Before I swapped the lines, the thumb would stay completely retracted. Now it bleds down. Not sure if the cylinder leaking internally or bucket control valve leaking internally. All cylinders on the CAT need to be rebuilt, so leaking internally will be ruled out. I'll know more after Teeing the relief valve into the correct hose.

hugs, Brandi

 

[Xfaxman]

:thumbsup: Good progress.

 

[bindian]

:thumbsup: Good progress.

Thanks!
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

I took the relief valve out this morning, and took it to my local hydraulic shop for them to (professionally) set the valve at 1800 psi..........for no charge. I asked him if I could plug one port and use just one hose to the valve. He said yes, so I reinstalled the valve, plugged one port and installed a T fitting to go to the line to the butt end of the cylinder. The thumb now stays retracted when I release the button and the controls are the way I like them. Also.........one less hose to worry about!
hugs, Brandi

 

[PAGUY]

Brandi, You are going to make some lucky guy a great mechanical partner.

 

[bindian]

Brandi, You are going to make some lucky guy a great mechanical partner.

Easter Sunday my daughter and Grand daughter went with me to a new Cowboy Church 12 miles from me. When we were picking up my Grand daughter from the nursery, after the service, a tall shadow in a cowboy hat came up and starting talking to me. He is the parts guy at the house trailer place I frequent for parts. He's sweet on me. When asked what I had been up to, I told him engineering a thumb for my CAT. He then said............."your such a MacGyver". Then he said we need to go out to eat sometime. So................maybe something there.............who knows!
hugs, Brandi