Ford 6610 loader valve/joystick upgrade

[nfrost]

Hey all,

Longtime lurker/new poster here.

I have a new-to-me Ford 6610 Series 2 with a Great Bend 570 loader. It has, what I believe to be a Gresen 2702 hydraulic valve controlled remotely by a crude and very worn homemade joystick and cables. The joystick has a momentary push button on the knob that energizes a solenoid valve on the hydraulic supply line feeding the inlet port of the control valve. The previous owner told me that the button had to be depressed to lift the loader or curl the bucket up. He said it didn’t have to be depressed to lower the loader or dump the bucket. This joystick is so sloppy and loose that I am unable to verify if this is completely true. Additionally, the cables are not supported on the valve end so it’s literally impossible to control this loader in it’s current condition.


I would like to replace the joystick and cables with off-the-shelf parts and eliminate the pushbutton if possible. The reading I’ve done tells me that this is a Closed Center Load Sense system and I'm not knowledgeable about this at all. I know the Gresen 2702 is also obsolete; however, it appears to be functioning properly.

What is the best way to retrofit a new joystick/cables, eliminate the need for the pushbutton, while keeping the Gresen or am I better off replacing all of it? (I'm shooting for basic and smooth functionality at an economical price point.

Thanks for any schooling you can give me!

Picture 1: Current joystick
Picture 2&3: 2702 valve
Picture 4: Solenoid valve on inlet port of valve
Picture 5: Cable/spool connections

 

[TractorTech]

Welcome to TBN!
WOW! If that isn't a pile of ......! for hooking up a valve. Where does the valve get it's hydraulic supply from? Can you take a picture? The 6610 II did have a semi closed center system if coming out of the deluxe remotes, but the hydraulics can be tapped into on the open center side OR made to work with this valve without the solenoid. Picture of hydraulic supply source for this valve please.

As far as the joystick, the existing cables could be utilized with the following:

Control Valve - Two Spool Joystick fits Hydraulics Directional Control Valves VFH1424 HV6901

Control Valve - Two Spool Joystick. Replaces Hydraulics OEM Number(s) HV6901, VFH1424.

www.tractorpartsasap.com

 

[Harry in Ky]

As I see it, the solenoid valve opens to trigger the sensing line. The loader valve is plumbed closed center and must be tied into the same supply as the factory remote valves. Very interesting package. I don't think I've ever seen one quite like it. I don't see where you can use that valve without keeping the solenoid valve as well, unless you reroute the supply and only use one hydraulic pump. Your cheapest way out would be leave that "as is" and just go with a new joystick cable package and fabricate as needed to make that work. The button would have to stay, A new load sensing valve package to replace it ALL would be another option but would be rather spendy.

 

[nfrost]

@Harry in Ky @TractorTech I appreciate you guys chiming in.

Harry, I was thinking the same thing (new joystick and cables and fabbing up something to anchor the cables better), but really wanted to get away from the button if at all possible. The line coming from the solenoid valve is plumbed into the forward end of the rear remote valve exactly centered in the valve body and just above the two spools.

Tractor Tech, Yes, it's a total hunk of .....! Not sure if you can tell from that pic, but the "pivots" are actually made out of 1/2" threaded black iron pipe couplings! LOL. The supply to the loader valve comes out of the top of the rear remote valves. Pic is below. I'd be very interested to know how to make it "work with this valve without the solenoid." as you suggest above. Thanks for the link to the joystick!

 

[Harry in Ky]

"Make it work without the solenoid". Good luck with that. I can imagine a few different ways of using switch combinations mounted on the cable mounts or using the lever that don't involve a button you need to constantly push. Something that will close the circuit for you when you move the lever in any direction. That sort of thing, but to eliminate the solenoid entirely probably can't be done and still use the current valve. Again, it would require changing the supply to one pump or the other and effectively cutting your loader speed in half.

My suggestion is clean up and improve what you have and live with the solenoid. As always, it's your choice.

 

[TractorTech]

@Harry in Ky @TractorTech I appreciate you guys chiming in.

Harry, I was thinking the same thing (new joystick and cables and fabbing up something to anchor the cables better), but really wanted to get away from the button if at all possible. The line coming from the solenoid valve is plumbed into the forward end of the rear remote valve exactly centered in the valve body and just above the two spools.

Tractor Tech, Yes, it's a total hunk of .....! Not sure if you can tell from that pic, but the "pivots" are actually made out of 1/2" threaded black iron pipe couplings! LOL. The supply to the loader valve comes out of the top of the rear remote valves. Pic is below. I'd be very interested to know how to make it "work with this valve without the solenoid." as you suggest above. Thanks for the link to the joystick!

Do you use the rear remotes?

 

[nfrost]

Yes

 

[TractorTech]

An alternate way to clean up the system and get rid of the solenoid valve would be to do the following.
Buy a block and sandwich under the diverter valve and top cover. You will get the flow from the pump in the rear axle only, which is about 10 gpm, but it would be enough to operate the loader at a respectable speed. This will get rid of the solenoid valve and allow the CCLS system to operate normally.
Note this is the HV4902 plate and does not have the power beyond port so it should work fine with the valve you have.

Valve Plate Kit fits Ford 600 700 800 900 2000 2600 3000 3600 4000 4600 5000 5600 6600 233 234 333 335 340 420 445 450 455 540 545

Valve Plate Kit for Ford Construction & Industrial(s) 233, 234, 333, 335, 340, 420, 445, 450, 455, 540, 545, Tractor(s) 600, 700, 800, 900, 2000, 2600, 3000, 3600, 4000, 4600, 5000, 5600, 6600.

www.tractorpartsasap.com

See also this post for some guidance on the diverter block:

Valve Plate Kit fits Ford 600 700 800 900 2000 2600 3000 3600 4000 4600 5000 5600 6600 233 234 333 335 340 420 445 450 455 540 545

Valve Plate Kit for Ford Construction & Industrial(s) 233, 234, 333, 335, 340, 420, 445, 450, 455, 540, 545, Tractor(s) 600, 700, 800, 900, 2000, 2600, 3000, 3600, 4000, 4600, 5000, 5600, 6600.

www.tractorpartsasap.com

 

[nfrost]

Harry, TractorTech: I very much appreciate your input and sharing your knowledge. Thanks for the info on the block. I'm not sure I want to restrict the loader speed that much. From what I've read, very few people like going that route. I should have been more clear. It's not that I mind the solenoid valve, my goal was to simplify the operation as much as possible as this tractor will be operated by my wife and son at times. I thought that if I could easily get rid of the button, it would be one less thing for them to to have to remember (when it should be pushed and when it should not). I think at this point, I'll go the route Harry suggested to clean things up and live with the solenoid.

I've disconnected and wiggled the aux fuel tank back enough to remove the existing joystick and cables (cables were trashed out under the cab and secured loosely under the cab with wire allowing them to flop, exacerbating the sloppiness in the joystick). I'm going to order the VFH1424 joystick TractorTech mentioned above along with some cables and once installed see how bad the button is to deal with. I'm hoping that with having the button on the top of the lever knob, will allow them to depress it with the palm of their hands any time they grab it and it just becomes habit and an overall moot point.

I'm thinking about ordering the VFH1413 cables (link below) and coming up with a bracket to anchor them to the drilled bosses on the valve itself (picture below). I'm hoping to use the ball sockets off my old cables to make the connection. I haven't been able to find a connecting kit (bracket) for this valve, so I'm assuming I'll need to fab a low profile bracket to keep from having to rig something under the cab like the previous owner did. I haven't been able to find many specs for these cables so I'm not sure if the "travel" will work. Looking at the ends, it's questionable. I measured the travel of the spools and it looks like I will need 0.700 for the spool to move from full retract to full extend.

Do you know if these cables move that far?

Will it hurt anything to energize the LS solenoid valve during all 4 functions of the loader?

Is there a cable mounting bracket for this valve that you know of?

Is there a better way?

thanks!

VFH1413 Assembly, Cable, 78” (For Kontak/Vapormatic Series Valves) | AllPartsStore

VFH1413 Assembly, Cable, 78” (For Kontak/Vapormatic Series Valves)

allpartsstore.com

 

[TractorTech]

I've used these cables on a couple of valves. The cables have quite a bit of throw. You might look at this to update your valve connection, and yes I have used this company too:

Best Truck

We are professional installers of Boss, Meyer, and Western Snow Plows and Salt - Sand Spreaders. We sell and install all Buyers Products including S.A.M. Aftermarket Replacement Snow Plow Parts for Meyer, Western, Fisher, Blizzard, Diamond, Sno-Way and Curtis Snow Plows and Buyers SaltDogg...

www.besttruckeq.com

It will not hurt anything to use the solenoid valve for all functions. I had thought about you replacing it with a toggle to leave on when you were using the loader, but then you would probably heat the oil having that much flow going through the valve.