hydralic toplink

[ovrszd]

Why are these top links so hard to get????????????

They aren't domestic and we have to wait for a new shipment from China or wherever they are built when the supplier is sold out.

 

[HayDR]

They aren't domestic and we have to wait for a new shipment from China or wherever they are built when the supplier is sold out.

They are not Chinese cylinders like TISCO, A&I & Gannon. Our hydraulic cylinders have DPCV and are OEM quality. Just ask our customers on TBN what they think of our quality. The USA MFG's wanted to sell us inferior cylinders at prices more than the prices we are selling the hydraulic cylinders to the public. The USA mfg's are not hungry and do not care about this market.

 

[Glowplug]

I have got $200 burning a hole in my pocket. Measured my toplink this evening. It is 21" - 32" Cat II. This is something that has been on my "want list" for a long time. I am thinking of calling CCM tomorrow morning first thing and getting one. From what I hear, it probably has the lowest cost:benefit ratio for anything you can add to your tractor. Kinda like a toothbar. I just hope they have them in stock while I'm in the buying mood!

 

[ovrszd]

They are not Chinese cylinders like TISCO, A&I & Gannon. Our hydraulic cylinders have DPCV and are OEM quality. Just ask our customers on TBN what they think of our quality. The USA MFG's wanted to sell us inferior cylinders at prices more than the prices we are selling the hydraulic cylinders to the public. The USA mfg's are not hungry and do not care about this market.

Didn't say they were inferior or superior, just clarified why we have to wait. Got that information from previous posts of yours.

Where are your cylinders built??

Heard last week that the richest man in the world is no longer an American, he's Mexican.

 

[Dallas_Lilly]

I don't know what bushing you used but Surplus Center has a perfect bushing for those cylinder. I installed two of them in my cylinder that I got from Surplus Center. They are driven in and stay in place. If anyone else does get a cylinder from SC, get the bushings from them also.
Surplus Center Item Detail
I would have much preferred to have a cylinder from CCM, but they didn't ever seem to have them in stock and I need a third arm now.

Jerry and others, how are you liking your surplus center cylinder. I have mixed feelings about mine. The drift does not bother me to much, I am moving my box blade top link position enough that the drift is not noticeable. The rotary cutter does not use the top link to hold it in position when mowing so it does not mater. What does bother me is when using box blade when not using draft control when you are really digging dirt or hit something hard the top link will collapse and come back, but not always where you had it to begin with. It will extend when pushing backwards.
I have not had time but when I get back from my elk hunt I am going to disconnect the quick connects from the control valve and see if the leakage is coming from the cylinder internally or if it is coming from the control valve. If it is coming from the control valve I was thinking of plumbing in one of these valves Surplus Center Item Detail
or one of these valves Surplus Center Item Detail

Or one of these valves
Surplus Center Item Detail

Does anybody know which valve would work better. I know that they will be inferior to the CCM valves.

I do not think that I would mount either one of those valves to the cylinder but plumb it in in a more convienent place.

 

[3RRL]

Dallas,
The first and third links you posted are the kind to get. They are double pilot operated check valves. It appears the second link only locks one line. For your boxblade work, you'd want the lock up in both directions in case of forward or rearward dirt engaging work. It's a few bucks more, but the installation will be the same and it will give you lock up in both directions. I bulldoze in reverse a lot and needed both ways.

 

[Dallas_Lilly]

Dallas,
The first and third links you posted are the kind to get. They are double pilot operated check valves. It appears the second link only locks one line. For your boxblade work, you'd want the lock up in both directions in case of forward or rearward dirt engaging work. It's a few bucks more, but the installation will be the same and it will give you lock up in both directions. I bulldoze in reverse a lot and needed both ways.

Thanks,
When isolate the problem I will see if I need the check valve. I have a feeling that I do. They are quite bulky but other than a line bursting and lines bulging I do not see any reason why they have to be on the cylinder and can be any where after the control valve.

 

[JerryG]

Jerry and others, how are you liking your surplus center cylinder. I have mixed feelings about mine. The drift does not bother me to much, I am moving my box blade top link position enough that the drift is not noticeable. The rotary cutter does not use the top link to hold it in position when mowing so it does not mater. What does bother me is when using box blade when not using draft control when you are really digging dirt or hit something hard the top link will collapse and come back, but not always where you had it to begin with. It will extend when pushing backwards.

I have very little drift if any. They only thing that I don't like about the Surplus cylinder is that the ball on the cylinder end is to close to the cylinder. I have to put the cylinder in the top hole on the tractor to keep the cylinder from turning into the tractor bracket and cutting into the cylinder. I may at a later date, buy a cylinder from Mark.

 

[Dallas_Lilly]

I have very little drift if any. They only thing that I don't like about the Surplus cylinder is that the ball on the cylinder end is to close to the cylinder. I have to put the cylinder in the top hole on the tractor to keep the cylinder from turning into the tractor bracket and cutting into the cylinder. I may at a later date, buy a cylinder from Mark.

I agree that is another down point.

 

[ovrszd]

What does bother me is when using box blade when not using draft control when you are really digging dirt or hit something hard the top link will collapse and come back, but not always where you had it to begin with. It will extend when pushing backwards.
I have not had time but when I get back from my elk hunt I am going to disconnect the quick connects from the control valve and see if the leakage is coming from the cylinder internally or if it is coming from the control valve.

Where'e the Mad Referee when ya need him!!!! I'll try to address this issue using what I learned from Mad.

What you have described is compression. You cannot compress or expand hydraulic fluid. The only thing that could be present in your system that would compress or expand is air. The only other thing that could cause this would be hoses so soft that they expand and shrink with pressure or a cylinder barrel that similarly changes shape. These last two are highly unlikely.

If your cylinder is leaking past the internal seals, it would not return at all. It would simply close or open until the pressure is reduced below the leak tolerance and then stay static in that position until excessive pressure were again introduced. Even a DPCV will not help if the cylinder is leaking internally. A DPCV prevents the exchange of fluid between one cylinder fitting and the other. Internal cylinder leaks do not create that situation. No fluid moves at the cylinder barrel fittings.

If your valve is leaking, it will act the same way I described above. The difference would be that the DPCV would prevent cylinder drift if it's caused by valve leaks.

So, sounds like you have air in your cylinder?? It won't take very much air. A thimble full of air in the cylinder or pressurized system would allow the cylinder to move considerably. And again, after the pressure was reduced, the cylinder would somewhat return to it's original position.

Usually a cylinder will purge itself without help just from use. But it's possible to create a system that won't allow the cylinder to do that. For example, if enough hydraulic fluid can be introduced to one hose of the cylinder to extend or collapse that cylinder to it's limit without pushing all the air out of the opposite hose into the open center of the valve, then that remaining air is trapped in the cylinder plumbing system. It will simply be pushed back into the barrel of the cylinder when fluid is introduced into the opposite hose. To fix this will require uncoupling one hose from the tractor, unscrew the coupler from the hose end to create an open end, then gently apply hydraulic pressure to the other hose using the valve. This will spit out whatever fluid and air that is on that side of the cylinder seals. After the cylinder has reached the end of it's travel, holding the open hose vertical, pour it full of fluid and reinstall the coupler.

Sorry for the ramble. Hopefully some of it will be helpful.