Kioti CK 35 3rd Function - The Sinatra Method

[N2DFire]

Well I finally got around to working on the "loose ends"

Loose End #1 - The Diff Lock was still de-horned because of the Power in (P line) from the loader valve. Not sure how we mis-measured but I came up short and the only way the line would fit the diff lock linkage was in the way.

As mentioned previously I went to my new favorite hydraulic shop and talked to the experts. He finally won me over to the idea of re-doing the whole line by explaining the cost of making an extension to this line would cost almost as much as making the new line since the fittings are the most expensive part of the assembly.

Since this line had a 90 deg swivel on the loader valve end - when re-designing this new hose we went with a 18mm to 1/2" JIC 90 Deg fitting that would replace the Metric to NPT adapter AND the big honking NPT swivel. (dfkrug - if you're out there from mine & Dad's earlier thread in the kioti forums - If I had known about this local shop I would have gone JIC everywhere)

Behold the new, slimmer, easier to work with, better looking, improved connection at the loader valve.

The other end isn't much to write home about so I didn't get a picture. it's a 3/8" NPT to 1/2" JIC 45 Deg elbow into the P port of the block. The only "cool" trick I did was bought the hose 3' long and only had them crimp ONE end. I took it home & fit everything and THEN marked where to cut / crimp the other end.

(Have I mentioned this is my new favorite hydraulic store? And it's less than 5 minutes from where I work!! Bonus!)

Loose End #2
In this case loose end is more of a literal term.
I wasn't very thrilled with just having the disconnects at the loader tower just hanging in space or zip tied to the existing hoses so I set forth on a Mini Project. Make a new bracket. Now our sheet metal working tools consist of a vice, a big hammer, a grinder, and a welder so I figured I should let a pro handle this one.

I talked to 2 different shops and both wanted > $100 to fabricate a whole new bracket. Obviously if I wanted like a thousand of them, the per unit price would go down but I wasn't really ready to corner the market on these just yet.

The second shop (which is now my new favorite fabricators shop) the guy & I discussed cheaper options. Conversation went kind of like this:

Guy: Why don't you just weld a piece on the side and punch 2 more holes in it?
Me: [Thinking - if I could do that I wouldn't be here.] How much would that run me?
Guy: I'd probably have to get at least $35
Me: Can you have it ready by Friday?

Friends let me just tell you, for $35 the finished product was NOT what I expected. I expected the old bracket with a big ole weld down it and a square piece of discolored grey metal sticking off the side with a couple holes in it.

This is what I got instead.

:cool2:
Welded, ground, holes punched, corners radiused, and the entire thing primed for paint (I had said something about painting it when we talked before so he primed it for me too. Did I mention this is my new favorite fabrication shop? )

A little quick love with a rattle can and Voila

Re-mount all the fittings and re-connect all the hoses...

And re-connect all the couplings and presto!

As a refresher, this is what it looked like before.

Loose End #3 was going to be to shorten & re-crimp the hoses going up the loader arm but they really don't look that bad so I don't think I'm going to go through the trouble of taking them off and unhooking everything.

So as of now (until some of my shade tree engineering fails) I'm going to call this one finished.

 

[k0ua]

Shoot Far, I would have made the bracket myself, but it would not have looked near as good as what you got back for $35... Money well spent. Overall looks like about a 10 out of 10..:thumbsup:

 

[Everhard]

I'm in the process of building my own grapple - I need to go pick up a couple quick connects to match the Kioti ones - Could you confirm which ones they are?

Thanks! Btw, looks great! Now I'm rethinking some of my plans... Thanks...

E.

 

[N2DFire]

I'm in the process of building my own grapple - I need to go pick up a couple quick connects to match the Kioti ones - Could you confirm which ones they are?

(2) 600-06-06S | Set of 3/8" Hydraulic Quick Disconnects (Steel) - $37.20
- These match the Kioti factory disconnects at the loader tower. Used these for interoperability. Could substitute something cheaper.

These are the ones I finally managed to track down from Discount Hydraulics based on the markings of the factory ones. There may be better / cheaper alternatives out there but I know these work.

One thing I did notice about them Friday when I started putting it all back together; the threaded area on the Male end of the coupling is shallower on these than the factory one so I had to add an additional spacer to take up the excess length of the JIC to NPT fitting. Factory set-up has one spacer on each side of the plate, mine has two on the bottom and one on top.

Btw, looks great! Now I'm rethinking some of my plans... Thanks...

Thank You. My main goal was to make it look as factory as possible (I even toyed with the idea of trying to run the lines thru the loader arm with the factory ones but it's really tight)

As I have said before - If I had it to do over I would go JIC on all the hoses and fittings and use JIC to Metric & JIC to NPT adapters where needed. Bad research on my part. By the time I figured it out, it was too late.

 

[dfkrug]

As I have said before - If I had it to do over I would go JIC on all the hoses and fittings and use JIC to
Metric & JIC to NPT adapters where needed. Bad research on my part. By the time I figured it out, it was too late.

Well, Steve, you DID inspire me to buy two of the M18 JIC adapters from DHH with my last order. I don't
know when I will get to this mod, but I have always wanted to do it (hardline banjo fitting to JIC hose).

 

[Everhard]

Sorry one more question for you - you went with 1/2 inch hose, is there a reason for going that size vs 3/8 or 1/4? (I've got a smaller tractor but I think both our loaders models use 1/4 hose lines?) I'm planning on getting mine all made up and was going to go with the same size as what is stock on the tractor.

Thanks, E.

 

[N2DFire]

Sorry one more question for you - you went with 1/2 inch hose, is there a reason for going that size vs 3/8 or 1/4? (I've got a smaller tractor but I think both our loaders models use 1/4 hose lines?) I'm planning on getting mine all made up and was going to go with the same size as what is stock on the tractor.

Thanks, E.

No need to apologize for having questions. If I had asked more I might have had less "trial and error" in my project. LOL


I only used 1/2" on the main lines that replaced the factory hard line (from loader valve to solenoid and from solenoid to 3pt). I used 1/2" there because the hard line was about that diameter and because it sees full / constant system flow to the rear. The sub-plate and solenoid do make for a small restriction because they are smaller than the 1/2" but it's relatively minor.

I used 3/8" on the A & B lines to the loader and even used 3/8" couplers on the front bulk head instead of 1/2"

I'll have to go back and look again (starting to get "sometimers" - some times I can't remember nothing) but I think what Kioti did was used 3/8" down the loader arm and then it reduces to 1/4" when it hits the T's to go to the left & right sides at the front cross tube.

I just did the 3/8" because (I thought) that's what was at the loader tower, the ports on the sub-plate were 3/8", and the grapple I bought had 3/8" hose.

For the relatively small volume of flow involved I think you could use 1/4" for the 3rd function lines and be just fine. For the lines in & out of the solenoid - I would try to stay as close to whatever the factory line is on your model. I would still guess it to be the same 1/2" style hard line but honestly don't know.

 

[N2DFire]

Well, Steve, you DID inspire me to buy two of the M18 JIC adapters from DHH with my last order. I don't
know when I will get to this mod, but I have always wanted to do it (hardline banjo fitting to JIC hose).

Sorry I missed this when I was in here last.
I'm glad you waited long enough that you didn't have to learn the hard way like I did.

Since I already had the Line from the T port of the sub-plate going to the 3pt side in & working; I didn't bother to swap out the M18 to 1/2" NPT on that end but I can tell you that using the M18 to JIC is going to be a LOT easier to install. That huge 1/2" NPT end is a bear and space is tight.

I was lucky enough to have a socket that fit it; If I had to use a wrench I would probably still be there trying to tighten it.

 

[Speedex]

Looks great. I think I had an extra screw when I assembled my grip but I forgot about it when I wrote my parts list on here. So far the relays I used have worked great as far as not burning the switches out again and I have a lot of time on my grapple. It's almost worth building the 3rd function just to learn a little hydraulic knowledge along the way.

 

[dfkrug]

So far the relays I used have worked great as far as not burning the switches out
again and I have a lot of time on my grapple.

Some relays have a built-in diode to protect the switch turning the coil on and off. If it does not, then install
a diode across your switch contacts to protect it from the big spark when you turn the coil off.