Plow Hydraulics, starting from scratch!

[avc8130]

A neighbor has a 2.5 ton Army truck (the venerable "Deuce and a half"). He came home with a 10' plow for it last night. This translates into a hydraulic assignment for me since I successfully put a 3rd function on my Kubota.

What we have:
Truck:
24V system, but there is an auxilary 12V system on board already.
Plow:
10' commercial.
Lift cylinder is there.
No angle cylinders yet.

Needed:
Electric motor
Hydraulic pump
Angle cylinders
Controls
Hoses

Any suggestions or experiences out there?

ac

 

[J_J]

You could run your hyd using something like this.

Surplus Center - 12 VDC 1.3 GPM 2500 PSI SPX SA LEVER POWER PACK

or

5 HP engine driving a hyd pump and a single or two lever valve.

Does the truck have any external hyd?

Perhaps use the power steering hyd to operate a cyl using a branch circuit, or priority circuit.

 

[avc8130]

JJ,

Unfortunately this truck doesn't have the external hydraulics for the optional winch or anything.

I like where you are going, but I am not sure how practical that would be. That would mean routing all of the power AND hydraulics into the vehicle to get the control handle in the right spot.

Think there is a way to copy modern pickup truck plow systems? Where there is an electric controller inside and solenoid valves?

ac

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

An old 2 1/2 ton ought to to have an option for a pto to run off the trans. Would probably NOT be able to be "live" while moving in gear (which is preferable for snowplowing), but it could spin a hydraulic pump or turn a winch.

Whatever your hydraulic power source, you can run the fluid through electricly controlled valves which can be triggered by switches just about anyway you can imagine.
You could get a four way joy-stick that could do up/down and left/right angle. Or simply use two momentary toggle switches.
If the pump is also electric, you can wire in a relay and some diodes to turn it on anytime you hit a function switch.

I have converted old towtrucks like this when all the original pump / valves and whatnot died and where no longer available.

 

[J_J]

If you don't need feather on any of the cyl, solenoid valves can put the fluid anywhere.

Here is a 24 v motor+pump unit with two pumps. Wire the pump for up and add QD's and just plug in the plow.

Surplus Center - 24 VDC 5.4 HP HYD DOUBLE PUMP UNIT

 

[avc8130]

I think we are going to base around this:

Surplus Center - 12 VOLT DC MONARCH SNOW PLOW POWER PACK

It just seems much easier to start with.

These will be our angle cylinders:

Surplus Center - 1.5x12x1.5 SA HYD SNOW PLOW CYLINDER

Next step is to figure out how to connect all of this and to figure out how to control it.

I know you always suggest surplus center, have you ever been in touch with their customer service or technical support?

ac

 

[J_J]

Yes, I have talked to their sales and tech dept.

Just give them a call and talk to them about how they operate.

They are sometimes slow on shipping, so get a firm shipping date, and stay in touch with them.

You can also use Northern tools, or TSC.

 

[sizzami]

if you do a little more digging you will find monarch has a pump with a prewired control i just used one on a plow i built for a ploaris ranger i got it from buyers but i cant remember the model number.

 

[avc8130]

I'm pretty sure you mean this:

Monarch Power Pack W/Control Box (M683)

That is a bit of a premium to pay for a control box included. I do appreciate the suggestion though!

ac