PT1445 20 hrs, Lost steering!

[MossRoad]

What if we were to mount something like the Subaru tire transmitter, and pressurizes the tank, and when when full, max air pressure, no signal, but when tank is one half full of fluid, less air, a signal is transmitted to the dash, and maybe shut off the engine.

I'm thinking keep it simple. Pressurizing the tank and then keeping it adjusted would be tough. What if you attach an implement like a back hoe, then extend all the rams out? You'd probably lose enough volume in the tank to set it off.

I'll bet a float switch would work well. For a slope mower, you could put two switches in, at opposite corners of the tank and wire them so both would have to be low at the same time to trigger it. Since the oil can get very hot, we need something rated for that heat as well. That's why I'm tending to lead towards something that is already made to be immersed in hot oil.

 

[MossRoad]

I am sure that it is just an on/off switch. Unfortunately, the length of the float slide isn't really long enough for our hydraulic tanks. You would have to fabricate some sort of well extending down into the tank to mount those. Maybe use 1" diameter tubing with the npt threads on the end so the sensor is mounted in the bottom half of he tank.

That sounds like more work then it is worth, since I am sure somebody makes a similar device for hydraulic tanks with a longer slide. Of course, since they don't get mounted on millions of cars, they aren't $25 either (and you don't find them on ebay).

GM has never been knows to make things that make sense. Watch it have some flux capacitor sense the field type doohickey that requires and input to a computer to get any data out of it!

Someone go to a junkyard and get one to try it out.

 

[J_J]

I just know there is a Bluetooth device out there that would work. Alright, everyone do a search for Bluetooth and pressure. I am thinking about a pressure transducer on or close to the bottom, once calibrated to read from empty to full, we should be good to go. The only thing though , is you have to wear your phone .


http://www.iqmobil.com/index.php?m=RDKSPR0010&language=en

http://www.emant.com/698007.page

 

[woodlandfarms]

I worry about ripping the wire off that leads to the warning device...

 

[hogi]

How about this one: Liquid Level Sensors from Chicago Sensor, Inc.
Now since it is float up = closed circuit and open when down, couldn't I just install it in line with fuel shut off solenoid? Maybe put green light on dash so that if engine shuts down you would know if it was triggered by it or not?

 

[J_J]

Yep, that could work also, but you would have to protect the wire some how. This is a description of how the float switch works.

In a float switch, the magnetic reed switch is hermetically sealed in a stem, most often made from plastic or stainless steel. The float encases a sealed magnet, which moves up and down the length of the stem as a fluid level rises and falls.

 

[toy]

pt1445farmer how's it going with the repairs? I'm wishing you the best on your repairs.

 

[PT1445Farmer]

Fellow PTer's,
I am humbled and amazed by the helpfulness, ingenuity, and knowledge of all of the contributors here helping get my tractor working again.
What started as a simple question as to what happened when my steering wheel went without resistance, has now morphed into a solid engineering effort that will improve the PT and make catastrophic pump failures like mine much less likely.

Taking the advice from many of you to run some tests before parting with $4k for a new or $1500 for a rebuilt hydro pump. That is definitely not an expense I planned on, nor want. I am out of town on business, but will be back running the tests as many of you have suggested - WF, J_J, toy, and others - very soon.
Once my PT is up and running, either with or without a new pump as required, I am immediately going to make the mod's suggested by WF, and then add a hydro oil tank monitoring system and a pressure monitoring system tied in with a relay for emergency shut down.

Having been in the food processing machinery manufacturing business, tank level monitoring is common and something I have experience with. Will have to specify the requirements after looking at the system more carefully, but I will be the group guinea pig on this project because I refuse to see a cut hose result in a $4k repair ever again if i can help it.

Til next week.

 

[hogi]

Yep, that could work also, but you would have to protect the wire some how. This is a description of how the float switch works.

In a float switch, the magnetic reed switch is hermetically sealed in a stem, most often made from plastic or stainless steel. The float encases a sealed magnet, which moves up and down the length of the stem as a fluid level rises and falls.

The threads on this float are metric but what if you brazed an elbow and went through to the engine compartment?

 

[toy]

pt1445farmer personally I don't think I would want something on my machine that would automatically shut it down because of low oil but some kind of warning device would be great. The reason I wouldn't want it to automatically shut down is there might be a situation where it where it might be more important to get the machine out of even with damages to the pump than it would be for it to shut down. Just a dream that I will never do but I would like to have a bank of oil pressure gauges for each function of the machine and get familiarized with them that way when something went wrong you could spot it quickly, you could also keep a log of the pressures at their max and as the parts deterriated it would give you a better feel for your machine.