jim_wilson ,
Just what kind of implement are you thinking for the front.
A simple diverter/selector valve will provide some hyd, using the curl hydraulics.
You could run a separate joystick for front implements, using the PB from the loader valve and connect all valves in series.
Well - ultimately the answer is: whatever I can think of. But the two things initially I have plans for are a grapple and possibly a cement mixer.
What you described is pretty much along the same lines as what I was thinking.
To plumb the hydraulics in for both what I'm thinking for the rear - and the front here's what I'm thinking, bear in mind that the reason why I want to do it this way - is that I want the additional front hydraulics to be "active" at the same time the normal loader hydraulics are active :
- currently there is a feed to the backhoe from the PB port on the loader valve - and the return from the backhoe goes directly to the 3pt valve block. When there is no backhoe - these ports are jumpered together to feed the 3pt.
- to feed the front hydraulics - I would put a diverter/selector valve of some sort into that line coming from the PB port on the loader block. I think all I really need is a simple valve with one IN (from PB on the loader valve) and two selectable pressure ports one to the backhoe feed , the other to the additional front hydraulics . I actually have a diverter valve at home I got from Surplus Center - but it's setup like a typical diverter valve meant for use to divert existing loader hydraulics : It has multiple ports for all the cylinder feeds. I suppose I could just use the existing valve and plug off the unused ports - but before I do that I'll look and see if there is anything available that more precisely fits what I'm trying to do.
- realize that I'm likely going to have to get some custom hard lines made or custom hoses made to put this all together. I'm looking into that now.
So then I would run the pressure feed from the diverter/PB on the loader block forward to the left side of the tractor . There is space underneath the operator station for me to mount some valves. What I would like to do - is have a foot pedal to operate a grapple , then a cable operated joystick that operates two more valves for other functions - and lastly a motor spool operated either by a electric solenoid - or just a handle of some form.
All of these would be fed up to the front of loader the same way the existing hydraulics are fed to the cylinders on the FEL - thru hard lines under the loader arm. This time on the left side (all of the existing hydraulics are on the right side) . I think I can get a pretty clean install by doing this. I already have a cable operated joystick with a switch in it - I'd use the switch to operate the diverter valve and activate the secondary FEL hydraulics when I needed them. The motor spool would be used to spin the cement mixer I was talking about - what I want to do is get one of the Cosmo 3pt mixers - and find an appropriate hydraulic motor to power it - and make it so the the hydraulic motor attaches to the PTO shaft on the mixer for use on the FEL - or - the mixer can still be used on the rear 3pt. Somewhere here on TBN there's a thread from a guy who converted his Cosmo mixer to run on a hydraulic motor - but he made it dedicated. I don't want to do that. I think the simplest way is to just get the right adapter and make the hydraulic motor removable from the mixer - and just have it feed the existing PTO connection.
Front hydraulics:
foot pedal operated valve = operating grapple
motor spool = operating cement mixer when installed
joystick on two spools = operating other functions - maybe side shift , maybe a tilt adapter like the stuff you can get for skid steers - not sure yet. I consider this to be "future proofing" I'd rather add it now in case I want it later - than have to rip the whole install apart and add it later when I needed it.
I'm trying to come up with a comprehensive plan so I can execute and get the work done. I'm just trying to make the pieces all fit together and make sure I'm not missing anything.
My outstanding question of the moment is - can I aggregate OUT ports into like a single block - that then feeds back to the tank? Should I worry about back pressure or any such thing? There's an OUT port that jumps from the loader valve block over to what I assume is the tank ( pumpkin under the seat - the fill port for the hydro is on this assembly) - what I'm thinking is that I get some sort of "block" feed this to the port that the existing OUT hose coming from the loader valve goes to - and then put the OUT from the loader valve - and the OUT from the additional front hydraulics I'm thinking of - into this block. Other than doing something like this - I'm not sure how I'd return OUT from the additional front hydraulics - back to the tank ( I don't think I need PB on the front hydraulics - there would just be an OUT)
