TU155 Hydraulic Upgrade

Chris_in_Oz · Jun 9, 2009

Hi Guys!

What a great thing it is to have a little blue tractor that I can steer without needing the upper-body-strength of Arnie...

Now it's time for an upgrade!!

This tractor had the auto-till removed before I got it and a rether unattractive Clipsal box was installed with a couple of centre-off toggles, one for up/down, one for left/right - See the first pic. I bought a pair of "Centre-open spool valves" (or, at least, that is what I was told they were...). They look like the second pic. There is a little porting? diagram rivetted to the top. Couldn't get a good pic of this little shiny label, but it looks like the third pic. Just for good measure, I've included a side view - last pic.

OK - I would like to be able to have some control in the u/d, l/r (Particularly the DOWN when I have something heavy on the back.

How would I plumb these in? Would it be possible to keep the solenoid valves and use these for another couple of attachments?

Anything you guys have that might help would be great!

cowboy357 · Jun 10, 2009

No Help From Me Chris , Thats Quite a Bit Different From My Controls , Are They For the 3 Point Tilt ?

No Clue About the Hydraulic Controls & Not Real Clear What You are after. Something to Apply Down Preasure on the 3 Point Attachments , Like Another Hydraulic Cylinder ? Sorry For The Questions instead of Answers .

. Bob

Chris_in_Oz · Jun 10, 2009

Cheers for that, Bob.

Originally, when this little thing was living in Rice paddys in China, it had an "Auto till" - this was an electronic device that keeps the tilling tool straight and level, whatever the tractor does. This is an essential bit of kit as rice germinates optimally at a particular depth. This means that the up/down, tilt left/ tilt right are not controlled via spool valves, the electronics fire solenoid valves to do the up/down, left/right.

When the auto till fails, they sell the tractors abroad and that is how I got mine. By fitting a couple of switches, the 3-point is back in service.

I do not want "power-down" - gravity will do fine. When I have the hog hitched up and hit "down", it crashes to the ground at a million miles per hour (ok - not that quick, but it seems like it).

If I can disconnect the electrics from the solenoids, then they can just live there, as long as I can plumb the spool valves in to replace them and be able to feather the controls.

So:

1) What does the third picture (my sketch) show? Does this suggest these are centre-open spool valves? If so, I'm on to something, so I continue to point 2.

2) If the solenoids are disconnected, how do I plumb in the spool valves to take over their function?

What do you think - Is this possible?

Cheers!

cowboy357 · Jun 10, 2009

Ok I got You Chris . My Tractors do have that also & it does work . My Controls are on the right fender top & I,m allways bumping them Kind of a pain really . Mine Also have 2 or 3 turn knobs as well as the toggles & I Never can get Them set right .

My Other one Also has a Metal Box under the seat with More toggle Switches , No Clue what They do.

As far as the controls You have I have no clue how or if they would work to replace the controls or not. But My 3 Point goes down Fairlly Slowlly so I,m Guessing I Must have the Knobs adjusted Fairlly well .

I wished I knew more to help You, Hopefully Someone else will jump in to help with Info. Best of luck, Bob

garae4u2 · Jan 11, 2010

Chris_in_Oz said:
Hi Guys!

What a great thing it is to have a little blue tractor that I can steer without needing the upper-body-strength of Arnie...

Now it's time for an upgrade!!

This tractor had the auto-till removed before I got it and a rether unattractive Clipsal box was installed with a couple of centre-off toggles, one for up/down, one for left/right - See the first pic. I bought a pair of "Centre-open spool valves" (or, at least, that is what I was told they were...). They look like the second pic. There is a little porting? diagram rivetted to the top. Couldn't get a good pic of this little shiny label, but it looks like the third pic. Just for good measure, I've included a side view - last pic.

OK - I would like to be able to have some control in the u/d, l/r (Particularly the DOWN when I have something heavy on the back.

How would I plumb these in? Would it be possible to keep the solenoid valves and use these for another couple of attachments?

Anything you guys have that might help would be great!

I am curious if you ever got this problem fixed or not? I just bought a

TU2100R with the same kind of control box mounted on the right hand

fender. My 3 point will not work and I am going through the wiring trying to

get it back up and running. I don't really understand how it works to start

with unless it is electric over hydraulic. If you can help with my problem, it

would be appreciated.

Chris_in_Oz · Jan 11, 2010

Hi garae4u2,
Nope - It is still on my list of things to do (and the list is getting longer). Having just bought a compound bow, I seem to have that in my hand whenever I leave the house by the back door, not the keys to the tractor...

The little switches fire the electric valves that are fitted in place if the spool valves. They only do "fully open - fully closed", which is why I wanted to replace them with real spools, so I have more control.

If you trace the wiring (under the seat on mine) you can see where it attached to a pair of "blobs" with wires poking out. These are the solenoid valves. My switches were stuffed, so I replaced them (about $8 each) - they had rotted out inside. To test them, I shorted the centre pin of the switch to the contact each side and the 3-pt would rise, and then to the other side and it would lower. (Don't short to both at once. Might be ok, but might do bad things.) These are the wires to trace. You will need a multimeter to check these.

If there is power at the switch, maybe isolate the wires at the solenoids (Don't cut them if you can avoid it) and try sticking 12v up them (via a fuse, in case you do something wrong) to see if they work.

If so - re-wire the box and hey presto!

If not - Maybe moving to spool valves is the answer, but you might be breaking new ground, as I can't find anyone that has done it before.

Good luck and let me know how you get on.

garae4u2 · Jan 11, 2010

Hi Chris,
Fast reply, and thank you! I am going to have to ponder this for a while and see what I really want to do. I have FE loader plumbed in so I will have to configure them together somehow. Thanks for the information, and happy bowing. GARAE4U2 Fill me in on how you 3 point works out.