WR Long Install Need Brush Guard

Username Taken · Jun 28, 2022

My Grapple from EA arrived last week and I'm in the process of the 3rd function installation. Mostly by myself. Got the main valve on so far and came close to using bad language when putting on the grapple valve on the loader's torque tube. The bracket from WR Long doesn't fit the two pre-installed (I'm gonna call them heli-coils but that can't be right) on the cover for the lines across the torque tube. Not even close. Drilled it out some and it still won't fit. PITD. Hammered one bolt (one only) down with my impact and walked away. Might get somebody to spot-weld it on for me but it's pretty solid for now. I think.

Then came the brush guard. Went to trial-fit the hoses onto the grapple valve and you can't get them by the grill guard. Had to remove that.

The point of this is not to knock anybody because I know it must be tough to keep up with all the variations in all the tractors but if this is 'custom' I really don't want to see something that isn't.

Question: I'm looking to replace the OEM 'brush guard'. Opinions? Cost matters, Thanks

oosik · Jun 28, 2022

A picture would sure help your situation. This is the way I had a local welding shop mod my OEM brush guard/grill guard.

tacticalturnip · Jun 28, 2022

Odd that the 3rd function would interfere with the grille guard; could you post up some pictures?

oosik · Jun 28, 2022

My thoughts - something may not be going quite right. Here are two more pics of how the dealer installed the WR Long 3rd function valve, the hose routing and the grapple itself. The valve is mounted on the FEL vertical member, down low. The rubber hydraulic hosing is routed out the FEL arm - on the inside of the arm( bottom pic ).

Username Taken · Jun 28, 2022

I'm having a retired professional mechanic stop by sometime today -- I think. Never know with him

But he made his living working on Farm Machinery. We shall see.

I'm a little embarrassed to tell you that -- I don't really know how to post pictures to the forum. I could learn. I've done it in the past on other forums but I do it so seldom, I've forgotten. my bad

The bulkhead bracket WR Long sent me is kinda weird. It can only go one way (angled toward the tractor about 30 degrees) and; the hoses from EA (on the grapple) have about 6 inches of metal reinforcement that you just can't bend around the top part of the brush guard to get it to hook to the quick-connect. The bracket needs to be on the right ('passenger') side and the QC needs to be pointed upwards so that gives you exactly one way to attach it to the line cover across the torque tube.

Plus, the holes in the bracket don't match up to the pre-drilled and helicoiled (?) -- It's not really, it's drilled with a 12mm ID nut spot-welded on the back. Note; Kioti seems to delight in using metric sizes that won't cross-match to any SAE tools. I think it's the kimchee.

Once I get the seat off -- It weighs about 80 lbs and I just am not as strong as I used to be, for me it's a 2-man job -- I'll proceed and let you know. No way I'm letting my wife help with that seat. Cute ones are hard to find

.

I think every one of these things is different. The bulkhead bracket doesn't seem to be made for my tractor. Not sure any of them are specific but you'd think so. I guess there's just so many out there.

If this ia giving you a headache, think what it's doing to me.

oosik · Jul 13, 2022

So...... how is your project going???

2manyrocks · Jul 13, 2022

I wouldn't use a grapple without an adequate brush guard.

Posting photos is pretty self explanatory if you follow the prompts after clicking the Attach File box below your post.

oosik · Jul 13, 2022

Once again I was just lucky. About the time I bought my grapple - there was a post about somebody "holing" their radiator. They had pallet forks - not a grapple. I took it to heart and immediately had my grill guard modified. I seldom work with much brush. But it only takes once.

Regarding the posting of pictures. Once you get the steps figured out - it goes pretty easy. I ALWAYS have to resize anything I post. My little camera takes 3 to 5 MB pics. My large camera goes 12 to 15 MB. I have a fairly basic software package that makes resizing easy.

Username Taken · Jul 13, 2022

2manyrocks said:
I wouldn't use a grapple without an adequate brush guard.

Posting photos is pretty self explanatory if you follow the prompts after clicking the Attach File box below your post.

Thank you for your concern but my grapple and hoses are on, the 'brush guard' is off and I don't want to go through the hassle of re-attaching the 'bumper' (or whatever they call it) at this point.

Here's a pic of a cab model --

Can you see how the 'bumper' has a decidedly forward lean to it? Then look at the protective cover that goes over the lines on the torque tube. Can you see the 2 pre-drilled and tapped holes in the cover? That's where WRLong made their bracket that holds the grapple's hoses.... That's where it fits.

if you mount the bracket, you can't get the hoses to connect because the 'bumper' forces you to make a bend that you just can't make.

So I had to remove the 'bumper' and here's what it looks like without the bumper. Try to imagine the grapple on over that. I'm trying to figure a way to fabricate or mount a true brush guard that doesn't use the OEM bumper. Thanks for taking the time to try to help me.