BX25 Remote Valve Project

[CHDinCT]

Well, finally started my dual rear remote project for my BX25. This all started after following Artisan's BX25 GrappleOmatic thread and thinking about adding the Thumb grapple to my FEL, but, I also have a hydraulic top link that I used on my old BX1860 with the Kubota factory dual rear remote kit. That kit is very cool and well integrated on the non BH BX's but since the valve mounts to the side of the HST, there's interference with the BH sub frame on the BX24/25 machines so it's a no go for me.

I looked hard at the 3rd function solenoid solutions for the grapple like Artisan nicely put together, but I couldn't find a local dealer I could order a Fasse valve through with confidence. And, that still left me wondering if or how I could use it to operate my old hydraulic top link. So, I finally decided to put together a rear valve kit from Surplus Center and Discount Hydraulic Hose parts that will be plugged into my BH power beyond loop. This will mean I can't use it when the BH is on, or can't use the BH when it's plumbed into the PB loop, but since it's mostly for the hydro top link for now, that's OK. I plan to add the thumb down the line with funds are available. I did buy the angle iron to modify the top edge of the FEL for the thumb once I get it. I will operate the thumb using long hose to the rear aux valve.

So here's some pic's of my progress so far. No laughing since this is my first fabrication project. Bought the welder with Xmas money and I think this is the 3rd time I've used it. Have to say, I would never have taken the plunge on welding if not for being a TBN member and getting encouragement from a neighbor of mine who I actually met via TBN - Scotty Dive. He showed me his equipment and encouraged me to start welding, so thank you Scott.

First pic is the valve with the QC's temporarily mounted to see if they clear each other. The scrap metal for the mount is beside it. Other pic's are making up the mount which will attach to the ROPS. Plan is to make it removable for when it's not needed and also so I can move it to my next tractor should I ever trade up.

 

[CHDinCT]

Continuing, here are some pic's of the valve temporarily mounted. I did some checking to make sure the seat will swivel OK and that the ROPS will fold without interference. The seat swivels fine but has to be swiveled to the opposite side of the valve. I will measure for hoses once the mount is complete. Planning to use some velcro straps to organize the hoses.

The mount will be painted Kubota Gray after a little more grinding and polishing. I ended up welding the bolts to the mount to make putting in on easier. Too hard to hold the mount with valve on it and then try to bolt on the bracket with 4 loose bolts. I was going to order a U-thread bracket from one of the Kubota kits that use them, like the light kit, but when I called Messick's parts department they priced one U-thread bolt at $39 plus shipping. Kubota is nuts - wasn't going to spend over $40 for one u-bolt. Couldn't find the right size locally so I'm going with plain bolts and flat brackets to hold it in place.

That's it for now. Will update when I make more progress.

 

[Ductape]

Great project ! Looks like it is coming along nicely.

I will try to talk you into plumbing it permanently though. The difference is mostly just the cost of a couple longer hoses and some fittings. No hydraulic fluid dripping on everything connecting and disconnecting those hoses every time ( i promise you will be happier this way!!!).

I'm a self-taught welder too. Only advice I can give is clean, clean , clean ! Any steel you are going to weld must be clean. I have a bad habit of not grinding steel so it's clean enough...... and often that's the difference between a good weld a one that resembles bird ****.

 

[samofsweden]

Hi here a few pics how I did it on my BX 24!

 

[CHDinCT]

Great project ! Looks like it is coming along nicely.

I will try to talk you into plumbing it permanently though. The difference is mostly just the cost of a couple longer hoses and some fittings. No hydraulic fluid dripping on everything connecting and disconnecting those hoses every time ( i promise you will be happier this way!!!).

I'm a self-taught welder too. Only advice I can give is clean, clean , clean ! Any steel you are going to weld must be clean. I have a bad habit of not grinding steel so it's clean enough...... and often that's the difference between a good weld a one that resembles bird ****.

Permanent plumbing is a thought and maybe I'll do that eventually if I find I basically use the valve all the time. Would be nice to be able to use the eventual front grapple and BH without moving hoses around, though I suppose technically I think I could run the BH off of one of the remote sets using a bungee to hold it open (someone will correct me if I'm wrong). I do think I'll want it out of the way for extensive BH work and of course using QC's to hook it up will make it more easily transferred to a new machine (dreams do sometime come true ).

 

[CHDinCT]

samofsweden, nice set up. Tripple remotes I see. Did you plumb yours into the backhoe ports?

 

[AStanton]

Nice job, Chris; I think they can use you at the sub base.
Sam's job looked like the factory did it.

 

[Ductape]

Permanent plumbing is a thought and maybe I'll do that eventually if I find I basically use the valve all the time. Would be nice to be able to use the eventual front grapple and BH without moving hoses around, though I suppose technically I think I could run the BH off of one of the remote sets using a bungee to hold it open.

Its just a matter of plumbing the aux. valve in series before (or after, I suppose) the backhoe. Does the BX backhoe have just an in and out hose..... or are there three lines for the hoe? Not knocking the way you are doing it, just that making it permanent isn't much more money. As you suggested.... then you can use the remote valve for a front grapple or whatever.

In any event.... nice work so far. :thumbsup:

 

[kennyd]

Looks great Chris:thumbsup:

 

[CHDinCT]

Its just a matter of plumbing the aux. valve in series before (or after, I suppose) the backhoe. Does the BX backhoe have just an in and out hose..... or are there three lines for the hoe? Not knocking the way you are doing it, just that making it permanent isn't much more money. As you suggested.... then you can use the remote valve for a front grapple or whatever.

In any event.... nice work so far. :thumbsup:

The BX has three lines; pressure in, power beyond and tank, so I will hook up all three ports to the aux valve. Just got done putting all the fittings and QC's on the valve so I can measure for hoses. More pic's later. And thanks all for the kind words.

 

[samofsweden]

samofsweden, nice set up. Tripple remotes I see. Did you plumb yours into the backhoe ports?

Yes I do!

 

[Scooby074]

Looking good!

I plan on eventually doing the same setup. Kubota really dropped the ball on aux hydraulics for the BX25.

 

[Tachdriver]

Looking real good ! I was thinking of putting one on my 25. Please keep detailing all the hookups needed to make this a permanent hookup with retaining the backhoe operation. That is the road I would eventually head down. I just need to see what hoses need tapped into and the end result.

great job.

thanks

LAter:thumbsup:

 

[J_J]

So, I finally decided to put together a rear valve kit from Surplus Center and Discount Hydraulic Hose parts that will be plugged into my BH power beyond loop. This will mean I can't use it when the BH is on, or can't use the BH when it's plumbed into the PB loop, but since it's mostly for the hydro top link for now, that's OK. I plan to add the thumb down the line with funds are available.

In a multi-valve setup, the upstream valve will have priority and could use all the pump flow.

That valve appears to be a PB valve, and here is a detent kit for using the BH.

http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?catname=hydraulic&item=9-7867-D

Since you are installing the valve in a series open center circuit, there is no reason that you can't use the BH whenever you want.

Insert the remote valve in the BH loop.

Just plug the BH into the remote valve, and bungee the lever, or order the detent kit.

The other spool can be used for grapple.

The BH tank hose can be teed into the remote valve tank port, or go directly to tank.

 

[samofsweden]

I havnt find any need of the rear remotes when the backhoe is mounted on the tractor. When the backhoe is mounted I use te backhoe. When I disconect the backhoe I use diffrent implements.

 

[CHDinCT]

Tachdriver, I wasn't going to mount it permanently but power it off of the BH power beyond loop when needed, but J_J's post has me thinking. First off, I didn't know there's a detent kit for my valve, which is a Prince Wolverine MB valve (how'd you know that JJ?). I had looked at two spool valves with a detent spool but they were more than I wanted to spend. This detent option looks reasonable so I might spring for that when I order hoses.

Anyway, on the plumbing, since the valve is a PB valve, I suppose I could hook it up like JJ suggests but I'm a little confused on what happens to the pressure coming out of the BH when it's not in use? Would the FEL be operable with the BH plumbed into the valve and a bungee used to hold it open? I think in this scenario, the pressure would flow back to tank via the return line to the aux valve, no? I guess if the FEL is ahead of the aux valve, then it would get priority and have pressure, but I don't know how the BX hydraulics are set up. I know that it's normal for the FEL to be first in series, but is that the case for a BX? Don't know. I suppose once it's set up I can power the BH off of the valve and just see what works and what doesn't. Hopefully, the only thing downstream of the aux remotes I'm adding is the 3PH since for sure that isn't needed when the BH is on.

A few more pic's. I got the valve plumbed for hoses and painted the mounting bracket. Figuring out how to tighten down all the fittings is like a Rubic's Cube puzzle. Room is tight and with the 90* elbows, you have to think ahead what you can get a wrench or how to get room to tighten down those elbows. Had to back track once or twice. Just hoping nothing leaks when I fire it up. On to hoses, hopefully next week

 

[J_J]

Just curious if you were going to use the PB outlet to feed the 3pt?

Trying to use multiple valves at the same time may cause some problems.

The upstream valve will try and use all the fluid first. If you are only using 5 GPM out of a 10 GPM flow then 5 GPM will flow to the remote valve.

 

[YotaBota]

Hi Chris. Nice work so far! Exactly what I have wanted to do for the last couple years to my BX25-as a hydraulic top link. Looking forward to seeing the finished prokect. My question is a bit off topic though. Do you happen to have a stock number for those arm rests, and where did you get them? I tried to order them from the Kubota dealer, but they haven't been any help. Going on 8 months now, and he hasn't returned my call from last week! I see you're in CT. I used to live in Chester about 20 years ago.

 

[CHDinCT]

Just curious if you were going to use the PB outlet to feed the 3pt?

Trying to use multiple valves at the same time may cause some problems.

The upstream valve will try and use all the fluid first. If you are only using 5 GPM out of a 10 GPM flow then 5 GPM will flow to the remote valve.

JJ - yes, my plan is to pipe fluid out of the aux valve's PB port to the 3PH (well I assume to the 3PH since I don't have a hydraulic diagram for my BX25.)

I did measure for the hydraulic lines yesterday and gave some thought to trying to run the BH off of the new aux valve. Should only require a few more lines and a way to set up a T for the return to tank line so both the BH and aux valve tank lines can dump back to the tank. The advantage of running the BH off of the valve is that I could use the other circuit for my eventual grapple and still be able to use the BH. I can foresee excavating a rock with the BH, for example, then turning the tractor around and picking it up with the grapple (easier than doing so with the manual BH thumb I have).

Everything would be set up with quick connects so it would be returnable to the OEM configuration. In fact, I attached the valve to the ROPS with wing nuts so it can be put on/taken off quickly.

I haven't ordered the lines and extra fittings, etc., yet since I haven't made up my mind if I'll go to the extra expense of running the BH off of the aux valve or not. Ocern is how to organize all the hoses that would be back there when the BH is on and run off of the aux valve.

Stand by - will update once more progress is made.

 

[CHDinCT]

Hi Chris. Nice work so far! Exactly what I have wanted to do for the last couple years to my BX25-as a hydraulic top link. Looking forward to seeing the finished prokect. My question is a bit off topic though. Do you happen to have a stock number for those arm rests, and where did you get them? I tried to order them from the Kubota dealer, but they haven't been any help. Going on 8 months now, and he hasn't returned my call from last week! I see you're in CT. I used to live in Chester about 20 years ago.

YotaBota, I ordered the armrests from Tractorsmart.com a few years back. I believe the two arms come as a kit. I think they're considered wholegoods accessories and may need to be ordered through the sales vs parts dept., but not totally sure (can't recall). Anyway, here's my order details:

The items in your order are as follows:
-Sending 1 of Item # 70000-73930; KIT, UNIVERSAL ARMREST

We actually live about two towns over from Chester in Killingworth so I'm very familiar with the area. Few years back we had a boat that we kept at the Hayes Haven Marina in Chester. Small world.