2006 - GC2300 How do I add hydraulics

[UsedTractors]

Good evening,

I have a 2006 GC2300 tractor.
I am looking to add a hydraulic 3 spool valve for things such as rear tilt, maybe rear top link, and various other uses for hydraulics that may arise.
It does not have a loader, and it was not originally plumbed for one. Meaning, the additional kit with the hard lines that go up by the right foot well are not on this unit.

From searching this forum, it appears that there is a block off plate under the seat on the left-hand side that I have pictured. I have attached 3 photos of this same block.
Is this circled plate the correct location for tapping into the hydraulics? Are there two threaded ports there and is one a pressure and one a return?

The 4th photo shows a port on the side of the transmission that I believe is a return port.
Is that correct?

Basically, before I start, I am here to gather information. Is my next step here to remove the plate in pictures 1-3 and to just plumb hoses directly there? I've heard that there is a port block that can be purchased for here, but I did not have much luck when I called the dealer. Is this port block needed?

Thank you in advance and I look forward to any information or assistance you can provide.

 

[JWR]

The accurate answer for many of us is "I don't know."

Since you are gathering information I always have free advice: First, go find a GC2300 which has a loader and see where they have tapped in. I think you will find only a small % of GC's that have "remotes" but many with a loader. If I understand your post correctly you want to install 3 remotes on the tractor. That will definitely make your GC2300 a unique machine because I'm betting you cannot find one with 3 remotes on it. To put 3 remotes on it you will have mount an RCV block somewhere, normally in the back behind the seat. And you'll need to mount 3 controls somewhere in reach. No small chore.
Your GC puts out 4 gpm from the main hyd pump. Do not expect great huge wonders with 4 gpm flow.
Essentially all (~ 98%) of our utility tractors use "open center hydraulics" which I call "one track mind hydraulics" because they do only one movement with hydraulic force via one outlet which disables all the others. Loaders and other gadgets use amazing ingenuity to disguise the fact that only ONE action is taking place under hydraulic force at a time.
I am an advocate of getting to know your nearest dealer well, being as friendly with them as you can, and patronizing them as much as makes sense for you. Most dealers of any size have mechanics who can answer you questions about tapping in to your hydraulics in 5 minutes or less and the related discussion will be worth it's weight in gold. And they do not necessarily have to be dealers in your brand of tractor.
Unfortunately you have not told us where you live and this stuff varies a lot from place to place. [I am fortunate enough to live within 15 min of a good MF dealer willing to talk, a great general purpose non-dealer tractor and machine repair shop very willing to talk, AND a Mennonite hydraulic repair and fabrication shop.] If you poke around enough I'm betting 1 or 2 at least of these 3 fantastic resources exist near you.

There are a lot of 3rd party companies into things like 3rd function controls, hydraulic top links, 3pt tilt kits, etc. You can probably Google those an home in on installation diagrams, application suggestions, etc. which can serve as tutorials. GOOD HEAVENS -- these days there have to be dozens of YOU TUBE tutorials about mods and adding things to your GC.

See

kit from Summit Hydraulics​

No doubt there are many others.

A final thought: Since you are in the market for an hydraulic top link (I consider that one of the most useful gadgets that exists among tractors) go find a shop near you where you could buy an hyd top link and get a price from them to install it. That might give you the best start possible toward your goal.

 

[dicktill]

Good evening,

I have a 2006 GC2300 tractor.
I am looking to add a hydraulic 3 spool valve for things such as rear tilt, maybe rear top link, and various other uses for hydraulics that may arise.
It does not have a loader, and it was not originally plumbed for one. Meaning, the additional kit with the hard lines that go up by the right foot well are not on this unit.

From searching this forum, it appears that there is a block off plate under the seat on the left-hand side that I have pictured. I have attached 3 photos of this same block.
Is this circled plate the correct location for tapping into the hydraulics? Are there two threaded ports there and is one a pressure and one a return?

The 4th photo shows a port on the side of the transmission that I believe is a return port.
Is that correct?

Basically, before I start, I am here to gather information. Is my next step here to remove the plate in pictures 1-3 and to just plumb hoses directly there? I've heard that there is a port block that can be purchased for here, but I did not have much luck when I called the dealer. Is this port block needed?

Thank you in advance and I look forward to any information or assistance you can provide.

First, welcome to TBN and the informal Massey Ferguson GC group here.

I have delved heavily into the hydraulics on the GC's and here is a link to a long thread on it: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...n-gc-1723-1725-hydraulics-are-plumbed.476917/

You are basically on the right track here with that block. I have not seen another GC without a loader nor pictures, so I'm guessing a bit here. I believe that the block you have has two ports on the bottom, one for pressure (P) and one for pressure beyond (PB), and that it merely connects those two together since there is no loader. If the control valve below it is like all the others I've seen, there will be two O-ring ports on the top of it. Absent you purchasing a proper OEM block, you can possibly make your existing block so that the two ports are not interconnected but each is routed to an external port (perhaps you can use the existing one that you have shown), OR you can machine (or have machined) an aluminum block to go from the O-ring ports to external ports. If you want to do it "right", ORB ports are the way to go, but most folks would just do NPT's.

And yes, the port you flagged in the last photo is a proper return to tank port.

Good luck ...

 

[UsedTractors]

The accurate answer for many of us is "I don't know."

Since you are gathering information I always have free advice: First, go find a GC2300 which has a loader and see where they have tapped in. I think you will find only a small % of GC's that have "remotes" but many with a loader. If I understand your post correctly you want to install 3 remotes on the tractor. That will definitely make your GC2300 a unique machine because I'm betting you cannot find one with 3 remotes on it. To put 3 remotes on it you will have mount an RCV block somewhere, normally in the back behind the seat. And you'll need to mount 3 controls somewhere in reach. No small chore.
Your GC puts out 4 gpm from the main hyd pump. Do not expect great huge wonders with 4 gpm flow.
Essentially all (~ 98%) of our utility tractors use "open center hydraulics" which I call "one track mind hydraulics" because they do only one movement with hydraulic force via one outlet which disables all the others. Loaders and other gadgets use amazing ingenuity to disguise the fact that only ONE action is taking place under hydraulic force at a time.
I am an advocate of getting to know your nearest dealer well, being as friendly with them as you can, and patronizing them as much as makes sense for you. Most dealers of any size have mechanics who can answer you questions about tapping in to your hydraulics in 5 minutes or less and the related discussion will be worth it's weight in gold. And they do not necessarily have to be dealers in your brand of tractor.
Unfortunately you have not told us where you live and this stuff varies a lot from place to place. [I am fortunate enough to live within 15 min of a good MF dealer willing to talk, a great general purpose non-dealer tractor and machine repair shop very willing to talk, AND a Mennonite hydraulic repair and fabrication shop.] If you poke around enough I'm betting 1 or 2 at least of these 3 fantastic resources exist near you.

There are a lot of 3rd party companies into things like 3rd function controls, hydraulic top links, 3pt tilt kits, etc. You can probably Google those an home in on installation diagrams, application suggestions, etc. which can serve as tutorials. GOOD HEAVENS -- these days there have to be dozens of YOU TUBE tutorials about mods and adding things to your GC.

See

kit from Summit Hydraulics​

No doubt there are many others.

A final thought: Since you are in the market for an hydraulic top link (I consider that one of the most useful gadgets that exists among tractors) go find a shop near you where you could buy an hyd top link and get a price from them to install it. That might give you the best start possible toward your goal.

JWR,

There is a lot of good info in your post here. I like the way you approached this problem both with suggesting going to the dealer who is an expert or asking a top link seller how they would install it.
I will go to the dealer for more info.
Will report back when I've got something useful.
Thank you for taking the time to put together these suggestions.

 

[UsedTractors]

First, welcome to TBN and the informal Massey Ferguson GC group here.

I have delved heavily into the hydraulics on the GC's and here is a link to a long thread on it: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...n-gc-1723-1725-hydraulics-are-plumbed.476917/

You are basically on the right track here with that block. I have not seen another GC without a loader nor pictures, so I'm guessing a bit here. I believe that the block you have has two ports on the bottom, one for pressure (P) and one for pressure beyond (PB), and that it merely connects those two together since there is no loader. If the control valve below it is like all the others I've seen, there will be two O-ring ports on the top of it. Absent you purchasing a proper OEM block, you can possibly make your existing block so that the two ports are not interconnected but each is routed to an external port (perhaps you can use the existing one that you have shown), OR you can machine (or have machined) an aluminum block to go from the O-ring ports to external ports. If you want to do it "right", ORB ports are the way to go, but most folks would just do NPT's.

And yes, the port you flagged in the last photo is a proper return to tank port.

Good luck ...

dicktill,

Thank you for the welcome. Your post along with JWR got me started and I took the block off today as pictured.
I did not realize it was a block and not just a cover plate.
I had not seen this thread that you have linked. I have browsed through the thread for relevant info for my project.

I've attached photos of the block and the ports underneath. It looks like these two ports connect with the existing block that is on it, and there is a threaded port in the side to check for pressure I assume.
It does appear that I will need this block from the dealer. My next step is to check with the dealer again in person. (Or it could be made by someone with those skills as you have stated, I've confirmed there are no threaded ports underneath and a block is indeed needed)

Just in looking at this though, I don't understand how pressure and power beyond would be connected together. Wouldn’t that be two pressure sources flowing into each other? It still seems to me that this block pictured in this post is looping one pressure and one return.

Additionally, I don’t plan to add anything downstream of the manual spool valve, so I don’t think power beyond is needed for this use case if neither of these pictured ports is indeed power beyond.

I am not trying to argue with these statements, just thinking out loud as I work toward getting this all connected.

Thanks again!

 

[Dmacleo]

never knew they sold gc2300w/o loader.

 

[dicktill]

dicktill,

Thank you for the welcome. Your post along with JWR got me started and I took the block off today as pictured.
I did not realize it was a block and not just a cover plate.
I had not seen this thread that you have linked. I have browsed through the thread for relevant info for my project.

I've attached photos of the block and the ports underneath. It looks like these two ports connect with the existing block that is on it, and there is a threaded port in the side to check for pressure I assume.
It does appear that I will need this block from the dealer. My next step is to check with the dealer again in person. (Or it could be made by someone with those skills as you have stated, I've confirmed there are no threaded ports underneath and a block is indeed needed)

Just in looking at this though, I don't understand how pressure and power beyond would be connected together. Wouldn’t that be two pressure sources flowing into each other? It still seems to me that this block pictured in this post is looping one pressure and one return.

Additionally, I don’t plan to add anything downstream of the manual spool valve, so I don’t think power beyond is needed for this use case if neither of these pictured ports is indeed power beyond.

I am not trying to argue with these statements, just thinking out loud as I work toward getting this all connected.

Thanks again!

"There is a ring of truth in what you say". I should have clarified that what I was calling the P or pressure port was really a "secondary" pressure input into the 2-part control valve, this pressure input used to run the 3-point valve.

Here is a quicky sketch of what you're probably trying to do, not fully proof checked.

 

[UsedTractors]

"There is a ring of truth in what you say". I should have clarified that what I was calling the P or pressure port was really a "secondary" pressure input into the 2-part control valve, this pressure input used to run the 3-point valve.

Here is a quicky sketch of what you're probably trying to do, not fully proof checked.

View attachment 4692590

Hey this looks awesome! I really appreciate you sending this over and I'll review it further.
Could you please attach it as a pdf so that I can zoom in?

Also, will update once I've made some material progress.

 

[dicktill]

Hey this looks awesome! I really appreciate you sending this over and I'll review it further.
Could you please attach it as a pdf so that I can zoom in?

Also, will update once I've made some material progress.

oops, meant to do that:

 

[dicktill]

Here's a link to what you can do with an auxiliary valve: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...00-tractor-today.419677/page-142#post-7210191

Note to self: still need to do a real writeup about this mod.

 

[can do]

never knew they sold gc2300w/o loader.

They sure did they were sold with a mid mount mower just for moving, & some where sold with a snow thrower attached to the front for snow removal in certain municipalities with out a loader my M-F 1526 was sold the same way, But the mid mount pto was optional.