I ordered a 16 GPM priority valve with relief. It was the lowest flow one I could find. Please don't tell me you found an 11 GPM valve unless you are gonna supply it to me at no cost. When it arrives I will find out if the mounting plate I made for the other valve will work. Once that's done I can order fittings and hose. I decided to order a pressure gauge too. They are inexpensive and it will let me know if the pressure is getting too high, hopefully before I damage something.
I also found a larger displacement pump so if stuff is too slow I have that option. Even though it's a 400 dollar option. And speaking of pumps, my son and I looked at my tractor to see once again how much trouble it would be to use a car power steering pump. I was given a Honda Civic pump, at least I think that's the car it came from, and it fortunately spins in the opposite direction of most pumps. This means it can be mounted with its face facing the crankshaft pulley face. If I did this without changing anything on the tractor the power steering pump would need to be shaft driven and sit out in front of the tractor cowling. This would be problematic because of the FEL mount. Among other things.
On my tractor is a cast weight that the battery sits on and it has clearance for a shaft that could drive a pump. But I could instead remove the weight completely and make an new battery mount that elevates the battery a couple inches. This would give me enough room to mount the power steering pump below the battery. I would lose the extra weight but my tractor has an aftermarket FEL mounted and it surely weighs more than the stock cast weight under the battery. And I can still mount that weight somewhere else out in front of the cowling anyway.
Before I go too far though I am gonna grab the power steering pump in the lathe chuck and spin it at 900 RPM to see just how much fluid it pumps per minute so I can compare it to the hydraulic pump in my tractor. To make the test as accurate as possible I will put in a flow restrictor so the pressure can be raised to 1500 PSI. This will not only test pump output it will also test the pump to see if it is a good pump and if the rotation direction is right. The guy who gave it to me thinks it is a good pump and thinks it spins in the direction I need.
Anyway, I'm excited to get the new valve so I can order the hose and fittings and get the job done. I have fabbed everything needed so far and if the new valve will work with the mounting plate I made that means the only thing I will need to do is plumbing. HAH!
Eric