Bad steering valve. Please help!

[M. Lowes]

2006 Branson 3510. 328 hrs.
While using my tractor to grade my road I noticed it would take 4 turns of the steering wheel to turn left. While only 3/4 turn to go right. I did most of summer jobs then set to fix this. I called my nearest dealer and was shocked when a new one would cost $940. I took the orbital valve off and took it to the local Hydraulic repair shop. After 4 months they gave up on the valve. Odd design, Lack of any o ring or parts to obtain. The indicated the design is a flaw of these style tractors. I didn't understand the flow rate etc.
Here is my deal. With this design any time I might brake a hydraulic line. I would need a custom line made, or buy the complete hydraulic manifold to orbital valve. Spending $940 is not something I would want to do every 350 hrs.
Can I buy another orbital valve from someone else? Or am I stuck with Branson importing from Korea?

 

[pmsmechanic]

First of all I don't know a lot about steering stuff but I like to think about things. So here's what's going through my mind. I went to the Surplus Center website and noticed that steering valves were available in different sizes. So are steering cylinders. That got me thinking that if you roughly figured out the volume of your steering cylinder you should be able to matchup a steering valve from Surplus Center. Now it's doubtful that this is going to end up being any cheaper by the time you have manufactured a mount and adapted your hoses etc. but you shouldn't have to replace a Char-Lynn steering valve as often as one made by the lowest bidder.

 

[oldnslo]

Sounds like one of the anti-cavitation checks stuck open allowing the fluid to by-pass the steering cylinder.

Yes there are usually replacements for steering units. They are sized by amount of fluid displaced per revolution of the steering wheel. Rough rule of thumb 2 - 3 turns from center to steering lock. Also must consider pump flow rate so that steering unit isn't to large or to small.

 

[M. Lowes]

The hydro shop said the screw has .025 of play. Only allowed 0.08. Fluid bypass in screw is why it turns left.
I was told this was just a poor made valve from manufacture.
Can't change to a different valve due to fluid flow and closed center. NO fluid flows when straight. But with play it does and turns. Most are open center.
I got the valve back in a pieces. I used google and found a valve break down from a John Deere tractor.
I guess I will just get raped from Branson with a new Valve. After it's installed this tractor is going down the road. I have 6 tractors and have never had this much problem with this low hour of a machine.

 

[Navasot]

So you took the cylinder or steering unit to be checked out? Don't see why either couldn't be rebuilt.

 

[M. Lowes]

So you took the cylinder or steering unit to be checked out? Don't see why either couldn't be rebuilt.

I took the steering orbital valve to get rebuilt. It couldn't be rebuilt due to parts availability. The ship said the inner screw was out of tolerance.

 

[Navasot]

Did you try going through Century?

 

[M. Lowes]

I have not.
Would the parts be cheaper?

 

[Navasot]

Maybe but more could be available since they are the original manufacture

 

[DavesTractor]

These orbital valves do not fail often. We've sold a lot of Branson's over the years and I do not remember any that failed except for on one guy that was replacing his hoses himself (which did fail too often) and hooked the hoses up wrong. That deadheaded the unit and busted it. That the hoses having a "special" fitting is stupid, I certainly agree, and they failed too often on the older models and were a pain to change.

That orbital is an open center, not a closed center. I can be sure your shop is wrong about that. And 4 months for them to try to rebuild this unit? That is hard to explain.

I can certainly understand not wanting to pay $940 to the dealer. That's a ton of $$, but by the time you install an aftermarket and then adapt hoses and such, it still might be the best way to go.