Converting Belt Drive Trans to Hydraulic Motor

[allyolds68]

I apologize if this has been covered before by there isn't any option to search "all" keywords so it seems next to impossible to ferret out the handful of useful responses that are probably already on this forum on this subject

I have a late 80's Struck MT3000 with the loader and backhoe attachments. It's got an 18 HP Briggs I/C motor. The drive system is a belt driven through a friction clutch to a Tecumseh (Peerless) 2338B transaxle. It's a 4 speed transaxle with 2nd gear locked out so it has reverse, 1st and 3rd. The 84" belt that drives this system is cumbersome and takes a couple (like 5) seconds to fully disengage. The trans can't be shifted until the belt system stops entirely. With the shroud on its difficult to tell if the belt is still spinning so invariably the trans gets ground once in a while. I just dropped almost $400 to get the trans rebuilt. I should note that I just bought this and the damage was not done by me but I see this as an inherent problem.

Seeing as there is already a hydraulic pump to feed the attachments it would make sense, it seems, to install a hydraulic drive motor with a fixed or variable speed control valve coupled to the trans with a belt or chain drive. I am thinking belt is better because it is a little more forgiving. These transmissions were used for years in the older John Deere tractors (212 & 214 I think) so I am guessing someone has done this. I wish I could tell you the specs on the hydraulic pump but all I know is its part number 36202-104 and it appears from the literature I have with the machine that it may be a YB series pump, possibly from Webster Electric. My research of any of this has turned up next to nothing. I am fairly sure I could call CF Struck and they could sell me a conversion kit but I would kind of like to save a little money and do it myself.

I am not into this machine for much and it seems to be a pretty useful homeowner type piece of equipment so I don't mind sinking a little (like less than $500 if possible) into it. I have got a quite a bit of grading to do (it is also got a dozer blade) so I can built a garage so it's going to get a lot of use this spring.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Treemonkey1000]

I think JJ and some of the other Hydraulic Guru's on here could answer your question.

 

[aczlan]

Is that a shaft driven transaxle, or a belt driven one? If its shaft driven, what about replacing it with Hydro transaxle out of something like a Ford LGT-12?

Aaron Z

 

[allyolds68]

Is that a shaft driven transaxle, or a belt driven one? If its shaft driven, what about replacing it with Hydro transaxle out of something like a Ford LGT-12?

Aaron Z

It's a belt driven transaxle with a "clutch" system that stops the belt from moving when the tension is taken out of the belt by depressing the clutch

 

[aczlan]

It's a belt driven transaxle with a "clutch" system that stops the belt from moving when the tension is taken out of the belt by depressing the clutch

Ah. Am I correct in thinking that it has a horizontal shaft engine mounted with the output shafts going sideways (ie: across the direction of travel vs forward or aft)?
What is the input RPM on the transmission (if you don't know, how big are the pulleys at each end of the belt)?

Thanks

Aaron Z

 

[allyolds68]

Ah. Am I correct in thinking that it has a horizontal shaft engine mounted with the output shafts going sideways (ie: across the direction of travel vs forward or aft)?

Aaron Z

That's correct

 

[J_J]

I have a Struck M1800 with a 4 speed and rev.

I was also thinking of adding a hyd pump and connecting up two hyd motors in place of the belts.

It currently has a 16 HP engine, but I do have a 20 HP horizontal shaft Kohler that could work. I have to somehow figure out the torque to match a hyd pump and a set of motors..

It doesn't matter if the engine is a vertical or horiz, because the pump can be direct coupled or setup for belt and pulley.

You will have to know the pressure and the GPM to figure the torque for the hyd motors, and the rpm for the speed of the machine.

You might consider seperate pumps for each hyd motor much like a Zero turn mower.

 

[allyolds68]

I have a Struck M1800 with a 4 speed and rev.

I was also thinking of adding a hyd pump and connecting up two hyd motors in place of the belts.

It currently has a 16 HP engine, but I do have a 20 HP horizontal shaft Kohler that could work. I have to somehow figure out the torque to match a hyd pump and a set of motors..

It doesn't matter if the engine is a vertical or horiz, because the pump can be direct coupled or setup for belt and pulley.

You will have to know the pressure and the GPM to figure the torque for the hyd motors, and the rpm for the speed of the machine.

You might consider seperate pumps for each hyd motor much like a Zero turn mower.

I thought about separate motors but that will require a fair amount of fabricating. I'm still ironing out all the problems associated with a machine that's been sitting for ten or fifteen years. I'll investigate the pump a little more. I tried calling Struck today but there was no answer. I don't have a clue what the GPM's or working pressure are but the engine operates at 1800 RPM's and the drive and input pulleys are the same diameter so it's 1:1. I'm surprised no one has done this, especially with JD using the same trannys.

 

[J_J]

I am pretty sure the current pump is for the implements, and would not be usefull for a hyd drive.

Why does your Briggs only run at 1800 rpm?

Your 18 HP engine can only run a hyd pump, pumping about 8.7 GPM @ 3000 psi

Perhaps you already have this price list.


http://www.struckcorp.com/download/MT3000.pdf

Is your hyd pump an add on pump for the front mounted BH?

 

[allyolds68]

I am pretty sure the current pump is for the implements, and would not be usefull for a hyd drive.

Why does your Briggs only run at 1800 rpm?

Your 18 HP engine can only run a hyd pump, pumping about 8.7 GPM @ 3000 psi

Perhaps you already have this price list.


http://www.struckcorp.com/download/MT3000.pdf

Is your hyd pump an add on pump for the front mounted BH?

Yes, I have that price list. The PK908B pump kit is the add-on that comes with the front loader but there aren't any specs on it. The rear backhoe is also an add-on but uses the same pump (you obviously don't use both at the same time anyway). I have all the factory manuals and it identifys the pump as a Webster YB series but doesn't tell you which one it is. If I need to run a second pump for the drive motor it probably isn't worth it. I thought I could get away with one pump to run both the attachment hydraulics and a drive motor. I say the engine operating RPM's was 1800 after a quick google search but I don't know that for sure. It's just your basic B&S 18 HP I/C. It's previous to the Vanguard motors.

Is it possible to upgrade the hydraulic pump so it can run everything?