Converting Stock L35 Bucket for use with ATI Quick Attach

[vanvlack]

I need someone's help who has an L35 with the stock bucket. I'm converting the stock bucket with ATI's universal mounting plate so it works with the ATI Quick Attach. I made a bad assumption before cutting the ribs on the back of the bucket and can no longer get the original measurements to figure out the angle to mount the plate. Can somone provide the height of the lower loader pin (center) to ground when the bucket is flat on the ground, and the upper loader pin (center) to the bottom of the hydraulic cylinder. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[art]

We have a used L-35 with the round back bucket and the bolt on cutting edge in stock,(thanks for giving me an outside break) that I took the measurements from. With the bucket flat off the cutting edge not touching in the rear, the bottom pin is 61/4" off the ground and the upper pin is 14 inches from that. The catch is the upper pin is also 9" forward of the bottom pin which if not mounted right will hinder your dump and rollback. Good luck!

 

[vanvlack]

Art - Thanks for the help. The bottom measurement was exactly what I was looking for. The top is a bit different. I've attached an excerpt from the ATI instructions so you can see the picture for the measurement needed off the top pin to the bottom of the hydraulic cylinder.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[art]

Tractors been moved and we have a bit of snow here! Strange as it maybe for the year with only having the forth snow fall this season and no accumulation. From the end of the cylinderr barrel to the flat on top of the cylinder end it measured 5" but this time the heal is on the ground so I'd ad a 1/4" to it making it 51/4" and you should be ok.

 

[vanvlack]

Thanks for the help Art.

 

[IslandTractor]

I've attached an excerpt from the ATI instructions so you can see the picture for the measurement needed off the top pin to the bottom of the hydraulic cylinder.

Thanks for posting the picture which is truly worth a thousand words. It sounds like the practical way to do the modification is to 1) take the measurements as indicated, 2) attach the QA adapter to the FEL, 3) set the FEL to exactly replicate the A and B measurements, 4) drive the tractor up to the pinless bucket and weld the QA attachment plate to the bucket to maintain that relationship.

The question I still have is how to judge where to cut the pin "ears" off the original bucket? Do you cut them off completely or do you leave an angled stub to weld to? Without the pin ears the attachment plate might only touch the bucket back in one "tangential" line and I presume you'd want to weld it on at least two lines. Doesn't that mean you'd have to first determine where the adapter plate (while in the QA adapter held at the specified measurements) touched the bucket back and then cut the pin ears at an angle so you could weld the attachment plate to the pin ear stubs? Does that mean pulling the tractor/FEL up next to the bucket on the ground and marking the exact line on the pin ears to be cut?

I also have to do this project and I've been hesitating due to this exact confusion on my part.

 

[vanvlack]

I ended up cutting off the Ears/Ribs entirely. The orginal Pin Holes got in the way where the angle needed to align to the back of the bucket. By the way, I did speak with ATI, and they confirmed that the universal plate is to mount at a 20 degree angle to the ground, and the bottom of the universal plate should be 3 1/2" from the ground. I confirmed that with the 7 1/2" measurement on the upper cylinder and a height of 7" at the bottom pin, I got the 20 degree angle.

I've made the templates for the new Ears/Ribs and plan to get some stock to cut them out. Like you mentioned in the prior post, by leaving the orignal ears/ribs, the new span of the universal plate would not be supported properly, hence you need to weld the second rib farther apart to distribute the load.

I plan to weld it together in one of the next couple weekends, and can place a picture when complete if it helps.

 

[IslandTractor]

I plan to weld it together in one of the next couple weekends, and can place a picture when complete if it helps.

Even better would be to take photos during the various steps of the process in addition to the finished conversion.

 

[Diamondback]

Vanvlack,

I just ran across this thread today while researching the ATI QA for my L35. I'm thinking of doing the same conversion and sure would appreciate any pics you may have as well as any thoughts, insights or tips regarding this project. The QA sure seems like the way to go when using multiple implements.

Thanks