Is it safe to flip backhoe hoses?

[Elemento1991]

Hey all,

Proud soon to be owner of a B26 TLB here in a few days. I have been looking forward to this machine for a long time and its going to be amazing to have something other than a quad to work with on my property. However it was to my dismay when I sat down on the machine to go over and check everything out and I was a mess on the backhoe. I realized it had Deere controls and there's no switch on this machine. This will be like trying to write with my left hand the whole time and mess me up if I jump on an excavator. I'm a little leery about getting used to it because I would like to stay fluent on ISO controls.

I was going to just swap the hoses but I was reading that it can be dangerous because there are specific relief valves and metering in the valve stack for each function. Anyone done this? Did it make your function speeds not flow well together?

Surprised there's not more info on the topic and I couldn't find anything concrete, even when trying to cross reference the blown up parts schematics on Messicks or the service manual.

 

[Old Machinist]

Not familiar with the valve block on a Kubota backhoe but have you read the manual to see if it sheds any light on the subject?

 

[mikester]

I would just flip the lines and see how it goes. I’d be more weary if it was a 10 ton machine with 5,000psi hydraulics.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

Hey all,

Proud soon to be owner of a B26 TLB here in a few days. I have been looking forward to this machine for a long time and its going to be amazing to have something other than a quad to work with on my property. However it was to my dismay when I sat down on the machine to go over and check everything out and I was a mess on the backhoe. I realized it had Deere controls and there's no switch on this machine. This will be like trying to write with my left hand the whole time and mess me up if I jump on an excavator. I'm a little leery about getting used to it because I would like to stay fluent on ISO controls.

I was going to just swap the hoses but I was reading that it can be dangerous because there are specific relief valves and metering in the valve stack for each function. Anyone done this? Did it make your function speeds not flow well together?

Surprised there's not more info on the topic and I couldn't find anything concrete, even when trying to cross reference the blown up parts schematics on Messicks or the service manual.

I don't have access to the WSM for your machine, but I think there are 3 port reliefs, 2 on the swing and 1 on the extend end of the stick. Theoretically, you could swap the reliefs to the corresponding location, but I doubt the sections are all prepared for reliefs.

This appears to be a stacked valve, so you could remove the tie rods and move the section to keep it with the function you move.

 

[TheOldHokie]

I don't have access to the WSM for your machine, but I think there are 3 port reliefs, 2 on the swing and 1 on the extend end of the stick. Theoretically, you could swap the reliefs to the corresponding location, but I doubt the sections are all prepared for reliefs.

This appears to be a stacked valve, so you could remove the tie rods and move the section to keep it with the function you move.

Triple bullseye!

What we have here is a thinker not a guesser

Dan

 

[imarobot]

Triple bullseye!

What we have here is a thinker not a guesser

Dan

I wish I understood this enough to come up with a reply with that...

 

[TheOldHokie]

I wish I understood this enough to come up with a reply with that...

The valve sections are not all the same. Swapping hoses at the valves puts the cylinders on the wrong valves.To change the joystick pattern you have to reorder the sections not swap the hoses.

Dan

 

[Elemento1991]

I don't have access to the WSM for your machine, but I think there are 3 port reliefs, 2 on the swing and 1 on the extend end of the stick. Theoretically, you could swap the reliefs to the corresponding location, but I doubt the sections are all prepared for reliefs.

This appears to be a stacked valve, so you could remove the tie rods and move the section to keep it with the function you move.

This was basically the conclusion I came to as well after looking through the service manuals and schematics. Looked like it could be done if you ordered the replacement O-rings, reordered the valves and retorqued everything. However I'm a little leery of tearing into a multi-thousand dollar part if I don't need to. The juice isn't worth the squeeze. From what I saw some of the tolerances on these valve blocks is in the 10 thousandths of an inch. Even though its an annoyance I think I'll just run it for a while on Deere controls and adapt. It'll feel totally backwards at first and I wouldn't want anyone within 10 feet of me for the first day or two but muscle memory is usually strong for me. It'll just take a week or two to undo what I'm used to.

 

[TheOldHokie]

This was basically the conclusion I came to as well after looking through the service manuals and schematics. Looked like it could be done if you ordered the replacement O-rings, reordered the valves and retorqued everything. However I'm a little leery of tearing into a multi-thousand dollar part if I don't need to. The juice isn't worth the squeeze. From what I saw some of the tolerances on these valve blocks is in the 10 thousandths of an inch. Even though its an annoyance I think I'll just run it for a while on Deere controls and adapt. It'll feel totally backwards at first and I wouldn't want anyone within 10 feet of me for the first day or two but muscle memory is usually strong for me. It'll just take a week or two to undo what I'm used to.

I am not trying to talk you into something above your pay grade but those valve stacks are made for shop assembly and disassembly. Nothing in that process is high precision. Just a lot of grunt work to R&R the stack as an assembly and take it to a bench.

Dan