Update 21 Mar 2011. Here was my original question: I have a couple questions about the hydraulics on a stage II Super H. There are 2 outlets, one smaller and a little higher and the other larger and a bit lower on the reservoir on the rear (the side facing the driver). Are these usable, as the smaller pressure and the larger return? If so, is the smaller one hooked directly to the main pressure (cultivator) outlets that are on the left side? I am thinking about adding a dual valve (Christmas tree) to the tractor and wonder if I can use these 2 holes.
Thanks in advance.
I was really surprised that I didn"t get any responses to my questions. I also talked with a local IH parts guy who is a walking encyclopedia of IH knowledge; he was clueless but gave me the phone number to a friend who he said was, "The last great living true IH mechanic." I called him...not a clue. So, I jumped in to find out for myself. It took nearly 2 full days, but I got my answer and thought I"d share it with everyone. First off, this is a "working" Super H.
It is a real nice tractor that has had a fairly easy life. It was bought new by a neighbor of ours who used it as his primary tractor on about 200 acres for maybe 15 years, then delegated it to light loader use until about 1994. I got it in 2003. It is one of two 1954 Super H"s I own and was featured in the "mailbox" in Red Power Magazine a few years ago.
I use this tractor, so I have wanted to add two-way hydraulics for quite some time. I was going to add a spool, but didn"t want to mess up the clean hydraulic line runs from the pump to the reservoir. I had a "Christmas Tree" control valve lying around for some time and really didn"t have any other use for it. I looked in the Super H owner"s manual one day and saw two different pictures of the Christmas tree valve behind the reservoir. It said the added valve was a factory or dealer installed option and it said how to make it work but gave no clue as to how it was hooked up. The pictures didn"t show the plumbing either. I looked the tractor over good and thought the valve had to be connected to the two plugged holes in the rear face of the reservoir. The Super Ms do not have these holes in the rear of their hydraulic reservoir, but they wouldn"t be needed as the Christmas tree is installed in front of the reservoir on the Super Ms.
That is when I started asking questions. With no answers, it was time to experiment. Note, there is really NO room between the reservoir and the belt pulley drive. Pluming the valve even with a factory kit would have been a nightmare. Maybe that is why I have never seen a Super H with one of these valves. Anyway, after much trial and error, several trips to town for pipe fittings, many trial assemblies, and a few choice words, I had the right combination of parts to get the valve connected. The picture in the book showed a very neat assembly. I couldn"t figure out how to do it in such limited space, so I had to concede defeat in one area. I did plumb the pressure side very neatly, but I had to run a hose for the return from the bottom of the valve around and over the belt pulley drive back to the reservoir. It isn"t as nice as I would have liked, but it doesn’t look bad. And best of all, when I got done, the damn thing worked just like the book said.
So, yes, the small hole in the rear plate of the reservoir is a pressure outlet and the large hole is a return inlet. However, they probably will not work with a regular spool valve because of how you have to jockey the two control rods to make it work. According to the book, to use the Christmas tree dual valve, you must lock the lift-all control lever to the back. And to use the lift-all control, you must lock the Christmas tree control lever to the FRONT. And yes, that is exactly how it works. You can use one or the other, but not both at the same time.
I"m glad I found the answer to my question, and am glad I have it in place. But I have to say I really didn"t know if it was worth the effort while I was working on it. It was VERY time consuming and frustrating. I had to literally alternate installing pieces if the pressure and return plumbing because of lack of clearance. There is just no room to work. I also had to manufacture both the top and bottom support brackets. Then when I finally had it all together and ready to test< I ran into another problem.
When I was installing the cylinder hoses, the valve was about 1/8 inch too low and the hose wouldn"t clear the belt pulley housing. And there wasn"t enough clearance to turn on a 45 degree street elbow. Soooo, I had to spend 45 minutes removing brackets and the pressure line so I could move the valve and install the elbow then remount the entire thing. Honestly, I nearly put the plugs back in at that point. But FINALLY, I got it.
I"ll try to attach some pictures, but I’ve never done that before so I don"t know if I can get it to work....should be easy after this valve install!
This was the last thing I wanted to do to the tractor before getting it repainted. I took it to the paint shop today. I"ll post some pictures after I get it back.
Thanks in advance.
I was really surprised that I didn"t get any responses to my questions. I also talked with a local IH parts guy who is a walking encyclopedia of IH knowledge; he was clueless but gave me the phone number to a friend who he said was, "The last great living true IH mechanic." I called him...not a clue. So, I jumped in to find out for myself. It took nearly 2 full days, but I got my answer and thought I"d share it with everyone. First off, this is a "working" Super H.
It is a real nice tractor that has had a fairly easy life. It was bought new by a neighbor of ours who used it as his primary tractor on about 200 acres for maybe 15 years, then delegated it to light loader use until about 1994. I got it in 2003. It is one of two 1954 Super H"s I own and was featured in the "mailbox" in Red Power Magazine a few years ago.
I use this tractor, so I have wanted to add two-way hydraulics for quite some time. I was going to add a spool, but didn"t want to mess up the clean hydraulic line runs from the pump to the reservoir. I had a "Christmas Tree" control valve lying around for some time and really didn"t have any other use for it. I looked in the Super H owner"s manual one day and saw two different pictures of the Christmas tree valve behind the reservoir. It said the added valve was a factory or dealer installed option and it said how to make it work but gave no clue as to how it was hooked up. The pictures didn"t show the plumbing either. I looked the tractor over good and thought the valve had to be connected to the two plugged holes in the rear face of the reservoir. The Super Ms do not have these holes in the rear of their hydraulic reservoir, but they wouldn"t be needed as the Christmas tree is installed in front of the reservoir on the Super Ms.
That is when I started asking questions. With no answers, it was time to experiment. Note, there is really NO room between the reservoir and the belt pulley drive. Pluming the valve even with a factory kit would have been a nightmare. Maybe that is why I have never seen a Super H with one of these valves. Anyway, after much trial and error, several trips to town for pipe fittings, many trial assemblies, and a few choice words, I had the right combination of parts to get the valve connected. The picture in the book showed a very neat assembly. I couldn"t figure out how to do it in such limited space, so I had to concede defeat in one area. I did plumb the pressure side very neatly, but I had to run a hose for the return from the bottom of the valve around and over the belt pulley drive back to the reservoir. It isn"t as nice as I would have liked, but it doesn’t look bad. And best of all, when I got done, the damn thing worked just like the book said.
So, yes, the small hole in the rear plate of the reservoir is a pressure outlet and the large hole is a return inlet. However, they probably will not work with a regular spool valve because of how you have to jockey the two control rods to make it work. According to the book, to use the Christmas tree dual valve, you must lock the lift-all control lever to the back. And to use the lift-all control, you must lock the Christmas tree control lever to the FRONT. And yes, that is exactly how it works. You can use one or the other, but not both at the same time.
I"m glad I found the answer to my question, and am glad I have it in place. But I have to say I really didn"t know if it was worth the effort while I was working on it. It was VERY time consuming and frustrating. I had to literally alternate installing pieces if the pressure and return plumbing because of lack of clearance. There is just no room to work. I also had to manufacture both the top and bottom support brackets. Then when I finally had it all together and ready to test< I ran into another problem.
When I was installing the cylinder hoses, the valve was about 1/8 inch too low and the hose wouldn"t clear the belt pulley housing. And there wasn"t enough clearance to turn on a 45 degree street elbow. Soooo, I had to spend 45 minutes removing brackets and the pressure line so I could move the valve and install the elbow then remount the entire thing. Honestly, I nearly put the plugs back in at that point. But FINALLY, I got it.
I"ll try to attach some pictures, but I’ve never done that before so I don"t know if I can get it to work....should be easy after this valve install!
This was the last thing I wanted to do to the tractor before getting it repainted. I took it to the paint shop today. I"ll post some pictures after I get it back.
![SHhydraulic031.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket](https://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r16/Wardner/SH/SHhydraulic031.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket)
