The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

The old boy isn't running right now so I can't mess with the hydraulics. However, this extra lever is driving me knutz - not knowing what it is or what it does. I've look in the parts manual and don't seem to find it there. It has one hose coming out and another that is blocked off. Using my imagination I was thinking it might be an aftermarket valve but with the other hose blocked off and no return ... I'm scratching my head.

That is a very rare item! It is an Auxiliary Service Unit or Spool Valve.

It is for using Double Acting Cylinders or may be used to give a constant oil flow independent of the main control lever, the return is blocked off as you say but return oil could have been fed back into the filler cap.

Your one lucky devil and do not even know it. I also found out on this site that I also slipped in it a few years back as my Power Major has many options that I assumed were standard equipment. 95% of those poor blokes across across the pond only dream of having a DAR valve. As an example, I use mine to power an an angle ram on my York Rake. Here's a photo of the one on my Power Major. Both hoses go to two snap in hydaulic couplings mounted on the rear of the tractor. They will have power to both hoses. One hose when the lever is up, the other hose when the lever is down. Dandy Dave!

Holy Cow

Thank you Brian and Dandy Dave for the info and this great surprise .... Christmas came early. Yes Henk, I'm smiling like a Cheshire Cat!

Can I assume that, putting a new hoses on both ports, it will work like any other DAV and not need a separate return to the filler cap??

We had one growing up. It was used to power the bucket dump on the loader (super Six). The main Aux powered the lift. That is a interesting seat mount. Glenn

whirly wrote:Holy Cow Can I assume that, putting a new hoses on both ports, it will work like any other DAV and not need a separate return to the filler cap??

Just hook it up like mine in the photo and use a double acting two hose ram. The only reason to put one hose back in the transmission would be if you were operating a single acting one hose ram. Dandy Dave!

Glenn wrote: That is a interesting seat mount. Glenn

Those are Power Major seats. The photo of mine is missing the latch which I have since aquired the whole seat assembly from a local tractor part salvage yard, but I have not taken the time to install it. I'll post a photo in a bit. Dandy Dave!

Here's the Power Major seat that I picked up, and photos of the rear DAR snap connectors and York Rake with angle ram. Operating the ram would be impossible without Double action as a single RAM relies on gravity for return. No gravity when the ram is mounted sideways.





These seats fold forward toward the steering wheel when stored.

Dave -

Can you tell me where you got the bracket/clamp for the rear quick connects on your tractor and how they are attached. I haven't been able to find any that are as neatly attached as yours.



Thank you in advance for any help.

They were on my tractor when I got it. I'm fairly certain the couplings were original to the tractor, or installed by the Ford/Fordson dealer before delivery. My tractor was owned by my ex wifes family when it was new and was sold as part of the farm when they sold out in the late 70's. It sat outback in a hedgerow on the farm until a friend of mine purchased it about 20 years ago. I put a clutch in it about that time. He had the tractor for about 10 years, and knowing I had family lines to it, just up and gave me the tractor as it needed wiring and other work he did not want to pay to fix. I am the only one that did any serious wrenching on it all the time he had it. My inlaws were penny pinching old farmers and too cheep to have added much of anything to it after the original purchase. I am willing to bet the tractor was equiped that way on the lot and may very well have been a year old demonstator at the time of the purchase and that is why it has so many optional goodies. Do you Fordson experts think my assumption that the hydraulic ports and brackets are original and correct? Dandy Dave!

Thanks Dave

Looks like they drilled and tapped additional holes in the housing to secure the clamp.

Over here we were using the screw type "dowty" couplers right into the early 70's before the later quick "snap" connectors became popular which is what all Fordson Majors would have been equipped with I suspect. I have a bracket which fits under a super major or dexta seat and allows a dowty coupling to be installed either side. I have seen the same bracket on other Fordsons with the DAR valve fitted so I imagine it to be original ford fitment.
(note in England I don't think the double acting remote was available until the Dexta/Super Major came along, up til then you had the option of an extra single acting remote)
Regards
Ed

We have had Snap couplings here since the mid to late 50's. I have'nt seen the Screw type in years over here, and rarely at that. Being my Power Major was an export to the US model, Who knows what the US specifications were? Or if these were added at the dealer at the time of the sale. New Holland does not list our style of valve in the DAR valve parts lookup. Seems to me that Brian has said our US tops are different than the UK tops. I'll do some more digging.

Parts lists clearly show that the snap type couplings were in use as a Ford equiped option in the 1965 1000 series tractors. Also the screw type is shown for the same time frame.

The 1962 4000 series also shows snap couplings. Dandy Dave!