Hyd/ valve chest

GERRY · Post by **GERRY** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:20 pm

I am in the process of getting hyd/ valve chest working corectly on my s/dexta , the snail like knob thing had been sized i now have screwing in and out freely, my question is this is this suposed to be screwed in or out when not been used for plowing etc or does it matter . Gerry

dexta4 · Post by **dexta4** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:41 pm

i think your talking about your flow control knob!! it just controls the flow of oil adjusting the speed of your hydraulics.. its the lever on the side (qualitrol) you push down when ploughing

Post by **Brian** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:22 pm

The flow control is used for ploughing and is a very important part of getting the best from your tractor in all cultivation work.

There are two thoughts over using flow control, The M-F way, which, when the wheels start to slip and the pressure on the top link causes a draft correction, hauls the plough out of the ground to get weight transference to the rear wheels. As the load decreases M-F flow control lets the plough back into the ground slowly, this does not help with plough penetration and it can be some time before you are back to your required ploughing dept.

With the Ford system of flow control, the control works on the raise cycle rather than the drop cycle so when wheel slip occurs, the hydraulics reaction can be controlled. With the flow control set to a slower point, the plough is lifted slowly and puts an ever increasing load on the wheels. The tractor reacts more sedately and the plough does not lift so far out of its depth and because it has no restriction on the drop, recovers its depth quicker.

I was driving "My" petrol Dexta at Brimfield a couple of years ago, conditions were a little difficult as the land was wet and heavy but we were going great. A gentleman came up to me on an M-F and said that I had drawn an easy plot by the look of things and would I mind if he dropped in behind me with his outfit as he could not plough on his plot because of conditions. I agreed and once more set off up the field. When I looked back, he was spinning and the plough was lifting out. Even in the "easier" plot the Ferguson was beaten and had to give up. It was all down to the control I had using flow control.

There should be a wheel and a linkage from the main control lever back to the flow control. When using it, the wheel is set to contact the lever on the quadrant and bring the flow control back into fast flow for lifting at the headlands.

For most other jobs the flow control is left in the fast flow position although another use for it is speed control on hydraulicly driven motors.

GERRY · Post by **GERRY** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:24 pm

Thanks for your quick replies lads, I knew the was more to control valve than there seems at first but diddnt know how it actually worked

, now thanks to your discription i have a better idea , ill now have to try this out when i next am able to get her on to a plough avery thorough answer . Thanks again lads, Gerry

dexta4 · Post by **dexta4** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 10:03 pm

i was ploughing earlier this year with my super dexta it was really heavy going my uncle was ploughing with his mf 35 he spent most the time time with the plough out the ground! i was laughing at him! he said i had an unfair advantage cause i had wheel weights, new tyres and diff lock. so i swapped to my 61 dexta with no diff lock no weights and 20% tyres (i was a little worried i might show myself up!!) anyway i set her up and i still did better than him!! yet people still think the ferguson system is better??

Post by **Brian** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 8:29 am

Dexta's rule OK!

The petrol Dexta has an advantage even over the diesel when ploughing and cultivating. That extra 6" length helps keep the front down and increases the leverage when the lift corrects.

Even when ploughing at around 12" with the revesible plough, up a hill, my front wheels stayed firmly on the ground.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:18 am

Brian,
I've been reading about the "flow control" and was wondering if it would it be to much to ask you to take a picture of that for me. For the life of me I can't figure out what that looks like,or if my dexta has this. My tractor plows really good, but still would like to see exactly what your talking about.
Thanks.

terry274 · Post by **terry274** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 1:09 am

Here is a picture of mine:

Mine does not work, I plan on fixing it "someday"

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 4:15 am

Terry,
Thanks for the quick picture. Do you have a picture of what it hooks to behind the seat? I have this on my tractor only mine does not have the "valve handle?" on the top with the linkage going to the back. I've never seen one of these before, and would like to see a picture of the whole thing.

Post by **Brian** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:22 am

Dextas and Majors to some extent did not all have the same auxiliary setup. They seemed to vary quite a lot on the export tractors. In the US for example, there were a complete range of DAR valves that were never seen here in England.

The early Dextas were fitted with a simple plate and tapping for a trailer pipe. This plate did not have a selector or flow control.

Next came a plate with a tapping and a selector that enabled the tapping to be isolated from the lift arm circuit giving the operator two separate circuits controlled by the main control lever.

Then came the auxiliary service plate with flow control and a selector. This plate was common to both Dexta and Super Major.

Finally we have the DAR valve which allows the operation of double acting rams and single acting ones, if the oil from the unused port is allowed to flow back into the rear axle.

We forget today that the Dexta was first tractor,made by Ford at Dagenham, to have a "sophisticated" hydraulic system. Its larger companions, in the early days, had just a simple up and down lift with the auxiliary feed taken direct from the ram cylinder. Very few Majors or Power Majors had the twin control chests that have featured in other forums on the board, this year.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 3:32 pm

Brian,
Does your flow control valve look like Terry's? What does this connect to on the back of the tractor? Where could a person get one of these?

Bensdexta · Post by **Bensdexta** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 6:46 pm

Mark wrote:Brian,
Does your flow control valve look like Terry's? What does this connect to on the back of the tractor? Where could a person get one of these?

Hi
See pic below of my flow control (awaiting cleaning and painting).

The flow control valve operates the moving stop which presses on the back of the hydraulics lever and moderates the speed with which the hydraulics can raise the plough in draft mode (see Brian's explanation above and also Section 8 Fordson Dexta Supplement Hydraulic Power Lift workshop manual download on Stefan's fordson-dexta.de site).
Flow control valves etc can be had 2nd hand in UK from breakers etc.
All the best,
Ben

dexta4 · Post by **dexta4** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 11:01 pm

Brian wrote:Dexta's rule OK!

The petrol Dexta has an advantage even over the diesel when ploughing and cultivating. That extra 6" length helps keep the front down and increases the leverage when the lift corrects.

Even when ploughing at around 12" with the revesible plough, up a hill, my front wheels stayed firmly on the ground.

i'll have to take your word on that one brian cause i'm a typical farmer and would be to tight to put the petrol in one!!

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 3:15 pm

Ben,
Thanks for the picture. Do you have anymore from the other side? Possibly a close up of back and front.

Chris Ivin · Post by **Chris Ivin** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 9:07 pm

I visited the Newark Tractor Show today, it was an excellent show with 800 tractors there!!

While there I managed to get a clear picture of a complete flow control set up

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sun Nov 08, 2009 1:09 am

Thanks Chris for the great picture. I see where it connects to the hydraulic lever. I couldn't make that out at first. I'm going to be on the lookout for one of these for my Dexta.

npaulz · Post by **npaulz** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 1:31 am

FYI. The pic of the connecting rod from the show appears to have the rod connected upside down??? It is certainly so compared to the pic from bensdexta and also my own one (63 super) in repair at present. Stefan's manual, on one of his inserted pages between P3 and P4 also supports this. Cheers.

Nevis · Post by **Nevis** » Thu Nov 25, 2010 5:01 pm

Gerry - I realise this is an old thread but my flow control knob is seized in the wound out position (ie low flow) so I was wondering how you unseized yours.

Andy

GERRY · Post by **GERRY** » Thu Nov 25, 2010 8:51 pm

Hi nevis, it was just acase of wd 40 plenty of it an apair of grips, iwas abit to impatient and destroyed the plastic knob, although this let me get abetter grip on the stem , take it easy with it just turnning it back an foward alittle at a time , youll get released, good luck . Gerry

Nevis · Post by **Nevis** » Sun Nov 28, 2010 9:58 am

Thanks for the reply Gerry - after lots of WD40 and wiggling with mole grips its now free and works great!

The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Hyd/ valve chest

Hyd/ valve chest

Flow control

Dexta flow control