The problem you are having is common with early 54" blades. What you have to do is index the elbow at the back end of the cylinder, so that it is at a right angle to the length of the cylinder, not inline with the length of the cylinder. That should resolve the issue.

 

So this is a well known thing?

I guess I was thinking to hard for a fix. I'll head out tomorrow and try what you said. I will be bringing a pile of fittings so one way or another it will not hit anymore after tomorow...lol

 

It's not documented in any manuals, but it is a common issue and that is the accepted way to resolve the problem.

 

Try rotating the front cylinder attachment point by pulling the pin and indexing it down. This should give you more clearance as it will change the operating angle of the cylinder.


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Yes it does but say I'm pushing brush or just knocking over large jager bushes. It is nice to be able to raise the blade up to it's highest point at first to try to save the tactors paint.

Also, by indexing it down you have to be real carful when just driving around since the blade will dig into the yard if you hit a bump.

 

I just wanted to show what I did to get the clearance needed to not break fittings. I added a 90 and a 45 and this still lets the hose run like it did but now it runs down the side instead of on top.

My camera was fogging up but i think you can make out the fittings. The little pin that I'm pointing at, turns out to be the upward travel limiter or stop. The ram when fully retracted (blade up) does not pull the black blade frame piece up against the stop. That is why it kept going up when I'd push with the blade up. I will use my metal lathe to make a piece that slides over the stop to make it have a larger diameter so the blade wont go much past fully lifted.

I really don't need to make the stop have a larger diameter now that the line clears the tractor frame but it does still get close when the blade is up and you lift it up farther by hand. Right now after digging 2 broken fitting out of the ram body I'm thinking the more room the better...lol