Pump - Most pickup mounted snowplows use the old style GM power steering pump with a different reservoir for more volume to accommodate the cylinders. The new GM p/s pumps use a remote reservoir and can operate in any position. Chrysler uses the same pump. These pumps are not all that expensive at the auto recyclers, and even less expensive if you know someone who is scrapping a car or truck with the remote reservoir pump.

Control valves - Rethink your cylinder applications. Power up and down for the lift cylinders, power up and gravity dump for the bucket with the cylinders under the arms.

That's about as simple as it gets. I spent a lot of hours trying to sort through the same problems when I was starting out with my GT hobby 40 years ago when remote reservoir p/s pumps were as rare as hen's teeth and p/s included a control valve and cylinder incorporated in the steering linkage in many older cars.

 

Is it possible to lock out the float on the spool when not desired?

 

There is no float position on the valves for a snow plow. The lift cylinder is one way operation, power to lift, and gravity to lower. The cylinder lifts an arm from which the plow is suspended by a chain. The slack chain allows the plow to float when it is lowered to the ground.

 

I was raised using a loader on an old John Deere B with a one way lift cylinder and gravity down. The down rate was controlled by what fluid was allowed to pass the valve in the down position.

 

There are times when you want to apply down pressure without tipping the bucket into a digging attitude which is why I offered an alternative .

 

Actually, there is a float position on mine. It is also the down. There is up, neutral (lock the ram) and gravity drop which doubles as a float.

The "float" is necessary to allow you to hand compress the ram/A frame in order to adjust the chain. You can leave it in down/float and it will work as a true "float" when plowing.

But between the trip edge and the chain allowing up movement, leaving it in down/float is kind of redundant. I used to leave it in "neutral" when plowing because I didn't want the blade to drop into holes, drainage channels and such.

Building a mule drive makes sense for more than just running the pump. My Murray is a belt drive, so a mule drive would give me the option of a horizontal PTO (for rear mount implements) as well as driving the Hyd pump.

Interesting comment on the undermounting the ram for the bucket. I can visualize it, but not sure if it's how I want to go. Doesn't really fit the way I want to build it. Definitely something to think about. I do see the benefit to both ways though, it's just a matter of what will work best for my use.

I had actually forgotten about the ram locking in the neutral position (haven't used it or plowed in about 7-8 years).

If I used the gravity drop spool for the arms, they would lock in a full down position for scraping. At least where they stop on grade when dropped. I wouldn't have power down on the arms, but it would work fine as an interim measure.

If I needed digging/scraping, I could tip the bucket if I used the power down spool for the bucket and the arms woudl be locked by the gravity down neutral position. That would also set me up for a simple swap of valves to something with power down for the arms instead of cutting and welding the arms/bucket.

I rely don't see a down side to using the gravity down for the arms and power down for the bucket except the fall rate of the arms, if that would even be an issue at all. Actually, when I think about it, it might actually be too slow on gravity down. The valve is set up for 400-500lbs of plow blade and my little loader won't be anywhere near that. I'll have to pull the valve body off the shelf and see if there is an adjustment for that. I know there is on the electric over hydraulic packs, not sure there is for the old speedcast/MM1 valves.

Also, as I mentioned, this is mostly just going to be a powered wheel barrow for me. Carrying soil, mulch, landscape bricks, etc is the hardest work it will see. Minimal digging and light stuff only. Our soil is primarily medium grain sand.

It won't even see snow removal duty. I've got a nice, big Toro snowblower for that. The Toro is power everything (right down to steering) and tosses snow a good 30-40 feet dry and a good 10-15 feet for pure slush. Yup, the Toro is my preferred weapon for my residence snow removal as I've only got about 45 feet of driveway at the new house.

Or:

I may just spend some time on the mill and lathe and make my own valve block when time allows. I've got most of what I need in raw materials around already, mostly woudl only have to buy the seals. Easy stuff.

Hmmm, that actually sounds like kind of a fun project for a lazy weekend....

 

Ah, pictures are worth a thousand words every time:

Maybe a couple other options for bucket actuation:

Might be a little too complex and weighty with the extra arms and linkages for a small garden tractor. Although, I do only plan to use a single center mounted hyd cylinder to save weight whichever way I go with it. So maybe the weight penalty wouldn't be as bad as I think it might be.

I was looking at top mount cylinders originally as I wanted to design the bucket to be "auto leveling" as it lifted. I'm sure there must be a way to do that with undermount cylinders or the lever type actuation in the diagrams. More research required.

Call me silly, but I love to research stuff and learn new things! So I'm in my element!

 

yet another option:

 

This integrated reservoir pump; does it have screw-in cartridges? Can you post picture. I would get a two valve stack and mod pump unit to provide constant flow.

 

Sitting here thinking about what to use where.

I'd like to make the loader removable (similar to the kubota bx series) which means i would need the power down on the loader arms...

 

Well now. Just watched a couple John Deere 45 loader videos for install and removal. I think I actually like that more than the Kubota BX style.

Only tricky part seems to be the shape of the bottom of the upright arm that engages the square bar on the tractor.

those bottom side plates are certainly something I can turn out on the mill. The rest is just metal fab and welding. Pretty standard stuff for me.

But I would have to go with the "power down" on the lift arm cylinders to make it all work. That's a strong argument for power down on the lift and single acting on the bucket.

Hmmm, tomorrow is Sunday. I think I'll head up to the local JD place with paper and pencil and maybe take a tracing and a few measurements.......

 

Don't need 2-way,-- BUT you will kick yourself for not making 2-way on both lift arms AND the bucket!-- Even just pushing the bucket into a pile of loose dirt ,down pressure sure is nice, and sometimes a must.
All of my loaders have 2-way on everything that moves, and I would hate to be without it!
It's your project and do as you like, but 2-way sure is nice!!! lol!!! thanks; sonny

 

I would go with bucket power in and out, lift power up and gravity down. Unless you plan on digging a lot. You can limit speed of lift and drop by installing some restrictors in the the line. I believe the valve you have will hold the load?

 

One way valves work without restrictors in the line!--Just crack the lever a little and cylinders will drop, move lever a lot and it will drop fast! thanks; sonny