WD-45 gravity drop loader and bucket update?

OldIron

Member
Hello,

I did some searches, but not sure I'm asking the right question.
I'd like to update my Dad's old WD-45 Allis machine with a gravity drop loader and bucket.
What I'm looking to do is add a power bucket to the machine, but not sure if I can simply add lines, control and actuator, or if some other change is needed to keep using the tractor pump.
Any ideas or pointers to the right place are greatly appreciated.
OldIron...
 
Your tractors hydraulic pump is Factory rated at around 3,400 psi pressure. With age, it has probably settled down to 3,000 psi. If you don't intend to lift maximum loads with the boom, you can probably use the old existing hydraulic lift cylinders and not have down-pressure. If you think down-pressure is needed, you'll have to buy two double-acting boom hydraulic cylinders of the same length as your existing single-acting cylinders and maybe slightly larger in diameter for max lift power. You will definitely have to fabricate one or two double-acting cylinders for the bucket to dump/roll back. You will have to buy a dual-spool/double acting open center valve to operate these cylinders and it will be rated at probably 2400 to 2500 psi maximum relief setting. This goes back to what I said earlier, about maximum lift power with your old boom cylinders. Remember, your pump only runs when you use the hand clutch, so this hydraulic valve needs to be operated with your left hand ?? It will not be a very handy set-up with your tractors hydraulic pump being only about 4 GPM and not really "live". Many of these tractors had a 400 series Allis loader mounted on them with a crankshaft driven front pump that was "live" and 10 GPM. That was a real good set-up.
 
Not sure what your saying for sure. Are you saying the bucket is a trip type where you pull la lever and it trips the bucket so it dumps or are you saying you want to have power down on the main arms??
 
Thanks for the question, and sorry about the lack of clarity.

The gravity down for lift is fine.

What I'd like to do is modify the trip bucket to a hydraulic bucket, up and down.

OldIron
 
Sorry if my post was confusing. I’m good with the gravity down on the boom (lift arms).

I’m actually looking more to add hydraulics to replace the trip bucket mechanism. What do you mean by “your pump only runs when you use the hand clutch”.

This WD-45 has a baling hand clutch along with the standard foot clutch.
It also has one hydraulic control lever on the left side, opposite the hand throttle just forward of the steering wheel, on the ‘tree’ like our old van three-on-the-tree shifter.

If I understand you correctly, the internal pump only operates with that hydraulic lever ‘up’ so having pressure to the newly installed ‘trip bucket’ replacement would not be full time?

Again, thanks for any and all input, I’m good mechanically, but not familiar with the internals of his WD-45.
Any chance of a photo or two of the 400 series loader set-up?

OldIron
 
When plumbed thru the new add-on open-center dual spool valve, you will have to leave your current hand hydraulic lever up all the time, so that oil will flow thru the new valve and be available for work whenever you activate either lever on the new added-on valve. When you push your foot clutch in, your hydraulic pump is dead, thus you need to utilize the hand clutch or shift the trans into neutral and release the foot clutch to make your pump work. Any of these items you are talking about are not going to be cheap. If you could find a 400 series loader that fits a WD-45 (actually called a 445 loader) you'll probably pay $1,200 or more depending on the condition.
 
If it does not have the bracket for the hyd cylinders it can be a night mare figuring out the position for the mounts so it will dump as it should both when the loader is low and also when it is high. I have done 3 or 4 of them and takes a lot of trying this and that to make them work well
 
While full live hydraulic and any extra valves on a wd 45 add a whole new level of complication to operate if a person is willing to spend the set up time and tolerate the end product it would be a handy setup. I would use a closed center valve as the pump has a pressure relief and an open center is unnessicary. I have often thought about doing this with mine. I'm gonna some day even though I suspect you would have to be an ambidextrous octopus to run the tractor when I'm done.
 
(quoted from post at 16:20:35 07/09/15) While full live hydraulic and any extra valves on a wd 45 add a whole new level of complication to operate if a person is willing to spend the set up time and tolerate the end product it would be a handy setup. I would use a closed center valve as the pump has a pressure relief and an open center is unnessicary. I have often thought about doing this with mine. I'm gonna some day even though I suspect you would have to be an ambidextrous octopus to run the tractor when I'm done.
I was thinking amphibious octopus ?? Anyway....I think with the pump unloader valve being set at 3,000 psi or more, that may not work too well with a closed center type valve that is set for 2,400 psi and cylinders that match that operating pressure. Regardless, anyone who takes on a project like this, is going to spend some cash and it will probably never be as nice and useful as an A-C 445 loader is.
 
Possibly go for a mag drive hyd pump for true live hyd .Add reservoir and valve from surplus center or baum iron. This would give power while using foot clutch to shift gears. Could use pto powered char linn pump which has 2 way and one way valves built in including enclosed reserovir. This enables standard cylinders not high pressure for allis chalmers. I have seen used char linn pumps at farm sales rather cheap and are simple pumps and easily rebuilt.
 
(quoted from post at 16:18:02 07/08/15) Hello,

I did some searches, but not sure I'm asking the right question.
I'd like to update my Dad's old WD-45 Allis machine with a gravity drop loader and bucket.
What I'm looking to do is add a power bucket to the machine, but not sure if I can simply add lines, control and actuator, or if some other change is needed to keep using the tractor pump.
Any ideas or pointers to the right place are greatly appreciated.
OldIron...
Hi I recently read this post today and amazingly I have the same problem with a WD tractor with AC loader which has a trip bucket and two single acting rams ,my question is similar and want to place two small rams on the bucket but wondering which system would work without having eight hands on different levers etc. has anyone got a solution that would enable live hydraulics using some other method that would enable it to be user friendly,brackets for the rams are fitted to frame close too bucket so I realise trial and error for correct position of rams ?
 
Nothing is going to be easy to use if you want to use the hand clutch at all. I set a loader up on my D17 with a front pump and Prince valves. One hand on the valves and one hand on the hand clutch. Steering is optional. You really need to get away from using the tractor hyd pump. Some kind of belt driven setup off the engine would work. Get a power steering pump pulley to mount on the crank and fab up some brackets. Hang a 3-5 gallon reservoir somewhere and buy a Prince 2 spool valve.
AaronSEIA
 
thanks that helps but now I have to find parts as difficult in Canada on where to look but that helped,really appreciated
 
Hydraulic Surplus Center is where I got all the parts I didn't already have. eBay might work as well. Lot of people willing to ship to Canada if you can't find what you need up there.
AaronSEIA
 

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