%$#@! Priority Valve!

We got confused back then and put the priority line to the remote valve. So, every time you ran the valve, the steering locked up! Makes for a very interesting ride when operating a dual rake hitch...

Armed with advice I found here, we went out and swapped the lines on the priority valve so now the priority goes to the power steering. It steers with 1 finger now, easier than ever.

Problem is, now the remote valve gets HOT HOT HOT and siezes up after a few cycles!!! I think we need to adjust the priority valve to get more oil to the remote valve, but don't know how. Dad wants to switch it back to the way it was so the steering locks up, because at least the hydraulic remote was usable.

He's tried adjusting the priority valve, but it didn't come with instructions, and just has a set screw for adjustment. If he turns the set screw in, the hydraulic pump on the tractor starts making noise.

This priority valve came from northern hydraulics (now northern tool), and was the only one available at the time. Unfortunately, that's all the information I have on it, as it is just a generic grey block with three threaded ports and a set screw.

"Inlet" (or may be labelled "Pump") gets the pressure line from the live pump.

"Controlled Flow" outlet (may be labeled "priority" or "A") to the steering motor inlet.

"Excess Flow" outlet (may be labeled "B") to the remote 4-way valve inlet.

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Power steering motor return line should dump directly to the hydraulic reservoir, or it can be tee'd into the return from the remote 4 way valve.

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Properly connected and adjusted the power steering will work regardless of engine RPM, and work regardless of the position of the remote 4-way valve. Also the hydraulics should only ever become just warm to the touch.

Take a tractor that has been out working hard all day in 100 degree heat and that whole darned tractor is gonna be about 200 degrees from the steering bolster to the PTO shaft.

Ya can't grab any of the hydraulic components and expect it to only be "warm to the touch". :>)

Allan

I based my comment on long personal experience here in perpetually gloomy upstate NY - where a 75 deg day is considered a "scorcher".

Perhaps more appropriate would be to state hydraulic temp should not rise more than 50 - 60 deg above ambient?

Do you have that "exhaust" port on the priority valve plumbed to be the "input" pressure for the rest of the system?

Then take the "exhaust" of the steering motor and run it back to sump as a separate line?

Allan

The remote valve and power steering motor both dump into a common "manifold" that returns to a large bung on the side of the reservoir.

One of the sticking points here is that the priority valve really isn't labeled, and there are no instructions. There's one port on the bottom, which we presume is the inlet, and two on top, which we presume are the outlets.

We haven't had any trouble with the remote valve being too hot to operate until we swapped the hoses on the priority valve. It seems we can have one or the other, just not both.

Which side of the priority valve should have adjustable flow? The priority side or the secondary?

Now that I think more about it, I noticed that when running the dump trailer if I turnd the wheel while lifting, the trailer would stop lifting. It also lifted slower than usual, and came down faster than usual (this trailer has 1-way cylinders and we usually need to squeal the relief valve or shut the tractor off to let it back down).