Can Adjustments be made to a Front End Loader?

[Steve W]

Does anyone know if there are adjustments that can be made to a front end loader? The gentleman that I purchased my loader from said that adjustments could be made in the control area. Check out the picture; I'm looking at the aluminum cylinders poping out from the bottom. He said something about adding or romving washers inside there will adjust the power it has.

[4SPEED]

you can boost the pressure by adding a washer or heavier spring in the valve. ( its not recommended ) as it add alot more pressure to the lines and cylinder seals. I wouldnt think the cub engine would be able to handle the added pressure. the engine would want to stall under the load you want to pick up.

I do it to my older forklifts, I have a 15,000 lb forklift the will pick 20k now.

you can do the same to the fule pump on a diesel trucks, thats how they make them smoke.

[Methos]

Steve, MattG was able to adjust his Kwik-Way loader with shims to get it to lift more. You would have to contact him for that info as it's not on his site.

This Kwik-Way model can lift 750 lbs. Which happens to be the most of a factory made FEL for cubs. I'm sure CADPlans or PF loaders can lift a lot more but those are more of a custom loader with some assembly required.

[cmatthew]

you could give it to me for a few months. i'll adjust it for you!!! LOL

[CADplans]

Where is the hydraulic flow coming from?

Or what is the pump? What spins the pump?

And I would need a pic of the other side of the valve to see the pressure adjuster. Near the handles. The adjuster is usually a screw pushing on a spring on modern valves. Sometimes there is a screw on cover that protects the adjuster.

[ol'George]

Originally Posted by Steve W

Does anyone know if there are adjustments that can be made to a front end loader? The gentleman that I purchased my loader from said that adjustments could be made in the control area. Check out the picture; I'm looking at the aluminum cylinders poping out from the bottom. He said something about adding or romving washers inside there will adjust the power it has.

Normally a pressure relief valve is set to prevent damage to system components and it is the limiting factor in the lifting capacity.
The spools in the control valve you are referencing are not the relief valve.
the relief is usually on the side of the control valve near the inlet hose.
There is usually a bullet looking cover over the relief and it is adjusted either by shims or adjustment screw, usually the latter.

[Steve W]

Originally Posted by 4SPEED

I do it to my older forklifts, I have a 15,000 lb forklift the will pick 20k now.

you can do the same to the fule pump on a diesel trucks, thats how they make them smoke.

Here is another reason I love this Forum. You can pick up little tid bits like this one.

[Steve W]

Originally Posted by ol'George

Normally a pressure relief valve is set to prevent damage to system components and it is the limiting factor in the lifting capacity.
The spools in the control valve you are referencing are not the relief valve.
the relief is usually on the side of the control valve near the inlet hose.
There is usually a bullet looking cover over the relief and it is adjusted either by shims or adjustment screw, usually the latter.

I am thinking that I need to un screw the long cylinder caps in the first picture (pictured looking up at the bottom), and then add some shims or washers to the inside, and then put it back on. (the inlet hose is the big one on the left)

I think the previous owner took some out because the loader doesnt have the power to pick the front end up off the ground AND it doesnt lift the rear off the ground when the bucket is stuck in the dirt. In either situation, the loader just stops moving.

[Matt G.]

Those caps just cover the centering springs for the valves. There is no adjustment there. If there is a relief valve on that valve body, it is probably under a similar cover on the opposite end where the handles attach. If I remember right, there should be a big screw or something like that under that one. I would tee the input line from the pump and put a gauge on it so you can find out what it is set at and what you are setting it to. Make sure the gauge goes to at least 2000psi so that doesn't become the relief valve.


The 'safe' lift capacity is probably more like 350 lbs...I know of one person that lifts more 5-600 lbs, but he has done many, many modifications to the front axle, steering, and other things so that nothing breaks, but he still has broken a few axles. The counterweight needed to lift 750 lbs would likely cause you to twist off axles like crazy, or wear out the bearings in the rearend, or cause other issues.

Edit: You can see a smaller cap to the left of the handles on the control valve in your 3rd picture. That's the relief valve.

[CADplans]

The main reason you should not raise the relief valve pressure without a gauge and knowing the maximum pressure is your pump drive method - belt.

Higher pressure at the valve means a higher pressure at the pump.

The side load of the belt on the pump will exponentially shorten the life of the pump as pressure is increased a small amount.

Find out the maximum operating pressure of the loader design before changing the relief valve.

Getting the aluminum shavings out of that hydraulic system is difficult after the pump bearing starts to fail.