Some notes on design and installation of hydraulic lift selector valve and rear lift cylinder on Case 446


  Check out Item # 2071 on www.northerntool.com . That is the type of valve you need and for all the searching I've done, is about the best price you will find.

  Also, look at the pictures in the Tim's 448 folder in the photos section on the group. He has done some very interesting things including this selector valve modification, to his tractor, and done them all very nicely.  

  I don't know what year your tractor is or what the footrests look like on it, but on mine the left side footrest has a step up about 3/4 of the way back. I mounted my valve under there with the knob on the valve sticking up through a 3/4# hole I drilled in the footrest. The valve had four 1/4-20 tapped holes in one end of it, and I drilled four holes down through the footrest to match those for mounting it. I also used a longer than normal 3/8 drill bit to drill through the two normal mounting holes on the valve and on through the tractor frame for a couple 3/8" bolts for extra support. I had to put some spacers between the valve and the frame to fill the gap, but it is all really solid once you're done. Just try to get the valve as far forward as you can so it will clear the left tire. It gets a little close if you run chains all the time like I do. I'm thinking about adding a shield around the valve to protect it, but don't know if it is absolutely
necessary.

   If you look at the valve on Northern's website, you will see it has a set of two holes on each of three sides of the valve. I found the best way to mount the valve was with one set facing forward on the tractor, one set facing to the rear, and one facing outward from the frame.  You run two hoses from the small fittings on the control valve under the tractor to the two ports facing outward on the new selector valve. Then use the two ports facing forward to supply the existing attachment lift cylinder on the tractor, and the remaining set to run supply lines to the rear.  I used 1/4" hose for everything as they are much easier to find room for than anything bigger. You can use the two hose/line set-ups that are already on the tractor with a little judicious bending of the lines to go from the existing valve to the new one.
 
  One problem you will have is that the existing fittings on the tractor's control valve and the lift cylinder are #5 (5/16) JIC, which is not a common size. I had a hard time finding adapters to go to #4 (1/4") NPT.  I finally found them at a large Parker Hydraulics dealer's warehouse near where I work. You will not find them at any retail type outlets so don't waste your time. The place I got mine is called Bond Fluidaire and is a supply house for industrial and commercial hydraulics and pneumatics supplies. They had to make up a short adapter hose to use where the old line attached to the new valve as that was the only way they could come up with a #5 female JIC fitting. They had an adapter for the 1/4" NPT to #5 Male JIC to use at the connection on the existing lift cylinder. They also made my 1/4" hoses for me once I figured out how long they needed to be.
   
 You will need to use a couple 1/2" NPT street elbows to come out of the new valve on the two ports facing outward. You want to make sure that you get fittings that stick out as little as possible as this is the tightest spot for clearance on the installation. I started out with 1/2" to 1/4" reducers and then 1/4" elbows, but they stuck out too far and were a very weak looking setup. The 1/2" NPT street elbows are a lot stronger and might withstand a wayward stick or rock if necessary.

    I used a small set of hydraulic quick disconnects at the rear of the tractor so I can unplug my lift cylinder on the sleeve hitch and connect other attachments back there if I want. The hitch stays at whatever height it is at when you unplug the lines unless you have a leaking cylinder. I'm thinking hydraulic dump trailer sometime in the near future or perhaps hydraulic height adjustment on my towed mower deck. I used some 1/2" x 3/4" aluminum bar stock to make the mounts for the lines at the rear of the tractor.

    I'll warn you ahead of time, you will have more money tied up in
fittings and hoses than you do in the valve. Don't try to use black pipe or galvanized fittings. They are not made for the hydraulic pressure. TSC stores or any good farm supply will have some of the fittings you need and premade 1/4" hoses in a few different lengths, but you will need the hydraulics warehouse for the #5 stuff and the hoses look a lot better made to the correct length . I didn't find much savings at TSC either. Prices were pretty much the same at the warehouse.

I have a friend who has more of the hydraulic cylinders like I used for my rear lift, and will check with him to see what he wants for them if you would like, or you can watch e-bay and find one almost any time.
Contact me by e-mail at john@vtpmail.com

Good luck and enjoy the project.  I've got some pictures of my set-up now and will try to post them to the groups. The photos section for the casegarddentractors group is full but there is plenty of room on the coltcaseingersollclassifieds group so I will put them there under Hydraulic Lift Selector Valve.  
 
John D
Freeport MI