KV plough synchronizing valve block problem

I have a KV plough and LD85 -240 dating back to around 1999.

The valve block seems to have a problem whereby it moves the plough in line to start the turnover phase (via extending the angling ram), but once the plough is mid way over, the angling ram contracts and the end of the plough hits the ground. This has suddenly started happening. The valve is about 6 years old and hasnt done that much work.

I have been told its definitely the syncro spool block on the headstock and that these are prone to going.. Replacement cost is £1k... Is there anything that can be done to recondition these blocks ?
 

davedb

Member
Location
Staffordshire
if its like the one on the KV plough at work, you should be able to take it to bits easily enoght and make sure everything is moving freely, youve got nothing to loose anyway(y)
 

dinderleat

Member
Location
Wells
Might be the seals in either the turn over or the angling ram we had the same problem possible could be the seals broke up and travelled to the blocks causing issues. Pm me if you want to chat might be able to talk you through it(y)
 

Magnificent Earwig

Member
Mixed Farmer
This is of interest to me too as our LD 85 has a problem with the block. The problem we have is that the ram on the beam would creep open whilst in work. Had the ram re-sealed and took the block apart and re-sealed that but made no difference. Maybe a hairline crack somewhere? Anyway the quick fix which we used was to pipe the ram onto a separate spool and blank the two existing outlets on the block off. It works well, good job for electronic spools really, but would like to find out what the problem is and what the answer is really.
 

marcot

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Bury St Edmunds
This is of interest to me too as our LD 85 has a problem with the block. The problem we have is that the ram on the beam would creep open whilst in work. Had the ram re-sealed and took the block apart and re-sealed that but made no difference. Maybe a hairline crack somewhere? Anyway the quick fix which we used was to pipe the ram onto a separate spool and blank the two existing outlets on the block off. It works well, good job for electronic spools really, but would like to find out what the problem is and what the answer is really.
Do you have a hydraulic press arm?
I had similar symptoms and changed the valve block but that didn't make any difference. Finally narrowed it down to the seals broken up in the press arm.......
 

Hamishws

Member
Does it have the same problem both ways? We have had a very similar sounding problem before and after having allot of head scratching and changing ram seals, valves, and spool valve couplers, we narrowed it down to the bearings in the main turnover pin(the big one almost as thick as your arm, where the beam connects to the headstock).
When the bearing has gone it increases the hydraulic pressure taken to turn the plough over which has the same effect on the valve block as when the ram hits the end of the stroke. Because of this increase in pressure the valve block to moves on in the sequence and as a result pulls the ram in which causes the beam to pull in and hit the ground.

I hope this makes sense and helps.
 
Thanks for this. I've piped angling ram to tractor and it seems ok seal wise. Same with turnover although I could only turn it halfway until it hit top dead centre as it were. Therefore it has to be valve block ? Is there anyone that can recalibrate/fix them I wonder ? Seems expensive othereid

Shame I only have manual spools on the ploughing T7 !
 

Mark C

Member
Location
Bedfordshire
It could be the poppet valve in the valve block. We replaced ours in our old KV as it wouldn't turn over properly. IIRC it's the little valve behind one of the Allen key head caps that switches the oil flow on to the turnover ram. They wear over time and either allow too much or not enough oil past.
 

Darren

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
From back when I had a KV LB100 I remember the dealer taking one of the Allen caps off and swapping some shims around to get it "tuned" in with the tractor. Whether that could be a issue?
 
The 0 ring on the middle shuttle plunger is usually the cause of the alignment ram creeping towards wide, the 0 ring is teflon based and cannot be fitted to the plunger in the farm workshop, therefore KV supply a new plunger already fitted with the special 0 ring.
fitting a normal 0 ring will not suffice and you will be back in the valve chest in a few hours.
Remove valve chest from head stock and remove both large caps from either side of chest, from memory there will be a blue spring in one side and a yellow spring in the other, make sure these are replaced in the correct side on rebuilding, push out centre shuttle plunger and insert new one, rebuild and you should be on your way,

copied and pasted from some other place, it was what was wrong with mine.
 
thanks for this Cambridgeshire My chap pulled it apart the other day and put it back together again after seeing nothing wrong. Is there precise settings, such as so many turns of a thread etc in setting them up. If there is then Im now stuffed !
If not I might try and change that plunger. Anyone know how to contact KV tech, or wont they want to talk to a mere end user, the buyer of their machinery ? !
 
No there is no precise setting just do them up, the plunger looks like a tiny dumbbell with o ring in middle, I sent KV an email and they came straight back with part number!
 

Farmer Bob

Member
Location
East Lothian
I have a similar problem with my plough as of yesterday, mine works itself closed in work so have to keep adjusting memory ram out every couple of rounds. Presume it's the same fix for this?
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 80 42.3%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 34.9%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 15.9%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,294
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top