Foot pedal for speed control on 200 and 400 series

[thebuildist]

I have planned for years to install foot control following Grummy's directions, first for my 442, and later for my 4020.

I have some concern that I may struggle to join the bellcrank to control rod running to the TCV, because I've upgraded my control rods to a custom design, which has no smooth 1/4" rod segments. I could probably remove the existing control rod and attach a horizontal rod protruding from it, as Grummy says you need. And I ultimately probably will.

However, I really like David Barkey's solution as well: Like Grummy, David installed a foot/toe lever attached to a horizontal shaft that runs through the tower. But from there he welded a bellcrank vertically up from that shaft. And then he welded a horizontal bellcrank onto the vertical shaft of the travel control lever. From there he joined those two bell cranks using a piece of allthread tipped with swivel-bearing rod ends.

If you have space in the tower for its slightly greater overall bulk, it seems like it would be easier to install, and easier to adjust it.

Since I have both the 4000 series and a big PS valve, I don't know if I have room to go that way or not. But If I do, then that's the route I'll go:

Grummy's spring-loaded toe lever, push down to go forward, lift up for reverse.
And David Barkey's method to join from the foot lever shaft to the travel control lever shaft.

Bob

[Eugen]

Nobody tried something like the 600 series? Maybe there's no room..

[Spike188]

@SylvesterCalzone aka Mike in Toronto, and a small engine rebuilder, has a 6xxbh that has a Grummy foot control. Mike bought the tractor in the Chicago area. I should take time to find my pictures of it tomorrow.

I don't want to be a whiner, but I can't pull myself off the soffa with any CGITGT. Started out as a head banging cold Wednesday. I gave up digging in last night. Today it has been accompanied by fever.

[Jancoe]

I really like the foot controls on my 2 6018's. I also don't mind the hand levers on my other tractors. Would I rather have foot controls? Yes. I've been wanting a 4200 series for a while. None have come up around me. That's said I have my 4016ps project sidelined again due to other jobs, but I've been thinking about it with that since it's getting alot of work done to it. I figured I call up a dealer and get my hands on a parts diagram so I can buy some necessary parts and fabricate the rest. I do like David's job he did, having the option to use hand levers or foot controls. I'd rather not go heel/toe if I can figure the pedal system out. My concern is the different shoes I wear depending on work and weather. Making sure it fits and is comfortable.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

[thebuildist]

I've been playing with some cad models for how a banana plate works, and it's a nifty idea. I find the idea that the lever only sets direction, and the foot pedal determines the "amount" to be interesting.

But it looks to me like forward and reverse have different lever arm lengths, and therefore different pedal travel. For those of you with a 644 or whatever, does the foot pedal travel a bit farther when you're going forward vs in reverse? Or vices versa? (I might have my directions mentally backward)

Then I've played for a while to how to balance that out. And by shifting the arc to the left on the banana plate, you can transfer the "imbalance" over to the amount that the fwd/reverse lever itself has to move. You can make it where the foot pedal has about the same amount of travel in either forward or reverse, but the lever itself has to be pushed either "way" forward or only "a little bit backward".

Finally, it occurs to me that you could discard the mechanical fwd/reverse lever in exchange for a 6-port selector valve placed between the TCV and the travel motor, and having the foot pedal only "push" the travel spool in. So the fluid always leaves the TCV from the same port, flowing the same direction, but the position of the selector valve determines which port on the travel motor is hooked to "feed" and which is hooked to "suction". If it's a manual selector valve, then you have to create some kind of lever/linkage for the operator to be able to set it. But if you went with an electrical selector valve, then you can just put a switch on the dashboard, flip up for forward, back for reverse. And hit the pedal when you want to go.

But I don't see how you could have neutral, unless you added ANOTHER electric selector valve inline there, this one dumping to tank. So your three way dash switch could have a neutral position, and in that position the "dump to tank" selector is activated, and pushing the pedal does nothing.

Probably useless musings, but it's fun to think about.

Bob

[DavidBarkey]

Due to the compactness of these tractors , managing foot size withing foot rest especially with a cab or loader frame in front of your feet is always a concern . I prefer the two peddle approach myself . Having the brake on the other side is far better than the hydros out there with all on one side . I know they do it that way because people are taught to drive with one foot except with manual clutch .

[thebuildist]

another useless musing: You could install a clutch pedal.

If the bottom end of the vertical travel control lever isn't captured and fixed into position, then it can't exert any push/pull on the TCV spool linkage rod. You can twist the lever all you want, but its free-floating end will just wobble back and forth, no effect on the TCV.

You could put a bearing on the lower end of the travel lever and then install a sliding clutch plate, as in the picture. In one position it allows the lower end of the travel control lever to just wobble freely, aka "neutral".

Slid over to the other position, it captures and fixes in place the lower end of the travel control lever, making the travel lever now effectual against the TCV spool linkage, aka "go"

Then you install some sort of horizontal bellcrank linkage between the travel of the clutch pedal and the sliding of the clutch plate.

This is all conceptual, of course. So I'm sure that with the clutch plate slid to the right that the travel lever wouldn't make things move. I predict that the behavior would be that if you push the travel lever forward and then let the clutch out, that the lever will stay in position, and the clutch release will force the TCV linkage itself to move. Certainly if you hold the travel lever forward, that's the result you'd get. You just may or may not have to add/adjust the rotational friction of the travel lever to prevent the movement of the clutch plate from rotating the travel lever back out of position.

If you've alway wanted a clutch pedal, here's your chance.

Bob

[thebuildist]

I just realized that the above approach, if you reverse the pedal direction, will duplicate the function of the 64x series, effectively replacing the banana plate.

With the pedal retracted and the"clutch plate" slid to the right, push the travel lever forward and it does nothing. But when you depress the pedal and force the "clutch plate"to slide leftward, the clutch plate will capture the free end of the travel lever and cause the TCV spool linkage to move.

I'm not sure it's as good as or better than the banana plate method, but I think it's more compact, so could be applied to almost any if not any machine.

Bob

[thebuildist]

I've found a problem: there's nothing in this design to return the spool to center when you let off the pedal. Probably a real pain to put in a spring loaded return to center. So probably not a viable approach to replace the banana plate.

Bob

[Eugen]

@thebuildist, you have interesting ideas. I'm not sure I understand completely though.

As for the 644 pedal and banana plate, I'm not sure about your question. You can set the lever either all the way to one side, or all the way the other side. The pin goes all the way to the end on the banana plate, where there is a tiny notch so it doesn't move away from the end easily. The pedal has only one direction, you press on it and it can go all the way to the floor, but some of that range does not change the speed, only the beginning of pressing on it. It is spring loaded and it returns all the way up when you let go. I can see how people would prefer a lever instead of this pedal when mowing for extended periods of time, as you set the lever in one position and leave it there, instead of pressing on the pedal continuously. Which is why Dave's design is nice, you get either foot or lever, depending on what task you do.