JD 8B BH sitcky valves for outriggers

I just thought that this might be something for informational purposes. As I continue to go through my recent purchase of a JD 990 with 300CX and 8B BH one of the problems I found was that the two outrigger levers/valves and more one than the other would just stay in place when you pushed it pulled it to move the outrigger. I had to get a new hose for the return to the PB since when I first used the BH it slid off of its mount because the pins were not locked underneath. When it did that it pulled on the hose and kinked it. So while getting a new hose at American Hose & Hydraulics http://www.americanhose.net/ which is only about 14 miles from my house I decided to ask them what the problem might be. I got to talk with one of their specialists (I brought my camera with a picture of the spool valves with me)and he told me that I should pull the spool valve apart and see if it is dirty or if the spring is ok. He showed me a spool valve that looked very similar and showed me how easy it is to pull apart and showed me how easy it should move. Well I went back home and pulled that specific valve apart and it was clean as a whistle and moved freely and the spring was fine. (sorry I did not take any pictures, they would have been good to show) Then we saw that it was really the linkage that was all frozen up with rust which was really causing the problem. We then cleaned it all using a file and sand paper and PB fluid to get rid of the rust. Ameriquip must have used a lower quality steel lever on the two outrigger levers than they did on the levers for the boom/dipper/bucket controls. Now after doing all that I was able to clean things up and put the new return hose on etc. Getting the cover back on is a bear. The thing is really tight.

As a side note I thought that if I did want to make my thumb hydraulic powered in the future, that an easy (really not that easy) way would be to add one more spool valve to the bank and you would have a valve for a thumb. The hard part is you would need to fabricate a whole new cover and back plate to fit everything properly. but that would be the ideal way to do it.

Below are the pictures.

Rob