Hydro foot control (#8-3900) installation.

[AMC RULES 36,945]

Made the time to finish installing one of Doc in Kentucky's hydro foot control kits on my first year 520-H today. Turned out great, I do really like it, but I think I'm going to adjust the reverse out of the foot control as it only seems to operate at half speed anyway. I want my pedal to control forward speed and back to neutral only, more intuitive that way I think. The kit installs without over riding the factory controls, so I'm fine with keeping my reverse function as factory, on the stick. I won't bore you with all the minute details, rest assured the supplied instructions are spot on. Just a quick pictorial overview of the process.

Directions start by removing the lower control cover plate to access the motion control pivot bracket, additionally both left and right side covers will come off at this time also.

You are basically just adding another (red) control bar onto the factory motion control pivot bracket. You then add the new control rod to the bottom of that and run it under the dash panel.

The other end of the rod then extends out of the right side cover when you will attach the pedal assembly later on.

At this time you will modify your right side cover by cutting a 3/4" slot for the foot control pivot.

You now proceed to mount the pedal assembly to the right side footrest, I used the supplied backing plate that gets mounted to the bottom of the footrest as a template to mark and drill out the holes.

Lastly, the pedal assembly is mounted to the footrest,

and it's pivot shaft is connected to the control rod via a supplied trunnion, as seen here.

All in all, it's a very easy install. I spent a couple of hours earlier this week and a couple of hours this afternoon. Honestly, I probably spent more time putzing around than I did installing the kit.

DOC for making this kit available to the Wheelhorse Community! :wh:

[can whlvr 991]

looks very nice,i would really like to get one of those some day,i had a green machine that was foot controlled and i really liked it

[dgoyette 12]

Looks great, thanks for all the great photos. I like the idea of the pedal for forward and reverse on the stick. It makes a lot of sense to me since there is no return to neutral on the pedal design.

[AMC RULES 36,945]

That's not necessarily true though, when leaving the factory controls in place.

When you apply reverse direction to the foot control, the stick still falls back into it's neutral detent. :wh:

[TT-(Moderator) 1,127]

Depressing the brake pedal still returns the DCL to the neutral position too.

[dgoyette 12]

That's not necessarily true though, when leaving the factory controls in place.

When you apply reverse direction to the foot control, the stick still falls back into it's neutral detent.

So the pedal will return to neutral if you take your foot off?

TT - yes I did know the brake works still.

[AMC RULES 36,945]

No, at least mine doesn't. I said that by leaving your factory controls hooked up, when your apply reverse direction to the pedal, the stick also goes back, and falls into it's neutral detent. It should be easy enough to accomplish by simply hooking a spring up to the pedal assembly. Not sure why it's necessary though, unless you have a safety issue in mind that I'm not considering? :dunno:

[dgoyette 12]

No, at least mine doesn't. I said that by leaving your factory controls hooked up, when your apply reverse direction to the pedal, the stick also goes back, and falls into it's neutral detent. It should be easy enough to accomplish by simply hooking a spring up to the pedal assembly. Not sure why it's necessary though, unless you have a safety issue in mind that I'm not considering?

Didn't say it was necessary, but it is very nice. I have used hydros with return to neutral and foot control and it is really slick. But I think the point is as I first stated it does not have it.

[Tankman 3,515]

Looks great. I have a pedal similar on my other "thing" (Cub Cadet).

Used skateboard grip tape on my '73 footrests, looks and feels fine.

Had I been in the steel biz (still), would use aluminum diamond plate. Perhaps later.

[imtheo 0]

Guys, I have one of these on my 1993 520H and I am hoping to find one to put on my 1995 520H.  We love how it works and the lady of the house won't drive my 1995 until I get one.  UGH...   Any ideas on where I can find one?  If they aren't anymore, I suppose I can find a machinist to build me one of mine, but I hate thinking of taking my '93 apart to use as a proto.  Any thoughts?

klec@mchsi.com  is my email if you do. THANKS!!

[wrightorchid 261]

look up  Matt's Custom Hydro Pedal Kit in the Vendor section.  He has a similar setup.

[Huntingtown520hc 6]

Getting ready to install a 8-3900 foot pedal on a 1989 520hc. Has anyone installed one and if so do they know if I will need to remove the floor mounted  direction control lever? 

[AMC RULES 36,945]

Made the choice...

to leave mine in place.  👍👍

[Huntingtown520hc 6]

Fantastic thanks ,  any tips or lessons learned ?  Did you leave the return to neutral spring hooked up? 

[AMC RULES 36,945]

Nothing difficult...

pretty straight forward following the supplied factory directions.

All the factory hardware is still in place on my 520.

Edited December 28, 2020 by AMC RULES

[Huntingtown520hc 6]

Thanks Craig,  I like those front tires as well. 

[Huntingtown520hc 6]

Do you still have a copy of your installation instructions? The copy post on the site are pretty unreadable. 

[AMC RULES 36,945]

[AMC RULES 36,945]

[AMC RULES 36,945]

[AMC RULES 36,945]

[AMC RULES 36,945]

[Huntingtown520hc 6]

Thanks this a huge help! 

[Handy Don 10,609]

On 12/27/2020 at 7:56 PM, Huntingtown520hc said:

Getting ready to install a 8-3900 foot pedal on a 1989 520hc. Has anyone installed one and if so do they know if I will need to remove the floor mounted  direction control lever? 

The floor-mounted motion control lever attaches to the motion control pivot bracket by a single bolt. However, there isn't enough clearance to get the bolt in or out while the bracket is in the tractor (a cross-frame brace just forward of the bracket is too close). Your "keep or remove" decision point comes just after Fig. 3 in the instructions, before you replace the pivot pin. 

Another point not mentioned is that if you remove the lever, you must also find a solution for the neutral safety switch which the motion control lever normally closes to permit the tractor to start! The kit doesn't provide for that.

Edited January 8, 2021 by Handy Don

[Pops 18]

I have Matt’s setup on my 520h, the problem I have it’s fine in forward, but in reverse it barely moves. When it is in neutral 

it creeps in reverse. I would think if it creeps it would move forward due to the speed variance. The tractor worked as it should before the change to the foot control.

 I am missing something in adjusting.

 

thanks