Ventable, pilot-operated, balanced piston relief valve - before check

Capacity: 10 gpm40 L/min. | Cavity: T-21A
HVCA : Ventable, pilot-operated, balanced piston relief valve - before check
Technical Features [ + ]

The ventable relief-before-check cartridge is a CavitySaver™ (multi-function) valve incorporating a ventable, pilot-operated, balanced piston relief tee'd in before a check function. When the pressure at the inlet (port 2) reaches the relief valve setting, the valve starts to open to tank (port 3), throttling flow to regulate the pressure. The check valve flow is from the inlet (port 2) to the system port (port1). The valve includes a vent port (port 4) that connects between the main piston and pilot stage to provide for remote control by other pilot or 2-way valves.

These valves are accurate, have low pressure rise vs. flow, are smooth, quiet, and are moderately fast.

  • Note! This valve deviates from Sun's normal flow path for relief valves. It is probably not useable in current Sun relief manifolds.
  • Minimum setting is 75 psi (5 bar) for all spring ranges.
  • Back pressure at port 3 (tank) is directly additive to the valve setting at a 1:1 ratio.
  • The check portion of the valve has a maximum leakage rate of less than 1 drop/minute (0,07 cc/min).
  • One purpose of this dual function cartridge is to offer pump isolation and relief protection in single and/or multiple pump circuits. Another purpose is to act as a main stage in an accumulator sense, pump unload circuit.
  • A remote pilot relief on port 4 (vent) will control the valve below its own setting.
  • Incorporates the Sun floating style construction to minimize the possibility of internal parts binding due to excessive installation torque and/or cavity/cartridge machining variations.
Technical Data [ + ]
Note: Data may vary by configuration. See CONFIGURATION section.
Cavity T-21A
Series 1
Capacity 10 gpm40 L/min.
Maximum Operating Pressure 5000 psi350 bar
Factory Pressure Settings Established at 4 gpm15 L/min.
Maximum Valve Leakage at 110 SUS (24 cSt) 2 in³/min.@1000 psi30 cc/min.@70 bar
Check Cracking Pressure 25 psi1,7 bar
Response Time - Typical 10 ms10 ms
Adjustment - No. of CW Turns from Min. to Max. setting 55
Valve Hex Size 7/8 in.22,2 mm
Valve Installation Torque 30 - 35 lbf ft41 - 47 Nm
Adjustment Screw Internal Hex Size 5/32 in.4 mm
Locknut Hex Size 9/16 in.15 mm
Locknut Torque 80 - 90 lbf in.9 - 10 Nm
Model Weight .35 lb0,15 kg
Seal kit - Cartridge Buna: 990021007
Seal kit - Cartridge Polyurethane: 990021002
Seal kit - Cartridge Viton: 990021006
Performance Curves [ + ]
FAQs [ + ]

Pressure setting tolerances are listed in our Performance Data page. A link to this page can also be found in the Additional Resources tab of the applicable product page.

There are exactly 250 Sun drops in a cubic inch or 15 in a cc.

Maybe not. We build in a good amount of overlap in the kick-down reliefs to prevent false tripping. This means they are not as fast as our standard pilot-operated reliefs. A direct-acting relief valve set just above the kick-down relief valve would be good insurance.

Direct-acting valves are used to prevent over pressure, and pilot-operated valves are used to regulate pressure. If you are unsure, use a direct-acting valve. Sun's direct acting valves are very fast, dirt tolerant, stable, and robust. Sun's pilot-operated valves are moderately fast, they have a low pressure rise vs. flow curve, and they are easy to adjust.

One graphic example is on a portable grain auger for silos. When the farmer gets caught in the auger the kick-down relief trips and allows him to escape.

Only external seals are serviceable.  Sun offers replacement seal kits for all cartridge models. The applicable kit part number can be found in the product page's Technical Data table or by using our Cartridge Seal Kit search function located under Accessories. Please note: Converting the external seals from one material to another does not ensure fluid compatibility with that material due to the existence of internal seals within the cartridge.
Additional Resources [ + ]