Bypassing the second valve: are you talkin about taking the output hose of the first valve and and just running it back to before the filter (where there is currently no pressure nor any need for it? I would then just cap off where that line went into the second valve.

I just got an email from Cadplans. My unit is not plumbed at all like it should be. I am missing the second flow divider and the foot operated fwd/rev valve. Maybe this thing has never run properly! I need a dry day to finish testing.