Old Hydraulic Hoses with Swivel Fittings

[Steve in IL]

Does anyone have a trick to fix a slight leak in an old swivel fitting of a hydraulic hose? I'm trying to fix up dad's old Ford 641, and one of the lines that goes to the snowplow lift has a slight leak, that appears to be coming from a swivel fitting. I don't mind buying a new hose, but I'm thinking the hose I buy today will not last like the original one. I was thinking perhaps I could firm up the swivel by tapping a punch up through the middle a little.

 

[DeltaRed]

AFIK,you cant fix that. The seal is worn and will continue to get worse.Just replace the hose.It will most likely outlast you.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Like Delta said it will only get worse over time. There's no fix to those swivels on hoses. If you replace it and don't need the swivel after it is on and tight look at one of the swivels that will be tight and not swivel after tightened up. They will not leak like yours is now.

 

[John in MD]

Cut out the old swivel and put in a new one if your hose is long enough.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I had a hydraulic fitting leak where it threaded into the cylinder. I tried everything.
Then I bought Loctite 303420 32429 545 Pneumatic and Hydraulic Fittings Thread Sealant, 10 mL from Amazon.
Brand: Loctite 545
4.5 out of 5 stars 466 ratings
Amazon's
Choice
in Industrial Thread Sealants by Loctite
Price: $15.57

Directions said to let it cure for 24 hours. I let mine sit for 240 hours before I used the backhoe. It works.

If you need hoses made in minutes come to Terre Haute.
Coldwell Bearings is my go to place. The majority of their business is making hoses for farmers and commercial applications.

My hoses have British threads so mine are specially made.

You can buy Loctite 545 there. Better get a loan first.

 

[rustred]

i am afraid your out of luck. how do you expect to stop hydraulic pressure. its not a garden hose. remove the hose and take it into a shop and get another one made. and yes the new hose will last as good or longer than the original.

 

[redforlife]

Your older original hose is likely a heavier better made hose. If it wasn't, you wouldn't be having the idea that it is superb to what you can replace it with, and that it shouldn't be replaced because of that.

But, .... the truth is, you also have to minus off the life that it has already had when guessing if you think it'll outlast a replacement. When you factor that in, it really is a crap shoot. You really don't know how much life the old hose has left in it. Your just guessing/assuming that it would last longer if the end could be fixed, but you don't actually know that.

You could cut the end off, and have a new swivel put on there if hose is long enough, as mentioned. But just a heads up on that, people that make up hoses and such, don't like salvaging old hose. The old oily hose is messy to work with for one. And they really can't guarantee thier work (that the new end crimped onto an old hose won't leak, or the old hose is in good enough shape to do this). And wall thickness of old hose, might not even match up with the replacement fittings that they have.

Just have a new hose made up. There is other better places to try to save some money. Not leaking anymore of the high dollar hydraulic fluid for one. The new hose will even pay for itself over time. Don't believe me?? Go buy a couple of jugs of new hydraulic fluid instead of the hose. You'll decide pretty quick that your not throwing money away by replacing the entire hose.

 

[sandcastle1]

new hose and new fittings, the products made by Parker or other reputable hose manufacturers are great. It is not a product that is supposed to last 50 years, when they start looking ratty it is time to replace them.

 

[paul]

I have the same thing on the disk, hose is fine a silly swivel is 5 feet from the end that couples into the tractor. No need for a swivel ther, but there it is, leaking now and getting bad.

So, time for a new hose. The other end is not simple pipe fitting, so have to get a special end, I forget what it is, they have what 4 common types a pro can probably look and say what it is, me I just get confused.

Paul

 

[mazemeister]

If it is npt swivel fitting, have the hose replaced with the same non swivel fitting, then get a swivel adapter. They last better than the swivel hose ends.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

One thing people have not mentioned yet, is a hydraulic hose field repair kit.

The kit consists of a new end which you can install yourself using only a vise and the appropriately sized wrench.

You cut the end off the hose, slip the threaded repair sleeve over the hose, and then thread the cone-shaped repair end into the sleeve. As the cone threads itself into the hose, it pulls the hose into the sleeve and expands the hose against the sleeve, creating a seal.

It would be good for a low pressure application like this. The only downside is it might be more expensive than the hose.

 

[Steve in IL]

Ok Thank you everyone for your advice. I went ahead and bought 2 new hoses. Upon further inspection, the hoses were worn. I also installed a clamp, something this circuit was not originally equipped with.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I've never heard of a repair kit.
What's the cost of a repair kit vs buying everything new.
I paid about $75 dollars for a 6 ft hose, fittings included,
about $12/ft.
What's the cost if your repair fails and you need more fluid
too?

Most of my hoses fail because of age. The holes are in a place I
can't easily get to. So I replace everything. One and done.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

(quoted from post at 15:22:42 10/11/22) I've never heard of a repair kit.
What's the cost of a repair kit vs buying everything new.
I paid about $75 dollars for a 6 ft hose, fittings included,
about $12/ft.
What's the cost if your repair fails and you need more fluid
too?

Most of my hoses fail because of age. The holes are in a place I
can't easily get to. So I replace everything. One and done.

Lots of people haven't heard of lots of things. Doesn't make them any less of a person.

What's the cost? Depends on the size of the hose and the type of fitting. Neither of which was ever disclosed in this thread until after I made the suggestion. Easy enough to google.

I got a couple for free, off hydraulic hoses on implements that REALLY needed replacing.

The OP asked for a repair, not a replacement.

Field repair kits are for field repairs, to get the job done, get the machine out of the field, etc.. Sometimes they end up permanent.

The crimp on ends are not what they used to be. You could have a brand new hose that you just spent half a day bending yourself into new shapes and wedging into spaces you never thought you'd ever get out of, pop an end. Field repair kit to the rescue.