Stuck hydraulic fitting

[RedMF40]

I’m removing a broken hose on my loader, can’t get one end unstuck. The other end came off ok. I have a pipe on the one wrench but not the other. Need another pipe. Can I use heat or will that just start a fire since there’s hydraulic fluid involved? Worst case, I can undo the other 2 fittings and bring the whole thing to my workbench for further persuasion. Thanks for any suggestions.
Gerrit

 

[matthies]

Just take it to the bench. You will be glad you did.

 

[Jim.ME]

Take it to the bench x 2

And while it is off get a real hydraulic rated Tee and get rid of the galvanized one. Common hardware store pipe fittings galvanized or black iron do not belong on high pressure hydraulic systems

 

[Janicholson]

I’m removing a broken hose on my loader, can’t get one end unstuck. The other end came off ok. I have a pipe on the one wrench but not the other. Need another pipe. Can I use heat or will that just start a fire since there’s hydraulic fluid involved? Worst case, I can undo the other 2 fittings and bring the whole thing to my workbench for further persuasion. Thanks for any suggestions.
Gerrit

No fire!!! putting the pipe wrench on the broken hose side of the "T" with the handle sticking up, might allow 2 wrenches to work in direct opposition, but the bench is a good option. Jim

 

[RedMF40]

Thanks for the replies. I was wondering about that tee, looked too much like house plumbing. Been working for 7 years, though. I’ll replace with the correct fitting. Will have to wait until tomorrow, working outside and it’s starting to rain on me.

 

[jon f mn]

If you have a die grinder, cut the fitting off just before the nut part, then use an impact wrench on it. Or a socket and breaker bar works too.

 

[Brown David]

Thanks for the replies. I was wondering about that tee, looked too much like house plumbing. Been working for 7 years, though. I’ll replace with the correct fitting. Will have to wait until tomorrow, working outside and it’s starting to rain on me.

Moot point now that the tee is going to be taken off and replaced but I would try two hammers.

One held to the back side of the fitting and the other rapping the fitting opposite to the backing hammer rotating around the fitting as much as possible. Then try to turn it out, it may take several sessions but I'd bet on it freeing up.

I've released many stuck things with this method.

 

[stevieb49829]

If you have a die grinder, cut the fitting off just before the nut part, then use an impact wrench on it. Or a socket and breaker bar works too.

That's a good idea, Jon. That way you can use a closed box end, or a heavy-walled socket. I'm putting that one in my mental toolbox. I would have just used my 18 inch Crescent next to the pipe wrench on the T, like Jim is saying. steve

 

[RedMF40]

If you have a die grinder, cut the fitting off just before the nut part, then use an impact wrench on it. Or a socket and breaker bar works too.

This worked, saved a lot of time. Maybe 2 min to cut the fitting, another 5 min at most to get it off. Thanks again.
Gerrit

 

[farmersamm]

A low pressure T can be used on a return line, but not a pressure line.

You can heat it if you power wash the entire area to get rid of any grease you might encounter. Sometimes it's the only way to get it to move. Just have somebody standing by on fire watch. I know...........I don't like doing it either. Matter of fact, I refused to do it on a plug that was tucked in a very tight spot with too much flammable stuff nearby.

 

[wore out]

A low pressure T can be used on a return line, but not a pressure line.

You can heat it if you power wash the entire area to get rid of any grease you might encounter. Sometimes it's the only way to get it to move. Just have somebody standing by on fire watch. I know...........I don't like doing it either. Matter of fact, I refused to do it on a plug that was tucked in a very tight spot with too much flammable stuff nearby.

How do you DARE to heat a hydraulic fitting hot enough to do any good when there's oil on it?

 

[farmersamm]

How do you DARE to heat a hydraulic fitting hot enough to do any good when there's oil on it?

Pretty much like this.......................

Heated to dull red. The important thing is that the reservoir is FULL of 5 gallons of hydraulic oil above the level of the plug. No oxygen, no fire.

Same with fittings, if you keep the flame out of the hose area. Had to weld an elbow on the old NH846 in the wild. The elbow was attached to the tailgate cylinder with oil in the cylinder, and hose. The only problem to deal with, was porosity caused by the leaking pinhole that I was attempting to weld. Finally sealed it up, and went on about the day.

And, you have to consider the heat input. Most things only require a few hundred degrees temp differential to break the bond. Think of shrink fits. You're not heating it till it glows........just enough to make the part expand so that you can slip the cool part in the hole.

Sure, like anything else..........it's risky. But so is throwing sparks with a die grinder or angle grinder. Ignition is ignition.

 

[farmersamm]

This one I refused to do. The access is miserable, so you don't know where the flame will go before you get to the spot you need to heat. Requires a bit of finagling to get a torch in such a spot. That particular plug had danger written all over it. You just have to stand back, and think it over before you proceed. This plug won't come out until the unit is pulled from the tractor, and I have proper access to heat it.

 

[farmersamm]

Then there's these guys..................

Same principle, fuel won't burn without oxygen. If the line has some positive pressure on it, it keeps the O2 out of the line. The fuel won't burn until it has oxygen as it exits the line.

Hit the "watch on Youtube" button

My greatest fear would be working in a pit where the gas might pool before you light up. I dunno how these guys do it. It's definitely too damn scary for me.

 

[farmersamm]

I can't stress enough the importance of welding WHEN THE TANK IS FULL. It's the vacant space above the liquid that will kill you.

Blast Survivor Shares Story

WHEELING — There’s no sense trying to talk him out of it, Brad Livingston thought as he and his co-worker approached the drip tanks at the western Oklahoma oil well site where they were welding on a September morning in 1991. No one will know, anyway. Within minutes, his co-worker, Tracy Daves...

www.theintelligencer.net

The guys didn't check the fluid level in the tank before welding

Doing any hot work in the presence, or suspected presence, of fumes is deadly.

Oklahoma welding explosion rocks town; 1 dead - JusticeNewsFlash.com

Legal news for Oklahoma employment attorneys. A welding explosion emits two-mile long shockwave, killing one and injuring two.

www.justicenewsflash.com

A miserable weld to make, what with the oil coming out of it. I imagine this was near on 20yrs ago when welded. The puddle tends to explode when it contacts liquid, so you have to keep shoving it in, pulling it off to cool, then repeat. Note the heavy wall elbow. I use these on hydraulic lines. They're rated at IIRC around 4000psi. You should be able to find them at any oilfield supply, if you can't find a fitting at the ag store.

But, this shows that it's possible to apply heat to fittings as long as it's safely directed, and the line is full of fluid.....no air in it.

That machine hasn't been in service for close to around 8yrs or so. I need to put some new floor chains, and an apron chain, in it. Still a good baler I imagine........................"ran well when parked" LOL

 

[wore out]

I can't stress enough the importance of welding WHEN THE TANK IS FULL. It's the vacant space above the liquid that will kill you.

Blast Survivor Shares Story

WHEELING — There’s no sense trying to talk him out of it, Brad Livingston thought as he and his co-worker approached the drip tanks at the western Oklahoma oil well site where they were welding on a September morning in 1991. No one will know, anyway. Within minutes, his co-worker, Tracy Daves...

www.theintelligencer.net

The guys didn't check the fluid level in the tank before welding

Doing any hot work in the presence, or suspected presence, of fumes is deadly.

Oklahoma welding explosion rocks town; 1 dead - JusticeNewsFlash.com

Legal news for Oklahoma employment attorneys. A welding explosion emits two-mile long shockwave, killing one and injuring two.

www.justicenewsflash.com

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A miserable weld to make, what with the oil coming out of it. I imagine this was near on 20yrs ago when welded. The puddle tends to explode when it contacts liquid, so you have to keep shoving it in, pulling it off to cool, then repeat. Note the heavy wall elbow. I use these on hydraulic lines. They're rated at IIRC around 4000psi. You should be able to find them at any oilfield supply, if you can't find a fitting at the ag store.

But, this shows that it's possible to apply heat to fittings as long as it's safely directed, and the line is full of fluid.....no air in it.

That machine hasn't been in service for close to around 8yrs or so. I need to put some new floor chains, and an apron chain, in it. Still a good baler I imagine........................"ran well when parked" LOL

You can blather 'til you're blue in the face, but you haven't convinced me that it's good idea to post on a public Forum frequented by amateurs suggesting applying (apparently) red heat from a torch to a hydraulic fitting that is pressurized or has the potential to become pressurized when the heat vaporizes the oil inside.

Many years ago a neighbor died a horrible, lingering death after being sprayed by burning hydraulic oil and I tend to err on he side of caution with with pressurized oil and fire.

NOT to say such things aren't done in an industrial setting by trained professionals wearing (hopefully) flame retardant gear.

 

[farmersamm]

"Blather"?

I accede to your point about experienced/trained workers.