Wagner wf3 draining

[13fx]

I finally was able to get replacement cylinders for this loader yesterday. I have to drain the system because it's full of water. There is supposed to be a drain plug in the right side of the frame near the operators right foot but I don't seem to have one. Ibe drained as much of the oil as I could from the Y, but that leaves a lot of oil still in the lower part of the frame. Other than dragging this thing up a step hill backwards and Then pulling the plug on the Y how am I supposed to drain the frame?

 

[Tgrasher]

Not knowing the loader but reaching into my bag of crazy ideas, could
one drill a hole to drain and then tap for a pipe plug to seal.

 

[13fx]

Very possibly going to go that route, not a big fan of adding another possibility source for a leak down the road, but I'm not going to leave water/oil mix in there so it may come to that.

 

[used red MN]

Not knowing the loader but reaching into my bag of crazy ideas, could
one drill a hole to drain and then tap for a pipe plug to seal.

Drilling and threading in a plug is probably better than the siphoning I was going to suggest.

 

[DRussell]

I finally was able to get replacement cylinders for this loader yesterday. I have to drain the system because it's full of water. There is supposed to be a drain plug in the right side of the frame near the operators right foot but I don't seem to have one. Ibe drained as much of the oil as I could from the Y, but that leaves a lot of oil still in the lower part of the frame. Other than dragging this thing up a step hill backwards and Then pulling the plug on the Y how am I supposed to drain the frame?

Is the loader on the tractor? Any chance of removing it and tipping it so it will drain as needed?

 

[tractorford]

yea the WF3 on my rig is the same way- the diagram shows some magical drain port but -- ive never ever found one, unless one of the PO's before welded it up and did something doodoo-magestic-different ,which on this rig wouldnt surprise me.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Don't drill and tap! Unless the metal is thick enough for at least three full threads.

Get a fluid extractor.

 

[13fx]

Don't drill and tap! Unless the metal is thick enough for at least three full threads.

Get a fluid extractor.

Little late for that, but I did get about a gallon of straight water before getting the oil/water mix. Thankfully there is enough metal to tap into.

 

[Scott(Ks.)]

I am glad you had enough metal to tap for threads. I was a boiler operator for the State of Kansas. During the summer we were assigned to maintenance. I saw a guy hot tap a six inch water line that was pressurized on the fifth floor of the State Capitol building. What could possibly go wrong? He ground a 3/4 " pipe coupling to fit the 6"line, welded it to the bottom of the main, screwed a 1/4turn ball valve into the coupling, Then he drilled up through the ball valve into the main. When he got through the main he pulled out the drill and shut the valve. You could have caught the water he lost in the palm of your hand. I always said when I grow up I wanted to be like him.

That could be an alternative fix for thinner pipe.

 

[used red MN]

I am glad you had enough metal to tap for threads. I was a boiler operator for the State of Kansas. During the summer we were assigned to maintenance. I saw a guy hot tap a six inch water line that was pressurized on the fifth floor of the State Capitol building. What could possibly go wrong? He ground a 3/4 " pipe coupling to fit the 6"line, welded it to the bottom of the main, screwed a 1/4turn ball valve into the coupling, Then he drilled up through the ball valve into the main. When he got through the main he pulled out the drill and shut the valve. You could have caught the water he lost in the palm of your hand. I always said when I grow up I wanted to be like him.

That could be an alternative fix for thinner pipe.

They actually do “hot taps” on live process lines in a refinery and lines in many other services than water supply. I think I have seen them do one on a 20” line. I will link a video that shows the installation of a “stopple” that blocks off the flow in the line. I have seen that too, but the hot tap process I am talking about is to tee a line off the side of another. After the saddle is welded on the pipe the valve that is intended to stay in service is bolted to it. Then the hot tap drilling machine bolts onto that valve. The drilling machine is sealed as shown and catches the “cookie” after it is cut out. When the drill retracts the valve is closed and then the hot tap drill unit can be drained and removed. The pipe that will tee off of the original pipe is then bolted to the valve once the valve is opened the new “tee’d off” line is in service. Often to shut down a line would mean the loss of thousands of dollars an hour.
Hot tap stopple process