brazing a hydraulic line

etpm · Friday at 3:40 PM

If this were my tractor and if I had the limited experience you do I would either remove the line completely and take it to a welder or if I had to repair in place I would first try silver bearing plumbing solder. Silver bearing plumbing solder can have a tensile strength of 15,000 PSI. See this link: https://www.stoodyind.com/Catalogs/FISC/current/05catpg372.pdf
If a tin/silver alloy is used to flow over the joint and later it is decided to braze the joint the tin/silver alloy can be cleaned off and the joint brazed. Any miniscule amount of the tin/silver solder left on or in the joint will not interfere with brazing. Tin/lead solder however must be avoided at all costs. Lead will contaminate the joint even if you think all the lead is removed. Tin/antimony solder must also be avoided. Only tin/silver alloy can be used. It is also possible, with proper torch technique, to build up quite a thick solder bead. This can also be done with brazing but it is harder. Anyway, just my 2 cents.

etpm · Friday at 4:36 PM

I forgot to say that of course the plumbing solder melts at a much lower temperature, hence my posting about this option.
Eric

coloradotrout · Saturday at 12:32 PM

etpm said:
If this were my tractor and if I had the limited experience you do I would either remove the line completely and take it to a welder or if I had to repair in place I would first try silver bearing plumbing solder. Silver bearing plumbing solder can have a tensile strength of 15,000 PSI. See this link: https://www.stoodyind.com/Catalogs/FISC/current/05catpg372.pdf
If a tin/silver alloy is used to flow over the joint and later it is decided to braze the joint the tin/silver alloy can be cleaned off and the joint brazed. Any miniscule amount of the tin/silver solder left on or in the joint will not interfere with brazing. Tin/lead solder however must be avoided at all costs. Lead will contaminate the joint even if you think all the lead is removed. Tin/antimony solder must also be avoided. Only tin/silver alloy can be used. It is also possible, with proper torch technique, to build up quite a thick solder bead. This can also be done with brazing but it is harder. Anyway, just my 2 cents.

Excellent points. It's a small leak so just layering on a bit may hold. JB weld slowed it down for 10 years.

coloradotrout · Saturday at 6:04 PM

etpm said:
I forgot to say that of course the plumbing solder melts at a much lower temperature, hence my posting about this option.
Eric

I found Harris plumbing solder at the local TSC but it wasn't the same as the link. It did look like tin, Ag, but maybe some Cu. I'll order some stay brite, maybe the "8" if I can find it.

coloradotrout · Saturday at 11:08 PM

Placed order for Amazon.com

coloradotrout · 2025-11-26T00:50:25-0500

Mapp gas and 56% Ag rod from Amazon. We'll see if it worked. A test on a piece of pipe seemed to go ok, so I tried it. It took longer to get to melting temp but the rod seemed to flow.