Can you braze a hydraulic line?

[59 Sons]

I have a split steel hydraulic line on my Kubota M59. I ordered and have the replacement line. After two days disassembling my tractor, I have realized it is impossible to remove and replace the line. It was apperantly installed early in the construction of the tractor and never intended to be replaced. Which would have been fine if the materials had been higher quality. It was not damaged, it failed. So now I'm thinking I will have to cut the old one out and have a flexible line built on to the Kubota ends. That got me thinking they might have to braze hose fittings onto my cut tubes. So can I braze over the material defect in my tube?? I braze copper lines regularly and brass and steel fittings occasionally. I usually use a 45-55* silver braze with flux on steel or dissimilar metals. Sometimes I will cap with a 15* silver just to beef it up. Any reason I can't do this on a steel hydraulic line??

 

[RickB]

No.

 

[4570Man]

I welded a steel line because the wrong one got ordered and I didn’t want to wait any longer. It worked and continued to work the remainder of the time I had that machine.

 

[mrmikey]

Is the line split? I wouldn't hesitate to silver solder a patch over it, gonna be hard tho as the oil is going to want to be pulled into the heat. Can the bad section be cut out and a compression fitting be used to couple a piece in?
Another option would be to cut the line out, get a new one and cut it in two in an easy place to get to and join it with a compression union....................Mike

 

[mikester]

Lines are brazed at the factory, I wouldn't attempt brazing a line in place - especially with residual oil in it.

 

[Michael In Tennessee]

A hydraulic shop can likely flare the cut off ends to accept common hose ends. That or supply hose ends/adapters for the existing tractor ports.

 

[orezok]

Can the bad section be cut out and a compression fitting be used to couple a piece in?
Another option would be to cut the line out, get a new one and cut it in two in an easy place to get to and join it with a compression union....................Mike

I’m guessing you meant flare fitting not compression. Compression can’t handle hydraulic pressure.

 

[metalbender]

Have a stainless flex line made at a hydraulic shop.

 

[ovrszd]

I welded a steel line because the wrong one got ordered and I didn’t want to wait any longer. It worked and continued to work the remainder of the time I had that machine.

My old TLB has several steel lines that are brazed. I've did a couple of them.

 

[EddieWalker]

One of the metal hydraulic lines for my dozer split. My neighbor happened to stop by while I was taking it off and he said that he could weld it with a coat hanger. He used a gas acetylene torch and the metal coat hanger, and it's held perfectly for over a decade now.