how do I bleed pressure on a grapple bucket?

[adlertom]

I have a grapple bucket with two hydraulic lines for the grapple, fed from the rear remotes on my TC33DA. I have hydraulic couplers mounted on the FEL, so there is about 4 feet of hydraulic lines between these and the grapple cylinder.

Whenever I disconnect the grapple bucket, I have a hard time reconnecting it due to the trapped hydraulic pressure in the lines. I've tried leaving the grapple open, closed, and in between when I disconnect, and I still can't reconnect the couplers.

Are there any tricks to this? Do I need to put bleeder valves somewhere that I can open to relieve the pressure prior to disconnecting?

 

[jeffinsgf]

There's another thread dealing with the same subject on a log splitter. You have to relieve the pressure in the grapple lines. The completely perfect way to do it is to take a couple wrenches and take the fitting loose until the pressure (and oil) releases. A whole bunch of us aren't that patient. :laughing: I wrap a rag around the fitting and smack the ball against something solid (like the grapple it's attached to). One fella just posted that he keeps a 1" copper cap in his tractor tool box, which protects the ball of his fitting. He slips that over the fitting, then wraps a rag around it and smacks it. Think I'm going to do the same from now on.

 

[MarkV]

Have you tried operating your remotes after turning off the tractor. Sometimes that is enough to release the pressure. If not like Jeff said, give the ball a tap with a rag over it.

MarkV

 

[flusher]

I have a grapple bucket with two hydraulic lines for the grapple, fed from the rear remotes on my TC33DA. I have hydraulic couplers mounted on the FEL, so there is about 4 feet of hydraulic lines between these and the grapple cylinder.

Whenever I disconnect the grapple bucket, I have a hard time reconnecting it due to the trapped hydraulic pressure in the lines. I've tried leaving the grapple open, closed, and in between when I disconnect, and I still can't reconnect the couplers.

Are there any tricks to this? Do I need to put bleeder valves somewhere that I can open to relieve the pressure prior to disconnecting?

Red shop towel and a 3/8" x 5" L bolt. Wrap end of bolt in the towel, insert into female QA and push hard.

 

[jcummins]

Before disconnecting the grapple, have it open, then turn the tractor off. Then work your lever as if you are closing the grapple, it won't close. When you go to disconnect, simply lower the grapple by hand, it will be easy to do....then disconnect. Pressure will be totally gone, at least it is for me.

 

[jeffinsgf]

Before disconnecting the grapple, have it open, then turn the tractor off. Then work your lever as if you are closing the grapple, it won't close. When you go to disconnect, simply lower the grapple by hand, it will be easy to do....then disconnect. Pressure will be totally gone, at least it is for me.

You're right. Unless you disconnect it on a cool day and then try and reconnect it on a hot day. Even a minor temperature increase will build up the pressure in the sealed lines of the implement more than you can displace by hand.

 

[crashz]

I endorse Jcummins methods.

But have release QC pressure like mentioned above many times and I have gotten hydraulic fluid in my eyes from doing this. Most times, if you are able to release the pressure from the ball check in a QC, its not under extreme pressure, but its bad enough. Fortuantley I had no pressure damage, but had to flush my eyes out for a long time to get the chemical "sting" out. I still remember the sandy feeling that it had when I would blink my eye. Yuck!

 

[kennyd]

I just wrap the QD nipple with a rag and press it against the frame of the loader or grapple, one little spurt of fluid and you will be good to go...this is a common problem with all hydraulic attachments.

 

[Wildbill34]

I just wrap the QD nipple with a rag and press it against the frame of the loader or grapple, one little spurt of fluid and you will be good to go...this is a common problem with all hydraulic attachments.

I do the same as Kenny....$80 lesson from the repair guy to come out and show me the first time it happened to me. 15 seconds, he was done and I was $80 lighter.

 

[J_J]

There should be a sticky note or a Tips and Tricks section for these types of situations, or new tractor owners to review and perhaps save a lot of time and trouble.

One of the easiest things to do to prevent this happening, is to make an adapter consisting of a matching QD, a nipple and a gate valve. Just plug the adapter into the matching QD, and release some fluid before connecting the implement to the tractor. You need to plug this adapter in as you remove the implement from the tractor, and it will be ready to go the next time.

If you should come up on a situation, that the implement is in a cylinder compressed situation, a load 4 ft off the ground and the QD becomes disconnected, if you loosen anything, you will lose all the fluid on that side of the cylinder, or you will get sprayed with hyd fluid. . You need to support the load until the pressure is relieved, and things are all connected.