Loader Hydraulic Line Displaced - What To Do?

[LouieJunior]

One of my Loader's fixed hydraulic lines (metal piping) was pulled out of shape when the QA fitting or hose caught on something -- probably a tree branch, but I didn't notice the damage until after it occurred. This line serves my third function grapple or my tree puller.



Question is this...

Should I attempt to bend the piping back into the correct configuration or will this fatigue and weaken the line? If I can do this, would it be easiest to do it while it is connected -- or should I remove it and attempt to bend it while it is off-line. Has anyone accomplished this task?

OR, should I replace the piping with a flexible hose and secure it with cable ties? This would be easiest in my estimation, but maybe metal piping is required for a good reason I haven't considered.

Third option is take it to the dealer and have them fix it right. A good choice for winter time -- but I have too many projects lined up.

Also - I don't have any pipe bending tools -- just wrenches and a very modest amount of muscles.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I have bent lines straight before. I'm lazy and I do it the quickest way possible. So that happens while it's still on the loader and with some pressure in the pipe as I think that helps to keep the pipe from collapsing.

Your pipe doesn't look like it's bent too bad so just use your hands if you can to straighten it.

 

[Bigfoot62]

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

Seriously, if it's not leaking, leave it alone until you can do without it. There's always the possibility that it could start leaking if you try to bend it.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Your pipe doesn't look like it's bent too bad so just use your hands if you can to straighten it.

I agree. Probably could have been repaired and back to work in the same or less time than it took to take the pic and ask the question.

Bent and unbent once shouldn't be an issue, just don't do it repeatedly in the same spot. If you kink it, it needs to be replaced but bending it back to where you want it while full of fluid should reduce the chance of kink or collapse.

 

[LouieJunior]

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" Seriously, if it's not leaking, leave it alone until you can do without it. There's always the possibility that it could start leaking if you try to bend it.

I can not leave it the way it is -- it is sticking out 12 or 15 inches.

I will attempt to bend it back. If it breaks or leaks, I will exchange it with some hose.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I agree it does not look really bent. If it is something you bend every time you use the FEL then going rubber would be an option.

We have the acre of woods (young woods that grew over the past 25-30 years in a former corn field) cleared, piled and burned with the old JD 310B backhoe and so far have only bent one hydraulic hose fitting on the right stabilizer and blew a coupling hose (connecting two metal lines) that is the return line from the main pump driven by the crankshaft.

Working a loader hard in trees is just going to lead to damage to hydraulic lines from time to time because the lines are not shielded like on some dozers, skid steers, etc. The first clearing that I did I think I messed up about every fitting connecting every cylinder hose so I was proud the have done so little damage over the last two months on this clearing project. Now if it would only rain and melt the 2" layer of dust backing into solid soil.

Third function lines on a hoe or FEL are going to get damaged from time to time if they are saving your back so I try to get bent out of shape over bending/breaking one from time to time but over time one can learn how to reduce the odds of messing up lines. When I think about what I can do because of the FEL the repairs are less stressful.

Louie our metal lines are all steel banded or banded by a large hose clamp when repairs have been done over the years at each end and sometimes in the middle. You are right in that you can not leave it as is. If you do not use the third function much you could put a quick connect at the point the steel line starts and just add a length of hose to replace the metal line and just use several plastic ties to stabilize it. We have used the ties where they were still loose enough to work out a rubber hose so they were reuseable the next time and no cutting/new ties required.

By the way that is a nice size tractor that you have. I really like our old full size backhoe but man it is long and wide to get into tight places.

 

[LouieJunior]

Problem is ... it is NOT bent -- but it is supposed to be. I have highlighted where it used to be.

 

[BukitCase]

Louie - I know how I'd do it, but I'm a "toolaholic", and have 3 welders and a plasma cutter, professional tube benders and cutters, impacts, 3 metal cutting bandsaws, ad nausea...

If my tool complement was as limited as you mention, I would (short term to keep "tractoring")

1- buy a hose with correct length/ends to replace the whole tubing section back to the rear of loader

2- ty wrap the whole bundle, tubing and hoses, maybe 6 places along the loader arm with HEAVY ty wraps

3- buy about a foot of car heater hose that's the same ID as your new hose OD, slit it with a razor knife and slip it over the new hose as close to the bucket end as possible, and CLAMP it HARD to the loader arm with two large stainless hose clamps - again, as close to the QD end as possible -

3a- If necessary for routing, add a 45 degree adapter on the QD end so you can hook up easier and STILL keep the hose end HARD CLAMPED to the loader arm

Long term - have a NEW hard tube formed and install it, BUT -

If possible, get a short piece of 1/4" wall 3" angle (steel), drill holes in it for bulkhead fittings, run short hoses from the NEW hard lines to the bulkhead fittings, and SOLID MOUNT your QD's to that angle (bolted or welded to your cross-tube) - QD's are typically NPTF, so your bulkhead fittings would be NPTF to (probably) JIC.

Check the pic here for clarification on QD mounts

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...c-lines-remote-valve-grapple.html#post3878852

Ignore the "custom welded bracket" and Solenoid diverter valves, the pic shows what I mean for QD mounting.

The short hoses would decouple vibrations between hard lines and QD's, but mainly they would eliminate the need for PERFECT bending on that end of the hard lines.

Lastly - once you get the new hard line in, (possibly shorter to allow a short hose to a sturdier QD mount), I would fix that woefully inadequate hardline mounting setup that allowed the tubing to pull out in the first place -

REAL hard tube mounts COMPLETELY SURROUND the tubes so they CANNOT pop out - the simplest way I know to fix your mountings is to get a piece of 1/8" x 1" flat steel bar, and bend it around the entire loader arm over ALL the hard lines, directly over the rubber "clips", as snug as possible, ending up at both ends of the new "strap" UNDER the loader arm - leave enough strap at both ends to bend the ends out PARALLEL to each other - they should end up maybe 1-1/2" apart, parallel to each other - Think of the finished strap kind of like an OMEGA shape.

Then drill holes in each end of your new strap, and BOLT them together. Cinch it up pretty tight, use double nuts and jam them together.

That will put the bolts UNDER the loader arm, hopefully out of the way to prevent things hanging up on them. It will also make it a LOT harder for any other hard tubes to pull out in the future.

The link I posted may also clear up what fittings you might need to make your setup more bullet-proof... Steve

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Problem is ... it is NOT bent -- but it is supposed to be. I have highlighted where it used to be.

View attachment 388376

Got you now!

Personally I would bent it back to shape and that did not work I would just go with hydraulic hose but make the connection or second connect at the rear connection of the steel line so it is not there when not using the third remote.

By the way that was good mark-up job on that photo.

 

[JD5210]

I would try and bend it straight the problem is straightening it without putting more bends in.

I have NEVER tired this, but here is what I would try. Take 2 pieces of 2X4 around 2 to 3 feet long (longer the better). Use a router and cut a .25 or .5 slot (which ever size is a little bigger than the pipe) down the middle of wide side half depth of the pipe. Put the two pieces of 2X4 over the pipe and using 3 C-clamps straighten it out. This way you are spread the pressure over the lengthen of 2X4.

Think you will need another pair of hands to do this.

Whatever method you use to straighten it, please share it with us.