Reconnecting those hydraulic disconnects

[RalphVa]

I had one of the hydraulic disconnects on my FEL hit by some brush. Apparently the collar was pushed back, and it came loose. My FEL would not go up or down.

Fortunately, I had it up a ways while pushing a limb to the side. I just curled the bucket tip straight down, to get more of its weight down, and continued to run the bush hog.

Could not get the connection back together by hand. My wife said she'd help.

I set up some vice grips to lightly grip the collar and gave them to her, to pull the collar back. I used some channel locks to grip the other part to help apply some leverage to get the blasted thing seated in the middle of the collar. Told the wife to release the collar as I pushed hard on the channel locks. The collar snapped in place, and I heard the loader give a jolt. It works now again.

Now I know why I'd never taken these suckers apart on any of the other 2 tractors.

Ralph

 

[Ryansweatt2004]

If that happens again where the quick connects come apart with pressure built up on either side so that they can be put back on, you need to take a couple wrenches, loosen the quick connect and bleed off the pressure in the hydraulic line that came loose. This will allow you to easily reconnect the quick connect fitting. Then you just need to re tighten the fittings and go on with what you were doing. I had to do it to my loader a while back as well after disconnecting my loader and them bumping the joystick after without thinking.

 

[Wagtail]

Thanks for your post, Mates. I hadn't considered this scenario and now I've got some knowledge to handle it... as opposed to looking like a stunned mullet wondering what to do next.

Forewarned is forearmed.

 

[oldpilgrim]

Anytime I've had to disconnect or reconnect, I've always just moved all my control levers in all directions to relieve pressure in the hydro lines. Never had a problem after I've done that.

 

[newbury]

Sometimes you get pressure built up in the lines due to heat. Like you disconnect while they are cool, the sun comes out and they get warmed up.

Then you need to bleed or cool to lower the pressure. My first incident I was trying to hook up my backhoe. Luckily I was near an outside water faucet so I just "watered" the hose. It cooled down, I proceeded.

 

[kthompson]

Think there is another current thread on this same topic but do cut the tractor off to work those controls or you solved nothing. But that only solves the tractor hoses having pressure in them and with something pulled loss as the OP did it could have pressure in it making it necessary to bleed the pressure off as said. Do cover the fitting with rag that will prevent being sprayed with hyd oil or even hurt by it. It is under high pressure.

But as to the fitting collar moving to allow it to disconnect some fittings are like that but some, more and more of the female fittings in use are design to just pull loose to prevent pulling hoses into and to allow for easy disconnect when pressure if off the line. Again you get implement in place, blocked as needed or whatever, cut of the tractor and work the valves both or all directions more than once and they pull right apart and normally hook right back up. kt

 

[BTDT2]

When 'working' the valve to relieve pressure, some units may have electrical solenoid controls and require the key be on. A front grapple with an electrical control switch is one example.

I also carry a small wood dowel to depress the small bearing in the female connector, and simply press the male end against a hard surface to depress the ball and release the pressure in agricultural Pioneer type connectors