I help my friend keep his older small backhoe running. Recently, a leak has occurred at the stabilizer cylinder where a steel line connects to the cylinder. I tried to tighten the nut on this line to stop the dripping but that had no effect. Next I tried to remove this 15” line to get a better look at why it’s leaking but the nuts are frozen on the steel pipe due to rust etc. I can see if I apply more force the pipe is going to twist and self destruct. I tried some heat with a torch but that didn’t help. The part is discontinued. The Parker Hose guy thinks he can make up a rubber hose to replace this steel hose. Now that I look closely at these pictures I think I’d better leave the rusty end alone and focus on the cleaner end , I might get that one to turn. Any suggestions? Thanks !
Get a hammer head or similar "anvil" device behind fitting and use another hammer or air hammer to smack the "flats" of the fitting. Have had great success on all kinds of stuck fittings. Will almost certainly work on the top fitting, but that bottom pic. looks like a real can of worms, you're dealing with compound ugly there. Good luck.
Great suggestion, I bet it works. Thanks. I wonder if there’s a source that can make up a replacement steel pipe .
I would just have a hose made, but a good hydraulic shop will have, or should be able to get the ends and line , to make a steel line.
All of those pieces are standard parts easily available from your Parker store. That 180 degree drop would be tricky for me to bend. I would use heat to get those apart, but that’s just me. I’d probably replace that hard line with a hose.
Heat the entire nut until it is cherry red and it will turn. You didn't say where it is leaking. I have repaired a few steel lines with an ox/act torch and a brazing rod. Not just holes in them but where the tube is inserted in the fitting. A fire extinguisher needs to be available too.
Heat and persistence eventually loosened things up and I was able to get it apart. However, the root cause of the leak was that the bolt holding the pipe to the cylinder needed tightening. I tried to tighten it but it had been chewed up by previous folks working on it and couldn't get a good grab. with a wrench. I ordered a new bolt and hopefully that will stop the leak.
Bolt? That sounds like a hold down clamp that has rubbed a hole in your steel line. Remove the clamp and look for a rubbed pin hole.
Yep a bolt , look at the middle picture in my post above . A fitting is bolted to the cylinder and the pipe connects to this fitting . Someone did some welding on the bolted on fitting but its designed to be held on only with the bolt. Possibly the welding distorted something or caused the leaking but from what I could tell the leak was coming from under the bolt.
Looks to me like they welded a banjo bolt fitting to the cylinder. But the picture isn't the best. Probably originally a weld on fitting, which they then broke off, and someone made a cobbled up fix. Or it was originally a banjo fitting, they cracked the fitting or ruined the threads trying to tighten it, and just welded it on. Either way- if its leaking through the weld, its all going to have to be cut off and redone correctly.