OK, no, it's not on my backhoe, but there is not a wheel dozer section here. I have a leaking hard line right under a welded on cover. The line itself is also welded to the dozer arm in several places. I guess I have to grind off the welds to get to it. Apparently Michigan's engineers weren't thinking 60 years down the road when they designed it that way. Lol Anyone here got any advice to make the job quick, cheap, and easy?
Well it did last 60 years. I would simply replace with a hose. Get some armour and tie it into the existing lines. Unless you’re working in rock I don’t see a problem.
I saw some compression hydraulic fittings listed somewhere that were rated for 4000 psi. Can't tell from the picture but that line looks pretty big. What diameter is it?
I second this. Cut the old one completely out and redo the lines with hose. If you wanted to protect it better, drill in a couple holes and attach a piece of angle iron over the hose to protect it better.
I'd say it is probably 1/2 inch internal diameter.
And yeah, I can certainly go the hose route, but the machine won't look factory fresh if I do. Lol
The compression fitting might be a good alternative as well. Depends on how the steel line is actually damaged. Won’t know until you get it exposed.
And thanks guys, for the tips.
I would agree with using a hose. However, if you really want tube, the just get a stick of tube, some silver solder or JIC adapters and make a new one. In regards to using tube, make sure you understand what tube is, how to measure it, and the difference between tube and pipe.
Yeah tube measurements are OD, pipe is ID.
And the repair begins. They had some serious welds on there. Looks like it simply rusted through under that plate where it didn't get painted. Guess I am just going to go the hose route to replace it.
Yeah but we do have a dozer section this is better suited in than the Backhoe Forum. I'm going to move it over there.
Just cut off the leaking section and braze or connect a new section of hard line to the old one. You'll regret using hose. Explain what you're doing to your local hydraulic shop. They'll sell you some connectors to do a cold splice and make you a piece of hard line. If you want to braze it, they'll swage the new line so it will slip over your old line.
Check Break... Why would OP regret using hose? Looks like the tube is connected to hose already. I believe the manufacturer's use tube since it's less expensive than hose in mass OEM quantities. Although, as repair parts, tube is extraordinarily expensive. I was going to suggest using a piece of angle like a tent to protect the hose since the hose OD would be a bit larger than tube.
Seamless tubing is inexpensive. Costs less than good hose. That's a bad place for a hose. Prone to damage and the sun won't do it any favors. Why replace ten or more feet of tube with hose when less than two feet of tube will return the line to OEM spec. The problem with tube is we aren't used to using it. If your hydraulic shop makes metal lines, ask them to show you how they bend and flare them. You'll be surprised how easy it is and why you can replace most OEM lines that are 2-3' in length for around $50, substantially less than the OEM line you're replacing, if it's available.
After getting the hard line out of there I could see that it had a couple more spots with substantial pitting from rust. The local shop doesn't do hard lines, just hose, so that is what I went with. This is an old machine that rarely gets used. Probably averages 10 hours per year, so I just went with what was quick and easy. The hose ended up costing $73, which I didn't think was too bad. Right now, I don't have anything covering it, but I will probably put some angle iron over it.
Most Hydraulic shops will make up a new tube Less expense than a hose and lasts as shown LONGER time.