A number of times on HEF, I have read about the importance of installing clean hydraulic hoses, but I had no idea on how it was done. I ran across the video linked below which explains why a hose should be cleaned and what procedure is followed. The next time I need to replace a hydraulic hose, I will ensure the hose shop I am using is following a similar procedure.
I've been pretty ambivalent about all the people screaming about how you have to do this and that or your whole hydraulic system is going to explode like a nuclear bomb went off inside. I've seen the Cat house do all the crap and the hose blows the end off the first time pressure is put to it. My local hose supplier never does anything special and I've never had a come back on anything they have made. Should things be kept clean? Sure its a good idea to be as clean as possible. Just keep in mind that the people pushing that stuff charge a whole lot more money without being able to prove the value of what they are charging you for. Changing hydraulic oil filters and hydraulic oil at the factory specified time is far more cost effective.
Personally, I see the value in it.
Definitely important but you should try your best to prevent contamination to start with like a plug or bag over the end Sorry couldn't help myself
Definitely need to flush them out, I didn't know and I replaced them all on my backhoe, poor filter died a preventable death. Next time I use compressed air or run some used oil through it "BEFORE" attaching them.
There is only one hydraulic shop that I occasionally use (very expensive) that will use the "Pigs" to clean the hose assembly but only when requested anymore. And I think that they likely charge to do it these days. There are many shops that could learn something from this video but it's all leading that horse to the water - does not mean that they will drink from that source. I'm anal about keeping my systems clean with a filtration cart, changing filters at recommended intervals and sometimes using 2 micron bypass filtration in the system. I ALWAYS flush a new hydraulic hose, usually with brake parts cleaner, WD40, diesel or another oil based solvent until I'm satisfied it's relatively clean as evidenced by a white towel tattletale. I run a lot of piston pumps and motors and there is no faster way to destroy a system than easily removeable debris in a replacement component. I carry a wide selection of caps and plugs anymore for when I'm working on any lines or components. I'm rebuilding or replacing a track drive motor today. That 1 motor is $8k-$19k depending where I purchase it and it's 12 weeks or more out if I can't rebuild what I have. And this is one of the smallest motors on the machine. You better believe that I cap and plug every line and take every precaution to keep an immaculate system. A few extra minutes to clean a new hose is my normal operating procedure. Even new oil straight out of the barrel makes a pass through the filtration cart before going into my machines.
Our local Princess Auto uses a similar process when they assemble hoses and I see the crap that comes out. The business of cutting the hose to length with an abrasive disc creates a lot of debris. Didn’t there used to be some kind of scallop blade that was used?
And to answer my own question
Big local hose shop does everything in the back so no idea what they do. Princes Auto ( a little like harbour freight), open Sunday, blow a foam plug through the cut hose before stalling the fittings.
Dirt, grime, abrasive materials from cutting a hose all kill hydraulic systems. But I can tell you personally that I've seen excavators and especially logging equipment go 10-15,000 hours with absolutely no regard for cleanliness and very little hydraulic problems. Oil is added out of 5 gallon buckets that have bounced around in the back of a pickup, hoses blow and no caps are installed while they are out getting a new hose, the new hose is pushed through dirt and grime without plugs in the ends. Years ago I wanted to sell a service of regular scheduled oil sampling and cleaning the system, I built a hydraulic filtration unit with with a 75 gallon tank so I could suck the oil out of the machine and filter it or just run it as a kidney loop. It rarely gets used for what it was built for, pretty difficult to sell cleanliness when dirty seems to work. I do generally blow a plug through hoses I build just for liability purposes, might as well cover your bases.
That is good to know … I’m pleasantly surprised that Princess Auto follows good hydraulic hose hygiene. Next time I’m in PA I’ll stop by the hose shop and have a talk with the technician. I’ll also talk to them at our local farm supply store (UFA in Alberta) to see what they follow. Perhaps this procedure is more common than I thought.
I usually get hyd hoses made at my closest JD ag dealer and they don't do any cleaning. I clean them myself. I guess the green guys aren't as fussy as the yellow guys
I like the blowing out but I really like that Cat caps them so you don't get something in them on the way back they are the only ones around here that clean or cap
You don’t need the fancy multi nozzle gun you can stuff the marshmallows in and fire them with a normal blow gun with suitably sized rubber adapter tip. we do it on hydraulic failure cleanouts and of course our hose shop does it when they build it.
A couple years ago we had a rotary drive motor throw a scrap iron fit. Bad contamination. I spent three days with a filter cart running while I pulled hoses and shot the swabs through them. We bought a kit to do it. I’ve had major failures on two machines and I have to say it works well, get the crud out of the hoses. Cat dealer does it when building hoses. Not aware of anywhere else doing it. With the cost of parts and the downtime it’s cheap insurance.
Clean hydraulic hoses are a big priority for me too. One big concern was always when renting an attachment that may have had who knows what type of fluid in it.
I'm not saying that cleanliness isn't important and I like to do everything to be that. It's just that I get tired of every chicken little flailing about telling me the sky is falling unless I spend extra money on their product. It especially galls me when I've been at this for fifty years now and haven't been able to put even anecdotal evidence of a failure caused by any replacement hose other than those that self destruct because the dough head that is proud of punching a marshmallow through a length of hose can't seem to use the right die to crimp the fitting on.
I had one of those great hoses made at NC Kent. The parts guy said the hose guru was at lunch, but he was trained to do the thing. I put the new hose on the hoe pack on the 416, pushed the lever, and got the full blast. I think he got 1/2" of hose into the connector and called it good. Looking at the operator's station, you could make out my outline where the seat and machine were dry.