I'm wondering if there's special tools needed to change hydraulic hoses on the 580 ck? I have all kinds and sizes of wrenches, etc.. but I'm wondering if there's anything special needed. Specifically, it looks "pretty busy" where all the hoses come together at the area beneath the backhoe tower controls. I have several hoses to disconnect and replace, most not leaking but pretty worn out looking. Also, I'm curious about opinions on making as many (as possible) of the hose connections quick connect, just seems to me that you can change out future hoses with less hassle and mess, probably worth the slight extra cost
Quick connects are notorious flow reducers and prone to leakage.
I changed a couple of hoses on my hoe, and aside from making sure the pressure was drained off, I just used a normal wrench.
Crowsfoot can be your best friend and a hammer IMHO. A good wack with the hammer on the fitting then use the crowsfoot. No room to swing a wrench, easy, put a rattle gun on the crowsfoot.
Tones- Can you Americanize "put a rattle gun on the crowsfoot" a bit? I know crowsfoot and I can make an assumption about rattle gun, but I'm not sure.
I think he means impact wrench.
Sometimes you have to remove other hoses to get to the one you want. Clean the area well and mark them accordingly.
A set of these are a good invesment.
The appropriate wrench is called a flare nut wrench. Basically, it's a box wrench with a cut-out to go around the hose or tube. I've found a regular wrench will distort a stuck hose fitting where a flare nut wrench distributes the torque better. Nothing is an all case wrench. Every installation is unique and you'll have to figure out your situation. Vetech63's little picture shows crowfoot flare nut wrenches at the bottom.
I like that flare nut wrench idea, I don't know that I've ever seen those, thanks!
I've used those 12 point thin flare nut wrenches and they spread too easy for most tough hydraulic fittings. I only use mine for fuel lines in some restricted access areas. Also I have some cheap regular combination wrenches that i have heated and bent/modified for really bizarre tasks
Case sold about 4 sizes of a crowfoot tubing wrench with a short 1/2" drive extension that worked well. But I have not seen any for years so if you buy 12 point crowfoots get the 1/2" ones. Bob
Better hide those modified wrenches if you worked for the outfit I did! They got all kinds of upset about modified or homemade tools. Then again they did not jump though hoops to get you the tools if you brought that subject up. On the same topic if they hired an outside mechanic to do a job they had no problem with them doing things that they would have a hissy fit if I tried doing the same thing! Goes to show they don't give a rat's ass about the man doing the work just their possible liability if someone is hurt.
Quick connects are a non starter, as mentioned. Sometimes it makes it much easier to remove the hose from the fitting, then use a socket to remove the fitting BEFORE you round it off. A chisel from the end will cut through the crimp, or you can chisel through the hose. Nothing wrong with an adapter to a flat faced fitting to avoid removing lots of extra hoses. Adapter fittings are cheap. Flat face O ring fittings are easier than pipe thread.
Delmer hit it right on the head, if you're gonna replace the line/hose anyway cut it off at the fitting and most times a deep socket will fit and allows the afore mentioned rattle gun or large ratchet to do quick work on the remaining parts, it also allows you to remove "stuck" 2 piece fittings from the component itself and heat in a vise so you can save the expensive base fittings in most cases...As far as getting a big fat wrench on the base fitting where they're too close to the other ones get a cheap open wrench and grind er down to fit between the "flats" on the neighboring fittings and they will usually prevent the wrench from opening when torquing on the hose fitting....
All great ideas also an air hammer and chisel will do amazing work on hose nuts takes some practice just put a dull chisel on the edge of the flat and vibrate it loose thats my go to
Angle wrenches, good crows, cheap crows to put a gun on, and a long pin punch for the air hammer. Yet to find a line that wouldn't come off somehow, if the pin punch doesn't work it gets the chisel bit. The nut still works even if you have to nick it a bit.
Thanks, some very useful info here!
Anyone buying offset angle wrenches like these- try to find the snap on ones- they have 30 and 60 deg offset ends. The usual cheap knockoff ones have a 15 and 60, and the 15 isn't really that useful, because its the same offset that a standard combination wrench has. Tekton is making the 30 and 60 deg wrenches in the usa now, but for a long time snap on were the only ones offering that configuration. https://www.tekton.com/angle-head-open-end-wrench-set-wae90108 Also pump wrenches can be kind of handy in a tight spot for bigger fittings. They have a much shorter handle, and sometimes that's pretty useful.
The hobo freight service wrenches are pretty good.
Everyone already covered what I would recommend. The Tekton angle wrenches are great; I went with them for singles in the metric sizes I didn't have. Also agree, the HF service wrenches really come in handy in cramped spaces and saved my ass on a few jobs (plus they're cheap and ugly enough to have no issues with grinding them as needed).
Same reason we buy all our big wrenches at hf or tractor supply, id much rather chop a hf 2" then a snappy, wright, sk. I even keep a cheap set of small metrics on the truck in case one needs to meet the flap wheel.
Last summer I blew a steering hose on my Michigan wheel dozer that was in a horrible place to try to get a wrench on. I tried everything that I could think of, and that others suggested over 3 weekends before I finally got it loose. It was in a place that I couldn't even directly see. I could get a look at it with a small mirror, but I was basically working on it by feel. I finally resorted to using my backhoe to rip the hose off of the fitting, and was able to get a deep socket on it. There was no room to get a rattle gun straight on it, so I had to use a wobbly extension. The fitting was so stubborn that I had to turn the air pressure way over the max recommended for the gun, and "rattle" it for so long that the poor HF wobbly got hot to the touch before it finally broke loose. Good times. Lol
Well angles and extensions eat up some of the torque. I try to buy good tools. I nearly broke a wrist and lost some teeth when a cheap ratchet let go years ago. Never again. If I have to mod a wrench I will do it to a Craftsman or even some Chinesium POS like Horrible Freight. The ceap wrenches don't fit as tight as the good stuff. As my brother says they are all approx. sized.
I found that the cheap stuff breaks on Sunday afternoon at 5 PM, when the car has to be on the road Monday morning to get you to work.