Help - Hydraulic hose will NOT come off

[beowulf]

I popped a hydraulic hose on FEL yesterday doing something stupid. I knew better than to back drag. . . or maybe I didn't. Anyway, I have replaced hydraulic hoses before so went to take it off and take it in to the hydraulic shop to have a new one made. The non-cylinder end of the hose came right off but the end attached to the hydraulic cylinder would not budge. 18 mm box wrench was the size to use. All the force I had only served to somewhat round off the nut edges making the problem even more difficult. I checked the other side hose to make sure the wrench was the right size and direction of the nut was not a reverse thread somehow (doubted that but could not figure out why the hose would not come out of the cylinder). The hose on the cylinder on the other side of the FEL loosened up immediately.

With the nut edges a bit stripped the 18 mm wrench was no longer going to work. So tired different vice grips. Nut won't budge. My next efforts - later this morning - will be to try to refile some edges on the nut and perhaps get a 17mm on it, or, to cut the hose off below the nut and above the metal sleeve to see if I could then get a socket wrench in there somehow. Real puzzling why it won't come off as this has never been a problem before.

Hoping someone here can suggest something. Thanks in advance.

 

[IH3444]

You most likely need an 18mm flare nut wrench. Hopefully this will do the trick.

 

[kennyd]

What style of fitting is is?

Maybe some heat would help you break it free.

 

[beowulf]

What style of fitting is is? .

Just a nut with the flared top that seals into the top part of the FEL hydraulic cylinder. The other end, has the two part nut to permit the swivel. That came off easily, as did the hose from the top of the other FEL cylinder when I tested it to see how easy it was to come off - it did so easily.

I will try a heat gun on the female cylinder part to see it that will help, and will check out the 18mm flare wrench as suggested by IH3444. I have even considered taking the entire cylinder off and taking it into the hydraulic shop but that would be a royal PITA and I sure hope I can get the hose off some other way. Thanks guys for your suggestions.

 

[beowulf]

You most likely need an 18mm flare nut wrench. Hopefully this will do the trick.

I don't have the flare wrenches but will try to get some - will need to go to town. One problem may be, though, that the metal collar just below the nut is a bit wider than the 18mm nut and so I wonder if the flare wrench will slide up the hose to grip the nut - that is the diameter of the collar may block that. But maybe I can work one in there or if necessary, cut above the collar and slip it on. Thanks for the suggestion. I am heading out to try what I can.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Can u cut a notch in a standard box end wrench to fit over the metal collar but still fit the fitting. Perhaps a vice grip on top of the home made flare wrench to prevent it from flexing or bending and tighten down on the fitting underneath.

 

[beowulf]

Success. After trying everything else, the nut was fairly well rounded. Then I took a metal file and filed the nut flat on opposite sides and then tried different box wrenches to see which gave me the tightest fit at the two new flat edges. It happened to be a SAE wrench that fit the tightest - I tapped it on - a real tight fit on the nut. The wrench did grip the nut well enough but still no give. Then I took a short piece of pipe to slip over the end of the box wrench for leverage. And at the same time had my wife hold a heat gun to the female cylinder fitting. It still took a lot of torque but it finally broke loose and then easily came off by hand. I have no idea what the problem was - it almost seemed like it was in there so tight that it sort of "welded" itself - at the lip - to the cylinder. Anyway, happy tractor guy here, and off to town for a new hose.

Thanks again to all for weighing in.

 

[jimmysisson]

Maybe a PO used hard loctite on the threads? Good you got it off.
Jim

 

[k0ua]

Gorilla issue. Most manufactures keep a gorilla or two around when they need to "really" tighten things.

 

[beowulf]

New hose now on. What was interesting was that once it "broke" free - in about a quarter of a turn - it came out by hand. All threads clean and pristine, and rubber O-ring intact. I can only think that it was so severely tightened that it dug a bit into the casing, or created a burr or whatever that then caused it to seat so severely. I did not see any evidence of any Loctite or other substance in there, and threads were clean and shiny. Every other hydraulic fitting I have ever taken off came off relatively easily - this was definitely a different animal.