Can'e reconnect hoses

[ElBubba]

Can\'e reconnect hoses

I've encountered my first real snag with my new PT425.

I attached my minihoe without problem and have been having a ball digging holes and trenches in Isabel Meadow. But now I can't reconnect the hoses to the quick attach plate. I remembered my (far off) neighbor mentioning that sometimes you needed to release the pressure by pressing down on the lever (by knee) controlling the QA hydraulics so I've done that but still can't reconnect. The minihoe hoses go off and on without any problem and the QA connectors are clean and undamaged so I"m guessing there's pressure on the QA hoses that I need to bleed off but the knee lever doesn't seem to be doing it.

 

[pajoube]

Re: Can\'e reconnect hoses

This is not uncommon. If when disconnecting you did not get all the pressure off then when connecting you will have the problem you are now facing. When I am in a hurry this will happen every now and then. I keep an 8 inch rod (half inch) and a small hammer close by so that when this happens I put the flat end of the rod into the coupler and give it a guick tap. You will notice a small amount of oil leakiing out which is good. You will now be able to connect.
PJ

 

[ElBubba]

Re: Can\'e reconnect hoses

Is there a proper way to disconnect hoses. Are you supposed to wait 15 seconds or something? Cycle up down first? Chant?

 

[pequeajim]

Re: Can\'e reconnect hoses

I just shut the tractor off and then jog the valve back and forth a few times. That has always done the trick for me.

If you get them off before you shut the tractor off, you might end up leaving it pressurized and have a hard time reconnecting.

(of course, you already know that /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif )

I haven't had that problem because I read it on here a few times. Others have done the same thing, and I'm sure I will forget some time in the future and have to go get a rod and hammer.

 

[Bob999]

Re: Can\'e reconnect hoses

An alternative way to release the pressure is to loosen the fitting on the hose until some fluid leads out and then attach and retighen.

 

[pajoube]

Re: Can\'e reconnect hoses

During summer high temps is the worst for this problem for me. After I shut down I will cycle the two levers a couple fo times.
PJ

 

[Rip]

Re: Can\'e reconnect hoses

Unfortunately this is a very common hydraulic issue with any brand of tractor/accessory and not at all unique to PT. In addition to trying to releive system pressure before disconnecting, making an effort to park the attachment in such a way to minimize its tendency to create its own pressure by weight shifting or sun heating will also help.

In spite of everything, the problem will still occur sometimes and all you can do is one or more of the various pressure relief techniques mentioned here or on any of the other forums on this board since it is a wide-spread problem.

Always use a rag or such and do not be looking into the fitting when trying to releive pressure so as to not get any fluid in your eyes. Usually only a fraction of an ounce will be lost, but it can be under very high pressure!

 

[ElBubba]

Re: Can\'e reconnect hoses

Tapping with blunt instrument did it. Oddly enough cycling the lever multiple times didn't help nor did waiting a couple hours.

 

[tracdoc]

Re: Can\'e reconnect hoses

The chief reason that "tincture of time" didn't work in your favor, is that the tolerances in the hydraulic circuits of your nice new machine are quite tight, and there is little if any leakdown and leak-by.

I encountered the same predicament with my machine when it was out in the sun one afternoon. I was baffled, since the conventional wisdom is that hydraulic fluids are "non-compressible." So, I looked into it further, and came up with the explanation which I posted for our group awhile back: Post #496515 - 09/14/04

Enjoy your new machine. I'm not far from you, just over the VA/NC border at Danville. I finally got my machine doing some Springtime work. I like that rake for scratching before fertilizing and overseeding. I put my snow blade away in the far rear of the shed, untouched by snow this winter. Murphy now says that we'll have a blizzard next week, when it will be a P.I.T.A. to retrieve the blade /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[toy]

Re: Can\'e reconnect hoses

The pressure is trapped inthe attachment that you are trying to connect. I personally would rather losen the fitting just a little to let the pressure bleed off instead of whacking the center of the fitting with a hammer and a rod, but I have done it both ways. When I am going to disconnect an attachment I shut the machine off and wait a second and then jiggle the lever a few times with one other thing that I failed to mention in an earlier post about this problem, I leave the lifting arms up before shutting the machine off I shut the machine off jiggle the lever a few times . With the lifting arms up it lets the oil run out of the hoses and back to the tank. that is how I do it , others might do it a different way, but this way has worked for me for some time now without having any recconnect problems. Now that being said the next time I have to disconnect and reconnect an attachment I'll probably have all kinds of trouble.