prep work to silver solder braze loader hydraulic line

[2manyrocks]

I have a pinhole leak in the steel hydraulic loader line on my Mahindra 3525. The line is no longer available from Mahindra. I flushed the line with gasoline three or four times today, let it air out and then attempted to braze it with silver solder. About the time the line became cherry red, some kind of brown looking fluid seemed to ooze out of the hole. Went ahead with the brazing and then capped it with a piece of copper pipe, also brazed in place.

I haven't tried it under pressure, but I'm not holding my breath that it's going to work.

What is the right way to clean and braze the line to stop the leak?

 

[true temper]

You have the oil burnt out now which is a good thing. If it leaks remove the copper patch you put on and clean it up with emery cloth get it really clean. Then get a can of oven cleaner and clean it with that . It will remove all traces of contamination. I use black flux and silver braze it up. Might need to make a steel patch to put over the hole, be sure to clean it up real good first.

 

[2manyrocks]

Should I try to clean the interior of the line with oven cleaner or just the exterior?

 

[zzvyb6]

My Parker hydraulics store sold me a fitting that connects high pressure metal hydraulic lines that are leaking, cracked or have pinholes. You cut the line at the crack and insert the compression fittings. Worked perfectly for my NH Stack wagon lift cylinder lines.

 

[true temper]

Just clean the outside and it should be fine.

 

[2manyrocks]

My Parker hydraulics store sold me a fitting that connects high pressure metal hydraulic lines that are leaking, cracked or have pinholes. You cut the line at the crack and insert the compression fittings. Worked perfectly for my NH Stack wagon lift cylinder lines.

The leak is at a slight bend where the line is clamped to the loader frame. The square edge of the clamp wore into the loader line creating the leak at a point where it would be difficult to add a fitting because of the bend and because of the location of the clamp.

 

[MH8675309]

Silver solder is perfect for high pressure lines. I used to solder hundreds of stainless lines into junction blocks. The trick is to have the steel clean and not to get it too hot where it scorches (turns black). If you do scorch it let it cool down and clean the steel with emery cloth or a wire wheel. Go slow (a good rule of thumb with brazing anyway) til you get the hang of it.

 

[2manyrocks]

I'm afraid I got it too hot because it was partly black when I finished.

I cut some 1/2" copper pipe in half to cover the braze to try to make it seal better. If (when) I have to redo this, I'm having trouble thinking of what kind of steel I could use instead. Would I take a clean piece of sheet metal and then try to bend it over a bolt or something to get the right profile to fit the round loader line tubing? The loader lines are flared so I can't just slide another larger piece of tubing into place over the area where the leak is located.

 

[true temper]

I wouldn’t have used copper, but it might be okay. I have repaired many of these lines. I would use a piece of steel and form it to cover up the hole and silver braze it up.
What kind of silver rod are you using? Many times I have used common bronze brazing rod. Send photo if you can.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

How hard is it to remove the line? Then you could get a straight line that length using old one as a pattern to bend it. I think that would be the best repair.