How to releave pressure to make connection?

[Samandothers]

I need some help. I have a WR Long thrid function valve to control my gapple tine. When i remove the grapple and go back to connect it I am having difficulties. I have to struggle like heck almost straining a giblet trying to connect the quick disconnets at the grapple.
I know when I remove the backhoe I move the controls around to relieve pressure and have never had a problem connecting it. However with the electrically controled valve for the third function am not sure how to relieve the pressure, or it that my problem?
Both connections I can not seem to slide past the ring on the male end far enought into the female end to allow the slip sleeve to move over the small ball bearings to lock the connection. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Willl]

However with the electrically controled valve for the third function am not sure how to relieve the pressure

On mine I activate the valve and move my lever back and forth a few times WITH engine off.

 

[mikim]

assuming everything is off with no pressure on anything -- take a plastic head hammer and give the male connector a rap with it (covered with a rag) --or you get fluid everywhere.--trick I learned here on tbn

 

[J_J]

If you have a male and female QD connector , the best thing , is to keep them plugged into each other, mainly to keep them clean, and to equalize the cylinder pressure, however even with that, in the middle of summer, the pressure will build up and it will be hard to disconnect. Just take a wrench and loosen the connector and a little fluid will seep out. Then you should be able to connect. Some people just take the male QD and press the tip real hard on the side of the loader arms to let the pressure off. You could also take a mallet and strike the male end do the some thing. Put a rag over the fitting when doing this.

 

[kennyd]

For the solenoid valve, just leave the key ON with the tractor not running so the valve has power and cycle the switch. Also make sure the grapple is closed all the way before you disconnect it so the weight of the grapple arm is not putting pressure in the hoses.

 

[irwin]

. Some people just take the male QD and press the tip real hard on the side of the loader arms to let the pressure off.~snip~ . Put a rag over the fitting when doing this.

It's what I do. Use to walk and get my brass punch, but that got old. Now I hook up the female to the tractor male, then tap the male fitting (from attachment) on something before even trying.

 

[Samandothers]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Several good ideas to try. This time I loosened the connector to allow pressure to decrease. Next time before disconnecting I'll close the grapple all the way and try to operate the rocker switch with the engine off. I do normally connect the gapple connectors together to keep them clean. This last time once I removed the grapple and attempted to connect the ends to pressure was too high and I could not connect them.
Again thanks for the input folks!

 

[David_Kb7uns]

Have Kubota L3130 with LA723 loader, WR Long valve and ATI grapple on bucket. When changing to the other bucket or forks I set bucket on ground flat and then close grapple and shut engine off. Turn key back on with engine off and cycle switch in both directions. Disconnect hoses and put dust caps on, I once connected couplers together but if it heats up, hydraulic fluid expands and can make it harder to disconnect or reconnect (backhoe did it once to but it has a vent valve for the purpose). Some times I am temped to take a file to the quick connects on the implement side and either put in dummy plugs with vents or file a small groove in the poppet to let the pressure out.

David Kb7uns

 

[CurlyDave]

If you have the skid steer type of hydraulic quick disconnects, with the flat face, they are the biggest PITA I have seen in the hydraulic world.

Take a look at this thread http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/hydraulics/131755-help-my-stucchi-disconnect.html to see how I handled this problem.

The real issue is that any increase in temperature creates a dramatic rise in hydraulic pressure in a closed system. Plugging the two connectors on your grapple into each other will only mean you can't get them apart if the temperature is higher than when you connected them.

What I have found is that if I buy a male and a female extra connector, and then plug the back of the connector tightly enough to keep dirt out, but not tightly enough to hold pressure, I can put one on each end of the grapple connections when I take it off. When I go to put it back on, it is pretty easy, although I sometimes have to resort to the caulking gun as explained in the link.

 

[J_J]

If you have the skid steer type of hydraulic quick disconnects, with the flat face, they are the biggest PITA I have seen in the hydraulic world.

Take a look at this thread http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/hydraulics/131755-help-my-stucchi-disconnect.html to see how I handled this problem.

The real issue is that any increase in temperature creates a dramatic rise in hydraulic pressure in a closed system. Plugging the two connectors on your grapple into each other will only mean you can't get them apart if the temperature is higher than when you connected them.

What I have found is that if I buy a male and a female extra connector, and then plug the back of the connector tightly enough to keep dirt out, but not tightly enough to hold pressure, I can put one on each end of the grapple connections when I take it off. When I go to put it back on, it is pretty easy, although I sometimes have to resort to the caulking gun as explained in the link.

It only takes a small bit of fluid to lock those fittings, so if you are using the dummy connections, why not just add pipe caps over the threaded parts and if they won't seperate, unscrew the cap. You only need to do this on one side.