Can’t loosen hydraulic hose (not a quick connect)

[D&D]

Looking for tool suggestions to get these hydraulic hose fittings off.



These are on a skidsteer snowblower.

I had these hoses off two years ago because one hose had worn through over the years. Got them off and changed with a socket wrench.

I’ve used a hammer on the wrench to try to break the bond, but it was starting to round out the nut.


Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

What are you calling a socket wrench? Rather than a hammer, try a length of pipe as an extension to get more leverage.

 

[bdhsfz6]

Thanks for the suggestions.

The hose that I’ve partially rounded the nut off is actually a good hose, so I don’t want to ruin it (any more) if possible. .
The hose that’s leaking is on the inside bottom, and the only way to get that hose off is to take the other three hoses off first so that I can get a wrench on it.

I think the warm summer weather may be making the metal nuts expand a bit and become just soft enough to have the wrench round it. The two previous times that I had these hoses off with the same wrench was in the winter, so presumably the metal was harder and less prone to rounding due to the cold.

My plan now is to stop at the dealer this week and see if they have any tips/suggestions.

Thanks again.

By the time you get that hose off intact, if you even can, it won't be worth reusing IMO. Spend the money on a new one instead of more tools. Cut it, as in post #10. If there is enough slack in the hose, have a new fitting pressed on. If not, use one of these:

As others have said, the fitting is likely an O-ring type rather than NPT, which has a taper. The nut portion of the fitting should not be in contact with the hydraulic block as all the hoses are in your pic.

 

[JackDaniels1982]

I second the knipex suggestion, if it fit, I'd even try a pipe wrench, even if it was on the bulge. The hose should spin separate of the fitting, but if it's that tight they may spin together. I'd also consider removing the other fittings around it, so you could potentially get the tools on a non-rounded side. Vice grips also makes a 3 sided version. I could only find them at grainger under the code PTR10LW. I have 2/3 sizes and they've helped me out of a few jams. The other hoses would have to be removed for them to fit.

And Iike you, I'd want to reuse the hose, but we'd both be making a mistake by tripping over that dollar to save that rusty old nickle. I would still put it in my used bin, or potentially add an orb to orb adapter that I could use later as the disconnect point. If it was running a loader or similar and it was the right line a needle valve as a flow control can be useful- ie to slow descent.

Good luck

 

[ruffdog]

Don't those fittings have an o-ring on them? If that is the case, they don't have to be super tight.

That sure looks like an ORB/SAE fitting, so there should be an o-ring. If there isn't, and you tightened it enough to stop it from leaking, that is the real issue here.

View attachment 1288719

That is the type of fitting I thought it had when I first looked at it. If it is leaking, it is an o-ring issue and shouldn't be over tightened.

 

[seville009]

Thanks for all the responses.

To answer the various points, etc:

That darkness you see around the nut is not a squeezed o-ring. It’s just darkness. I can’t get a clear close up picture, but the nut is actually flared back slightly where each flat side meets, thus creating that dark spot.

That hose that I’ve been trying to get off first is not leaking. The hose that has the leak is the one in the picture below with the red x. That is a new hose that I put on two years ago. The problem is that I have to remove the other three hoses first in order to get at the hise that is leaking.

The wrench that I have used successfully two times before is this open ended basic crescent wrench

When I put the hoses back on the prior two times, it was just me hand tightening it with the same crescent wrench; did not use any power or air tools, or any type of thread lock.


I do have more than enough room for leverage. It’s just that I cannot get whatever I use to grip the nut to lock it tight so as not to strip it.


Might just put super glue around the leaking fitting and call it a day……..(I’m joking).

I’ll figure something out; had just been curious if there was some tool out there that I wasn’t aware of that would make this a simple job.

Thanks again to everyone.

 

[vallefarm]

First, remove all the other hoses then deal with the bad one. Those knipex plyers are amazing and will work if you give them space.

 

[rScotty]

Thanks for all the responses.

To answer the various points, etc:

That darkness you see around the nut is not a squeezed o-ring. It’s just darkness. I can’t get a clear close up picture, but the nut is actually flared back slightly where each flat side meets, thus creating that dark spot.

That hose that I’ve been trying to get off first is not leaking. The hose that has the leak is the one in the picture below with the red x. That is a new hose that I put on two years ago. The problem is that I have to remove the other three hoses first in order to get at the hise that is leaking.

View attachment 1291650

The wrench that I have used successfully two times before is this open ended basic crescent wrench

View attachment 1291880

When I put the hoses back on the prior two times, it was just me hand tightening it with the same crescent wrench; did not use any power or air tools, or any type of thread lock.


I do have more than enough room for leverage. It’s just that I cannot get whatever I use to grip the nut to lock it tight so as not to strip it.


Might just put super glue around the leaking fitting and call it a day……..(I’m joking).

I’ll figure something out; had just been curious if there was some tool out there that I wasn’t aware of that would make this a simple job.

Thanks again to everyone.

Hopefully you have it apart by now and I'm too late.

But for next time, if you use the common names for the tools it may get you more help from the pros.

For example, I've no idea what you are calling a "socket wrench". Can you post a picture just to satishy my curiousity? There is no way that what most mechanics call a socket wrench will fit onto that fitting.

I believe that your photo above is the Open End of a Combination Wrench. Usually the other end is ring shaped and closed and is called the Box End - usually both ends will fit the same size fastening....though not always. As you have found, there is no way that the box end of a combination wrench can get into position to fit onto that nut..... for all the same reasons that a socket wrench won't either.

A crescent wrench is a general term for an adjustable wrench - so called because the Crescent Company popularized them by making a lot of that style adjustable wrench. Don't use a crescent wrench for this. They are for being handy, but not for applying a lot of force. It will slip and ruin the nut.

You are doing the right thing by using the open end of a combination wrench. If you look a few, you will see that the open ends do come in a variety of open end thicknesses. You want one that is as thick as the nut or even a bit more so. Then you can try hitting the end of the combination wrench with a "dead blow" hammer. Don't overdo it. If that doesn't work, the next step is to use a long pipe slipped over the entire free length of the combnation wrench as a torque increasing "cheater". That will loosen it if the wrench doesn't break.
Luck,
rScotty

 

[SPYDERLK]

Hopefully you have it apart by now and I'm too late.

But for next time, if you use the common names for the tools it may get you more help from the pros.

For example, I've no idea what you are calling a "socket wrench". Can you post a picture just to satishy my curiousity? There is no way that what most mechanics call a socket wrench will fit onto that fitting.

I believe that your photo above is the Open End of a Combination Wrench. Usually the other end is ring shaped and closed and is called the Box End - usually both ends will fit the same size fastening....though not always. As you have found, there is no way that the box end of a combination wrench can get into position to fit onto that nut..... for all the same reasons that a socket wrench won't either.

A crescent wrench is a general term for an adjustable wrench - so called because the Crescent Company popularized them by making a lot of that style adjustable wrench. Don't use a crescent wrench for this. They are for being handy, but not for applying a lot of force. It will slip and ruin the nut.

You are doing the right thing by using the open end of a combination wrench. If you look a few, you will see that the open ends do come in a variety of open end thicknesses. You want one that is as thick as the nut or even a bit more so. Then you can try hitting the end of the combination wrench with a "dead blow" hammer. Don't overdo it. If that doesn't work, the next step is to use a long pipe slipped over the entire free length of the combnation wrench as a torque increasing "cheater". That will loosen it if the wrench doesn't break.
Luck,
rScotty

Reading your post gave me an idea. Open ended wrenches at extremis on a hex tend to spread enough to start rounding the nut corners and that small "slippage" quickly worsens the situation as more torque is applied. I think that a small pre mod to the wrench end will allow adding impact torque without adding critical stress to the wrench throat. A small shelf needs to be ground into the outside of one jaw tip - right about where the hex point meets the inside of that jaw. At that point there should still be enough meat in the jaw to accommodate a 1/16" shelf and still be strong. This shelf would be tailored the give secure purchase to a blunted chisel tip.

Now you need a helper to apply significant CCW torque with the wrench while you deliver a sharp tangential blow. It should move.

 

[Mike1955]

Scotty the Crescent wrench I don’t think will brake. I think the jaws will start to spread and slip therefore rounding the nut. What works for one doesn’t work for all. I have never use a hammer of any kind on a wrench.

 

[coast40]

 

[Eagle1]

I'll add that a lot of cheap open end wrenches will spread the jaws when you use a dead blow or hammer. Never managed to spread a good wrench but we tend to use the the cheap throw away ones when abuse is about to occur.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I'll add that a lot of cheap open end wrenches will spread the jaws when you use a dead blow or hammer. Never managed to spread a good wrench but we tend to use the the cheap throw away ones when abuse is about to occur.

They always spread. The best "spring" back. The elastic modulus of steel is what it is; good steels or bad. The good will just endure more distortion, building higher force before it bends.

 

[Eagle1]

They always spread. The best "spring" back. The elastic modulus of steel is what it is; good steels or bad. The good will just endure more distortion, building higher force before it bends.

I have some el cheapo that now fit the next size up.... but they had a 3' pipe and 16 pound maul applied. My proto took that abuse, snap on & craftman just get a new one at the dealer.

 

[Eagle1]

I had sears replace 6 one inch sockets one day. 6 foot cheater on 1" drive breaker bar, with two 250 pound guys jumping on the pipe from a ladder. That damn nut came off late that day.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I have some el cheapo that now fit the next size up.... but they had a 3' pipe and 16 pound maul applied. My proto took that abuse, snap on & craftman just get a new one at the dealer.

Interesting. Were they constructed equally, or did the proto have a heavier throat?

 

[Eagle1]

Interesting. Were they constructed equally, or did the proto have a heavier throat?

Proto 1970's a little heavier than Snapon and lighter than Craftsman. Priced in between before Snapon became crazy. Picked up a bunch at garage sales, etc in HS. Back in the days of no money and broke vehicles, back to that right now.
Still have most of the good tools from back in day.

 

[Mike1955]

View attachment 1311201

Where is the Socket wrench?

 

[1Mech]

Recently I had a similar situation, I have a small, 6" or 8" pipe wrench I used to break a fitting loose. The jaws were narrow enough to fit in there and grip it, then I used a socket and extension as a cheater pipe, could also use a small diameter pipe.

 

[coast40]

Where is the Socket wrench?

I cropped the so-called "socket wrench" out as they are called a ratchet in most tool catalogs. Seems to be an archaic term used in the beginnings of tool manufacturing. The line wrenches shown are also referred to as brake line or tubing wrenches. There are also thin wrenches for hydraulic hose fittings. For a deep dive into tools visit Alloy Artifacts Tool History Page

 

[threepiece]

Reading your post gave me an idea. Open ended wrenches at extremis on a hex tend to spread enough to start rounding the nut corners and that small "slippage" quickly worsens the situation as more torque is applied. I think that a small pre mod to the wrench end will allow adding impact torque without adding critical stress to the wrench throat. A small shelf needs to be ground into the outside of one jaw tip - right about where the hex point meets the inside of that jaw. At that point there should still be enough meat in the jaw to accommodate a 1/16" shelf and still be strong. This shelf would be tailored the give secure purchase to a blunted chisel tip.

Now you need a helper to apply significant CCW torque with the wrench while you deliver a sharp tangential blow. It should move.

I’m not following precisely here but I do know that conditions like this can benefit hugely with two people. Finding a way to apply a steady torque while applying impacting blows in the same direction is often the ticket to remove stubborn threaded connections. A grove cut into the fitting can serve as a land for a punch. I use this two person technique for separating arbors on slitting saws that were used in a milling machine.