1st mechanical issue ive had

[jol1269]

ok guys , first off im not the most mechanical guy here so info needed . i was cutting grass when all of the sudden my pt wouldnt turn to the right so i immediately looked down to see if maybe the cylinder on the joint had fallen off or something when i noticed oil under foot . i then turned off the tractor and pto got off and removed the panels off the tunnel . i noticed that the left turn cylinder hose had seperated from the crimped compression fitting at the steering block . now the two big questions , 1 what caused this to happen and can it be prevented . and what do i need to do after i get a new hose made up and instaling it . any special procedures to prevent pump damage .and any other info you can give me would be appreciated . also do you guys ever keep hoses on hand or do you have a hose making machine for the compression fittings and is this a common thing keep in mind i only have less than 30 hrs on mine

 

[BobRip]

I had one hose failure in 400 hours. I dropped something sharp and heavy on it. So I guess it was my fault. Yours sounds like a poorly made up hose.

Take the old hose to NAPA and they can make you a new one. Or call Power Trac since you are under warranty. Keep dirt and water out of the system. Beware that the sump can be pumped dry in a few minutes with even a small oil leak. Don't let that happen.

Bob Rip

 

[MossRoad]

Also be sure to plug the ports that you take the hoses out of while you are getting a new one or all of your fluid may siphon or drain out onto the ground.

 

[dbetts]

I've had two hoses come apart like yours did,both were connected to the steering cylinders. Take it to NAPA and they'll make a new one the same size.I'm sure the hose was simply a bad hose. Get to know the guys at NAPA. I had one hose on a lift cylinder come apart too but that was while I was lifting a stump with the mini hoe and I'm sure I caught it with a root.db

 

[Sedgewood]

<font color="red"> I've had two hoses come apart like yours did, both were connected to the steering cylinders. </font>

Do I detect a pattern here? I too have had two hoses come apart like yours did, both were connected to the steering cylinders. When the second one went I replaced the other two as well. Is PT putting their trainees to work practicing on steering cylinder hoses?

So far I've only replaced 45 hoses. Ha!
There can't be many OEM hoses left /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Sedgewood

 

[J_J]

I replaced a hose on one of my steering cylinders, because of chaffing. It rubbed on the frame long enough to wear through a protective sleeve. I replaced it mainly to prevent a loss of steering ability far from home. I would also make up a spare and keep it with you.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

<font color="red">I too have had two hoses come apart </font>
I've only had one - Nyah Nyah

I don't know how the operator could do it. Mine looked as if the die was too small by a fraction so the fitting actually cut the hose deeply enough to weaken it.

 

[jol1269]

well i got the hose ... thank god for the local hydraulic supply here as napa who i would have figured would have had them didnt and that was after me driving to 4 napa dealers here .anyhow i replaced the hose checked how much oil i actually lost approx 2 qts replaced the oil and finished cutting the grass albeit slow and ever watchful but its done now and ill clean it up tomorrow and put my lil toy back in its place till next week ..........and to all of you who had a replay i do appreciate the info i feel alot more comfortable now and it wasnt that bad to change

 

[jol1269]

hey charlie i think you are corect on that as the guy at the hydraulic shop said pretty much the same thing is what it loks like to him . so time will tell on all the others i guess . /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[davesisk]

Some of those 1/4" hoses are just in high wear places, like the steering hoses and maybe the lift/curl hoses. Some auto parts stores (like Carquest here in NC) can make hydraulic hoses, no prob. Take the hose off and take it with you. I ain't cheap, but it's the quickest way to get a replacement.

I replaced lots of in my old PT1418, and finally got smart about it. All the fittings on my old machine required hoses 1/4" female swivel fittings...those aren't cheap fittings. The local Northern Tools sells similarly rated hydraulic hoses in various sizes for cheap, but they have male 1/4" NPT fittings. So, I picked up several different lengths of 1/4" hose, and ordered a bag of female 1/4" NPT to female swivel 1/4" JIC fittings, and that allowed me to simply take the old hose off, take the reuseable adapter fittings off, put them on a new hose, then put the hose back on the machine. I believe ordered these adapter fittings from www.fittingsandadapters.com. That company operates 3 different web-sites, but they all come from the same company.

This same company can make hoses with JIC fittings custom-sized for you very economically. And of course, you can always order hoses from Power-trac...that's more expensive than this mail-order place but less expensive than Carquest. The adapter approach is expensive the first time, but very cheap every time after.

BIG NOTE: I'm assuming that all the fittings are still JIC fittings...my machine was a 1990 and that might have changed.


VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Don't leave the hydraulic system open (ie hoseless) for very long. The oil in the hydraulic tank is higher than the steering hoses, it might very well leak all of it out overnight! I was replacing a wheel motor once and found a 10 gallon oil slick in my backyard the next day. Granted, the wheel motors are on a different circuit and pump than the steering hoses are, but I still wouldn't risk it. Go to NAPA or Carquest and get that hose made and back on the machine!

HTH,
Dave