2 Fitting Questions

[Discount Hydraulic Hose]

I am dealing with new 3/8 and 1/2 swivel hydraulic fittings.

Question 1: Even though they are tight, there is a little play up and down. It would make sense that shouldn't any play at all, but I just want to make sure before I crank it any further and break something.

If these are male pipe swivels (as pictured in your follow up comment), the swivel will always have a bit of play. Further tightening will not remove it, because the swivel mechanism is internal and independent of the threaded connection.

I don't recommend male pipe swivel hose fittings for this reason. Over time, vibrations or movement of the hose can loosen the swivel mechanism and leak to potential leaks in the future.

A better solution is to use a JIC 37° female swivel with a JIC x Male Pipe adapter. The swivel nut on the JIC fitting will have zero play when it is tightened, and this type of fitting provides a better seal. I will link to some examples below.

Female JIC Hose Fitting

Male JIC x NPTF Male Pipe Adapter

Question 2: What type of clamps are normally installed in suction line between the tank and pump? The standard stainless steel clamps seem to be awful puny for a thick hose like this. Maybe U clamps. I didn't see anything at Surplus Center.

For this application, we recommend a heavy-duty T-Bolt clamp. As you have determined yourself, standard wormgear clamps are not strong enough to secure this type of hose. This is due to braided steel wire and helical wire reinforcement.