Having trouble with Hydraulic couplers?

[Matt_Jr]

Preface:
Had two jobs yesterday
1: Mow six acres starting at 6:00 am
2: Dig hole for emissions dyno after mowing. A long 4th July.

So I get to the mowing site and unload the loader and hoe from the tractor to make mowing easier. The field had water weed(just a guess) about 6' tall along with grasses and other weeds taller than the hood, and probably hasn't been cut all year. Took multiple passes with the BX24 and didn't finish until about 4:00 pm. While getting ready to leave I had to reattach the loader and hoe for the next job. I couldn't get the quick disconnects connected. I moved the loader joystick around with the engine off and still nothing. After some head scratching I put the big chunk of ice from the cooler on the cylinders, and after about 10 minutes they went right together.

I've read about others having this problem and never knew why until yesterday.

Here's my theory: When I removed the loader and hoe it was cool outside and I didn't warm up the tractor. The hydraulic fluid started to expand 'cause the attachments sat out in the sun on a hot day and the couplers were under pressure. My reason for putting ice on the cylinders was to cool the fluid enough to make the hydraulic fluid contract enough to relieve some of the pressure, so that I could get the connectors connected again. It worked, but I wouldn't have been able to do the other job without that ice, not having anything with me to poke in the coupler, and don't know if I could have if I did.

To prevent this from happening again always warm up the hydraulic fluid before removing attachments. I believe this may make it possible to get an air bubble in the hydraulics because when the hot fluid contracts after cooling it will draw air into the connector and allow easier hook up of the hydraulics later (air being able to compress). The air bubble can then be removed by just moving the the cylinders back and forth to bleed it out.

So, next time you disconnect that implement(hydraulic line) you may want to think about warming up the fluid first by running the tractor.

 

[tatra805]

i am with you on this one.

Have a similar issue when hooking my dumptrailer hydraulics when it was loaded in non connected state. (nothing to do with temps but with play in the down position of the trailer)

I just knock the connector (has a conical pin on the sealing member) to a hard surface to bleed the lines and get the pressure off. Kinda messy solution but no air in the lines)

Still waiting for a screw type quick-connect that would solve this issue with a quarter turn

 

[kennyd]

You are correct as to "why" it happened, the fluid expanded in the heat. But in the future, it's far simpler and faster to put a rag over the QD and press it against the loader frame. One little spurt of oil in the rag and you will be good to go and save your good ice for the adult beverages when the job is completed.

 

[newbury]

This is why I love this forum. I had a similar problem yesterday, disconnect BH while cool, difficult to reattach hydraulics after sitting in the sun. Now I know why.

 

[Matt_Jr]

You are correct as to "why" it happened, the fluid expanded in the heat. But in the future, it's far simpler and faster to put a rag over the QD and press it against the loader frame. One little spurt of oil in the rag and you will be good to go and save your good ice for the adult beverages when the job is completed.

That's the problem. I didn't have anything with me smaller than a set of keys.