Hydraulic Quick Connects - any tricks?

[c-and-a]

I frequently put my loader on/off and the more I do it, the harder the quick connects are to put on / take off... I tried a quick shot on WD-40, helped alittle - I also move the valve with the tractor off to alleviate pressure...

Any other ideas?

 

[kwolfe]

pull harder

 

[CurlyDave]

I frequently put my loader on/off and the more I do it, the harder the quick connects are to put on / take off...

I have this same problem. Relieving the pressure makes it much easier to disconnect my hoses, but reconnecting them is frequently beyond my strength.

I solved the problem with a caulking gun.

I got a fairly high-quality caulking gun (the $5.95 one, not the $1.95 one) and a heavy steel washer with a 3/4" ID and a ~2" OD. It was a standard washer, no I don't remember the size. The important part was that the hole in the washer was the right size for the hydraulic line to fit through, and the OD of the washer was just a hair smaller than the diameter that would fit perfectly in the caulking gun.

I clamped the washer in my vise so that I could use the top of the jaws as a sort of 1/2 assed hacksaw guide, and made two cuts, so the washer now has a U-shaped hole in it, with the bottom rounded. The purpose of this is to reinforce the front end of the caulking gun. The front of the caulking gun has to have a U-shaped slot for the nozzle of the tube of caulk, a closed hole will not work.

To use it, put the two ends of the quick-connect coupling together as far as you can, reinforce the front of the caulking gun with the modified washer, and press on the back of the second coupling with the caulking gun plunger.

No, it doesn't line up perfectly, and it bends the plunger rod, but it does supply enough force that I can now make the connection.

I suppose that when it gets bent up enough, I will make a carrier of some sort for a second modified washer so I can push more directly in line with the thing, but for now it has worked well every time. It used to take me 15 minutes or more to make the connections (with much blessing of the lines), now it is less than a minute. And, my wife is happy because the proficiency & variety of profanity has been reduced.

 

[kevinj]

I frequently put my loader on/off and the more I do it, the harder the quick connects are to put on / take off... I tried a quick shot on WD-40, helped alittle - I also move the valve with the tractor off to alleviate pressure...

Any other ideas?

Are you fully relieving the pressure BEFORE you remove the hoses to the loader??? Mine are very easy to reconnect when relieving at removal and before reconnect.

 

[Stackwood]

I've only had mine off once (LA852). When I took it off initially I decided I needed to raise the back arms a little more, thus hooked the hoses back briefly. No problems. Both times I thoroughly relieved the pressure with the joystick prior to hose removal. Days later I went to put the loader back on. Two went on easily. The other two took a terrific amount of effort. I assumed that the loader had settled and put renewed pressure on two of the pistons.

On a post somewhere a fellow indicated that he relieved the excess pressure with "a few taps" of his crescent wrench. I assume he was tapping on the spring loaded valves on the ends of the hoses. I didn't try this for fear of making a mess. Any thoughts anyone?

 

[dirtworksequip]

Sometimes you can releive the pressure by pushing the nipple of the quick connect on something hard. I've had to loosen the quick connect fitting when the loader has sat for a long time.

 

[thunderworks]

Cover the end of the fitting with a rag and give the bearing a light tap with a hammer to relieve pressure. Doesn't take much to relieve the pressure.

 

[Stackwood]

Great advice. I'll be sure to try it next time I have the loader off.

I love this list!

 

[Dargo]

I would certainly never tap on the seat valve ball on any loader hydraulics. That is never a good idea and can be flat dangerous besides easily destroying your fitting. I've taken dozens of different loaders off of several brands of tractors and have never had any issues ever. There are some very specific procedures though. First, after you shut off your tractor, move your joystick in every direction several times. Do this until there is no movement, wiggle, twitch etc. from the loader at all. Then, you'll find that the lines will come off rather easily. When you go to put the loader back on, do the exact same thing with the joystick after you shut off your tractor. Doing so will release all pressure against the loader valves and hose connections. You can push the valve ball in on the end of the hose with your thumb, not with a hammer. At this time, you can very easily reconnect your loader lines.

Remember, no matter what, if you have pressure on your hydraulic lines when you are trying to disconnect or reconnect your loader, you're doing something wrong. When releasing the pressure, I've never had a connector that has been the least bit difficult to attach or take off. Even if you're taking a Top and Tilt cylinder off, follow the same procedure of moving the lever back and forth with the engine off. It will work with ease.

 

[N80]

My loader hoses often keep some pressure on them even when you do everything you just described. It isn't much but it's enough to make them hard to connect. A light tap with a socket wrench extension relieves the pressure. This is _not_ dangerous because it is a light tap. If the pressure was high enough to be dangerous, a light tap wouldn't release it. And, because it is a light tap, there is no way to hurt the quick connect.