loose hydraulic hose

[rooftrussman]

This is a great web site. Hopefully, one day I can help somebody with something I know about but not yet. Part of the problem is I'm new to tractors. I have a 754 backhoe on a Ford 1210. It seems to work well enough for what I need it for (ditches, occasional small stump etc.) I noticed yesterday when spreading some rip rap so I could scoop it up with the FEL, that there was some fluid on some of the stones. The hose that controls the curl of the bucket showed some fluid around the fitting. I got a wrench and turned the hose end that goes into the fitting and it probably turned half a turn before it got tight and then I turned it another quarter but probably could have turned it more. Do these things loosen up on their own sometimes or is it some kind of wear problem? It seemed to be OK after I tightened it. Should they be tightened to where they bottom out or is it like a pipe thread? Should it have some kind of thread sealant on it and if so, what is used? With plumbing, if you turn it too tight and the pipe breaks, it's not too expensive to get another pipe (usually). I would guess that this is not the same with hoses, cylinders etc. Thanks for any help.

 

[kennyd]

Some fittings can work themselves loose, and need to be checked. Some fittings require thread sealant and some don't...Like JIC fittings and O-Ring fittings do not need sealant, but NPT fittings do.

You question is way to broad to give a definitive answer because we do not know what king of fitting you have, If you can post a picture we can help you better.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Fittings do loosen. Exactly for what reason? I don't know if anyone knows. Could be any number of things.

As far as fitting tightness goes, there are many hose and fitting catalogs that you could reference which would have that info. Pipe thread gets tightened until it doesn't leak, JIC is tighten until seat contact, then tighten so many wrench flats, depending on size. FF O-ring and straight thread O-ring is a torque spec. Doing it enough gives you a good feel for what tight is.

When I install hoses and fittings, I would rather have them too loose than too tight. You could always tighten a fitting. Too tight and you risk damage.

The only fitting that gets thread sealant is the external threads of pipe thread. Putting sealant on nanything else will only increase chances of a leak. Teflon tape is for water pipes. Teflon paste is for hydraulic. I can't tell you how much teflon tape I have pulled from solenoid valves.

Welcome to the board and good luck.

 

[Rara Avis]

The Leak in review