Aargh, Tips and tricks sought

[Stumper]

Yesterday the compresion union on the hydraulic control line (Bucket upper controls)that blew out a few weeks ago blew out again. I went and bought what new tubing was available-enough to replace the lower bportion of line that has blown out. Today at 5 pm the old ,swollen brittle line above the union cracked and spewed oil all over the place while I self rescued from 50 feet. I have 75 feet of line being overnighted-any tips on fishing it through the boom? I hope to fish the new line with the old but Murphy has been lurking.

 

[Mr. Sir]

Just like you said, attach the new to the old and pull it through.

 

[SkwerI]

Do you have some old Zingit throwline laying around? That stuff is plenty strong. Pull the throwline in with the old line then use it to pull the new line in. There are also several access panels on the boom in strategic locations.

Sorry about your problems.

 

[NeTree]

What they said.

 

[stehansen]

If you have already pulled the old line out you can push the new line or some zing it or whatever using a long fiberglass pole. I was doing the same thing this morning. I find it quite difficult to do by myself. I have had the fitting push off the end of the hose and when this happens you of course don't have the old hose with which to pull a new hose or a twine or something in. So that's when we use the pole. I hook one of those yellow fiberglass poles to a bottom section of my pole pruner and that is long enough. Freakin 20' long hydraulic hose is $115.

 

[Al Smith]

Just trot off to the hardware store and buy a spool of nylon chalk line .

If you loose the line try using a plumbers snake or an electricians fish tape .

This place here is 6 miles from my house.They have about any type low pressure line you could possibley ever want .http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/default.asp?cookie_test=1

 

[Stumper]

Well, naturally things seldom work quite like we hope. The 75 feet of line came in as three 25 foot pieces -uhh, not what I had in mind thank you. My other favorite supplier was able to order in a continuous piece and have it in by 3PM yesterday..... but naturally with a 720 degree helical wrap between the booms a 540 between upper boom and bucket and clamps on the bundle all along the interior of the booms the old line will not pull out let alone snake in the new.

 

[NeTree]

What kind of compression fitting did you use?

 

[Stumper]

Standard brass compression fittings for copper and plastic lines.

 

[sotc]

fish tape

 

[Mr. Sir]

You'll have to resort to "Plan B". Use an electrician's fish tape and snake it through the boom one section at a time. No need to pull out the old hose if it's clamped to the whole bundle; just leave it in there.

edit: Yup, just like that. Thanks, Willie.

 

[stehansen]

That may be the reason for the three pieces instead of 1 continuous hose. I replace mine in pieces just like they were, it's more expensive with more fittings but what the hay.

 

[NeTree]

That explains why it didn't hold, then. You need an internal compression fitting made for high pressure.

We've used them before with 100 percent success. One piece is a pointed part that sticks into the end of the broken hose, and the other threads on the outside of the hose.

http://www.discounthydraulichose.com/Stainless_Steel_Hose_Fittings_s/126.htm

http://www.discounthydraulichose.com/R2_Hydraulic_Hose_Fittings_s/63.htm

 

[stehansen]

Here is a picture of a fitting on a hose I replaced. Since I don't do line clearance I have been replacing my non-conductive hose with regular hydraulic hose which is almost twice as strong.

 

[NeTree]

Those are crimped on; with the type I use, you can keep a few extra in the truck and do field repairs in a couple of minutes with a pair of wrenches.

 

[Stumper]

Erik, I am definitely interested in better fittings......but the major problem is that the original line is swollen and embrittled-It is nearly impossible to get the brass compression nuts and sleeves onto the line at all and, in the second failure the line cracked above the fitting. In trying to pull the line the end of the tubing broke. All of the other tubing lines are standard size but this one-the supply line to the upper controls is visibly larger....not the diff between 1/4 inch and 5/16 or 5/16 and 3/8ths just "off".
Steve the hose came from an industrial supply house -just standard nylon tubing that happened to come packaged in 25 foot rolls instead of a longer length. Given the condition of the old line I want to replace it all and I prefer to avoid unions as potential leak and failure points.

It is almost warm enough now for me to go play with it this morning.

 

[NeTree]

Ok, gotcha. I agree... one line beats several.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I have been replacing my non-conductive hose with regular hydraulic hose which is almost twice as strong.

I wonder why?

 

[SkwerI]

Maybe because the regular hose can use better types of reinforcement, even though it's conductive.

 

[Mr. Sir]

The regular hose has a wire braided sheath, which cannot be used in the non-conductive hose.

 

[Stumper]

Well it took all day but it is done and it works. I'll feel a lot better about it all after it has been used a few days successfully.. Erik, I see your links and recognize the fittings that you are referring to..... but this was just low pressure plastic tubing and compression fittings such as are used on air brake lines and the refrigerator ice-maker.... and the upper controls on an Altec AH 600.

 

[SkwerI]

I broke 6 of the 7 lines on mine last summer, right where they come out of the top boom. I had difficulty getting the connector fittings on a couple of them and ever since I tend to get a little leakage from at least one of them. Can't tell which one though. At some point I'll need to pull all new lines through mine as well.

Glad you got it done, Justin. Maybe you can give me pointers when my turn comes around.