Grapple builds hydraulic pressure when detached

[MrChuckles]

I've repeatedly had trouble reconnecting the hydraulic hoses to my Land Pride SGS 1060 grapple. Each time I've reconnected it, I've had to use a punch to manually depress the ball in the female hose side (female from the grapple) pressure. That is despite taking special pains to ensure there was no residual pressure on the grapple when it is disconnected.

My disconnect procedure is: 1) Lower the grapple to the ground. 2) Shut off the Kubota. 3) Turn the key on to power the 3rd function and push the open/close button to release pressure on the claw. 4) Turn key off. 5) Disconnect hoses. 6) Test to ensure no pressure by reconnecting and disconnecting the hydraulics before parking for good.

Despite the lack of pressure when I park the grapple, when I hook it back up, there is enough pressure on the female side I can't reconnect it without manually relieving the pressure. I grew up on a farm and connected hydraulics nearly daily. This is weird.

Any ideas what I need to do?

 

[Kennyd4110]

Many grapples are like this, sort of the nature of the beast. Temperature and settling seems to be the most common cause. My only suggestion is to close the jaw on a peice of wood like 4x4 so it can’t settle anymore after you disconnect the hoses.

Welcome to OTT

 

[JerryMT]

I've repeatedly had trouble reconnecting the hydraulic hoses to my Land Pride SGS 1060 grapple. Each time I've reconnected it, I've had to use a punch to manually depress the ball in the female hose side (female from the grapple) pressure. That is despite taking special pains to ensure there was no residual pressure on the grapple when it is disconnected.

My disconnect procedure is: 1) Lower the grapple to the ground. 2) Shut off the Kubota. 3) Turn the key on to power the 3rd function and push the open/close button to release pressure on the claw. 4) Turn key off. 5) Disconnect hoses. 6) Test to ensure no pressure by reconnecting and disconnecting the hydraulics before parking for good.

Despite the lack of pressure when I park the grapple, when I hook it back up, there is enough pressure on the female side I can't reconnect it without manually relieving the pressure. I grew up on a farm and connected hydraulics nearly daily. This is weird.

Any ideas what I need to do?

The cause is fluid expansion due to temperature change. Loosen a fitting and relieve the pressure or build an expansion chamber- a piece of pipe with a quick disconnect female fitting to take the male ends of the grapple hoses.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Connect the 2 hoses on the grapple together when you take it off, no pressure can build.

 

[MrChuckles]

Connect the 2 hoses on the grapple together when you take it off, no pressure can build.

Great idea. Now that you said it is like...Duh! Thank you for that.

 

[tthorkil]

I have been connecting the hoses on my grapple with flat-face quick disconnects together which usually works to keep the pressure down - I think that there must be a small amount of pressure released when I disconnect the couplers because connecting the hoses together just creates a closed loop for the hydraulic fluid. I have had to loosen a connection on two occasions to relieve the pressure when there has been enough of a temperature change to increase the pressure to that extent.

 

[seanbarr]

Connect the 2 hoses on the grapple together when you take it off, no pressure can build.

That’s what I always do too. Keeps the connectors clean & out of the elements as a bonus. I drop my grapple partly open and face down on the gravel. This “locks” the grapple in position and combined with connecting the hoses to itself, have never had a pressure issue. It’s also more stable and won’t roll (due to the design of my grapple, yours may be fine)


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