I decided that the hydraulic lines for the jackhammer that I am never going to find should come off- they are just another source for leaks or a catastrophic failure if I snag them on something. They have plugs at the hammer end, so it should be a simple matter to remove the plugs at that end, pull the lines off, and install the plugs at the opposite end.
Yeah, right!
Pulled the plug at the hammer end of the small line, and a little oil dribbled out- no problem.
Pulled the small line off, and the oil that filled the line dribbled out- no problem.
Cleaned everything up and installed the plug.
Pulled the plug at the hammer end of the large line, and a little oil dribbled out- no problem.
Pulled the large line off, and the oil that filled the line dribbled out- along with a huge 6" geyser of oil from the fitting that is apparently connected directly to the bottom of the hydraulic tank.
Now I have the oil draining from the line, and a fountain of oil from the fitting. (approximately the size of a 3/4" pipe)
Jammed my thumb in the hole, and wondered how I would get out of this mess. (I was alone, no help within shouting distance)
Eventually I jammed a wadded up rubber glove & a toothbrush handle in the fountain, which allowed me time to get the plug ready, and then make a rubber gasket to seal the vented hydraulic reservoir cap.
That reduced the geyser to a slow welling, and I was able to install the plug. I didn't get it dry, ( the way I prefer to seal things up) but the sealant I used is supposed to work directly in oil.
We shall see. I haven't fired it up yet, but under static pressure it has no leaks.
I figure I lost about 1 1/2 gals of hydraulic oil.
Anyway, it looks a lot cleaner and less cluttered without those lines.
In pic #2 you can clearly see the (4) attachment points for the lines.
I figure I got rid of some weight in grease/dirt also.