Relieving pressure in FEL hoses when disconnected from tractor

[socapots]

I like someones idea of letting more oil out right after removing the lines from the tractor.
Less oil in the lines is less pressure when it expands from heat.

 

[CountryBumkin]

I like someones idea of letting more oil out right after removing the lines from the tractor.
Less oil in the lines is less pressure when it expands from heat.

How would you do that? Once you disconnect the hose it is sealed shut via the quick-coupler. If you have some way to depress the "sealing plunger" inside the coupler (with a tool, stick, or the ball valve method) you might as well just wait until you are ready to reinstall the FEL then release the pressure, if needed, at the time. IMO.

 

[Humblebub]

I usually have chopstick or golf T in my tool box for that purpose. Either will work just fine. I think someone here recommended that.

 

[Fender5803]

Flat face couplers

Thanks for the picture of the FFC. Are there any con's to switching to these ?
Why do they solve this problem ? Maybe just that it's easier to "crack" them open if needed ....

-DT

 

[Grandad4]

Thanks for the picture of the FFC. Are there any con's to switching to these ?
Why do they solve this problem ? Maybe just that it's easier to "crack" them open if needed ....

-DT

They are much more costly. I just bought some fittings and the flat face couplers were nearly 3x the cost of Pioneer-type couplers.

 

[gmbc]

One has to be very careful with hydraulic lines and fluid under pressure. As shown in one of previous post the injury shown. Hyd fluid under pressure can piece the skin and go into the blood stream. Best to find out what is causing this and try not to have to push the valve in with hand in line of fire. Good luck and will see if others may have a fix. I have not aken my loader bucket off as yet so will watch for this. They do sell fittings that can be connected and disconnected under pressure.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Thanks for the picture of the FFC. Are there any con's to switching to these ?
Why do they solve this problem ? Maybe just that it's easier to "crack" them open if needed ....

-DT

They can be connected when under pressure, especially the light pressure you are experiencing, so no need to bleed them off.

They are much more costly. I just bought some fittings and the flat face couplers were nearly 3x the cost of Pioneer-type couplers.

Yes they are a little more expensive (get them on EBay way cheaper than a dealer) then AG type, but they are much easier to connect, and they are much cleaner!

 

[CountryBumkin]

Thanks for the picture of the FFC. Are there any con's to switching to these ?
Why do they solve this problem ? Maybe just that it's easier to "crack" them open if needed ....

-DT

What is the thread size that is needed for these flat couplers? Are the FEL hoses and couplers NPT thread or some Japanese thread (metric)?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

What is the thread size that is needed for these flat couplers? Are the FEL hoses and couplers NPT thread or some Japanese thread (metric)?

Kubota uses 2 thread types, NPT (National Pipe Thread or Taper)and BSTP (British Standard Taper Pipe) hydraulic hoses are almost always NPT.

Flat face couplings I think only come in NPT, you can get adapters if the lines happen to be BSPT.

NOTE:
There is No Metric Pipe , oil, or Hydraulic lines on Kubota's

BSPT and BSPP (British Standard Pipe Parallel) are not metric they are threads per inch they are just cut at a different degree angle.

"BSPT (British Standard Pipe Thread) is similar to NPT except for one important difference. The angle across the flanks of threads (if you sliced the fitting in half long-ways and measured the angle from root to crest to root) is 55 degrees instead of 60 degrees as it is for NPT. Thus an NPT male will fit into a BSPT fitting or vice versa but they will not seal"

 

[jajiu]

I use the FFC on all my front end attachments, plow, root grapple, stump grapple, but still have pioneer on the rear grader blade. You will still have a problem connecting the FFC if you don't release the pressure before you disconnect. Like previously said, move the joy stick to all positions with the tractor off to do that, otherwise the pressure will make it VERY difficult to connect.

 

[sheepfarmer]

NIW are these things labeled somewhere or is there a secret code stamped on them so you can tell what you have eg NPT or whatever? Or BSPT?

 

[Diydave]

Do a search for thread pitch gauge, like these:

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&k...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_584n5jcbni_b

 

[Ike]

Just be aware that those flat face couplers will leak also. I bought a BobCat and it had them on it. They were nice but I could not stop them from leaking. I know where there is a 3 year old green tractor that has them on and they have all been replaced by Deere a couple of times. If you look at the threads it is easy to tell what they are as NPT is tapered and has a course thread where a British thread has finer threads. I was a machinest for over 25 years and have cut thousands of them. The way I relieve the pressure from my attachs. is I carry in my tool box a shop rag and a 1/2 wood dowel. Put the dowel in the coupler and the rag around it then tap it with a hammer of big wrench. Been doing it this way for over 30 years

 

[CountryBumkin]

I use the FFC on all my front end attachments, plow, root grapple, stump grapple, but still have pioneer on the rear grader blade. You will still have a problem connecting the FFC if you don't release the pressure before you disconnect. Like previously said, move the joy stick to all positions with the tractor off to do that, otherwise the pressure will make it VERY difficult to connect.

Jajiu, the issue is not with disconnecting the FEL from the tractor (we all know to shut off tractor and then move joystick around to relieve pressure), the problem I have is with reconnecting the FEL to the tractor because pressure builds up in the (disconnected) FEL hoses since it is a closed system. This is a problem for me (almost) every time I reconnect. I think it because I disconnect/leave the FEL sitting in the hot FL sun for weeks before I try to reconnect.

EDIT: wait a minute - Jajui, your saying when "reconnecting" be sure to shut off tractor first and then move joystick around. I thought you were talking abut disconnecting. I don't do the "joystick wiggle" on reconnecting. But it seems the pressure is in the "FEL side" since relieving the pressure there allows hook up. I need to try your method too. Maybe its a combination of pressure on both sides.

IKE, the idea of using a wood dowel is good. I didn't like using a flat-tipped punch and hammer because I'm concerned of marring the internal surfaces of the connector. The wood is a good idea as long as it doesn't leave wood splinters in the connector that go unnoticed. BTW - I tried pressing/opening the connector seat with hand force only, but couldn't do it. I always need a hammer to smack the end of the punch.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

NIW are these things labeled somewhere or is there a secret code stamped on them so you can tell what you have eg NPT or whatever? Or BSPT?

I think you need a decoder ring to read them, I'm still waiting for mine to show up in the mail!

 

[Southernfarm]

Good day all,

First post, and I will have to introduce myself in another thread. But I have had this problem too already in the short 3 weeks I have had my BX25. I too do the joystick wiggle to relieve the pressure. I don't have hot Alabama sun so I was doing some thinking. I would think that the weight of the FEL, just by itself would cause a bit of hydraulic creep and put pressure on one side of the cylinder. So that got me thinking. What if when I disconnect the FEL, instead of capping the lines with the dust caps, I make an adapter that is two male ends back to back, and connect the input and output lines of each cylinder together. I think it would be red with white, blue with yellow but I would have to check the lines for sure.

 

[Lennyzx11]

[QUOTE

SNIP

IKE, the idea of using a wood dowel is good. I didn't like using a flat-tipped punch and hammer because I'm concerned of marring the internal surfaces of the connector. The wood is a good idea as long as it doesn't leave wood splinters in the connector that go unnoticed. BTW - I tried pressing/opening the connector seat with hand force only, but couldn't do it. I always need a hammer to smack the end of the punch.[/QUOTE]


I like this. I smacked one of mine in the grapple end with a punch and there is a slow drip whenever it's disconnected now. I have to hook the two lines together or tractor "marks its spot" where ever parked.

Maybe a 1/4" brass punch is what I've been watching for?



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BadDog]

Be careful with brass too. It work hardens fairly fast and becomes quite able to significantly mark steel. It can also easily be annealed, but if used for nothing but releaving pressure it may stay soft enough.? I haven't had mine off and on that much, but haven't had any problems so far. But if I did, I think I would prefer one of the other options as opposed to manually releaving. Also, my lines are old and tired, and when I connected the system back to itself the long line that doubles back suffered some damage. Wouldn't be a problem with healthy lines, but having a custom hard line back connector for the tractor that avoids the tight bend came to my mind.

 

[CountryBumkin]

Be careful with brass too. It work hardens fairly fast and becomes quite able to significantly mark steel. It can also easily be annealed, but if used for nothing but releaving pressure it may stay soft enough.? I haven't had mine off and on that much, but haven't had any problems so far. But if I did, I think I would prefer one of the other options as opposed to manually releaving. Also, my lines are old and tired, and when I connected the system back to itself the long line that doubles back suffered some damage. Wouldn't be a problem with healthy lines, but having a custom hard line back connector for the tractor that avoids the tight bend came to my mind.

Right, and brass can/will chip-off too. Come to think of it, same issue with wood. You need to be sure nothing chips or splinters off and gets into the hydraulic system.

Maybe my original idea is still best
- buy a couple of male quick-connect fittings and attach then to to a 1/4-turn ball valve, so they can just remain attached to the disconnect FEL lines until it's time to reconnect, then, when ready to reconnect:
- open ball valves for a second to relieve pressure,
- remove the temp fittings and store in tool box.
- Reconnect FEL to tractor
- have some fun.

 

[Ike]

Right, and brass can/will chip-off too. Come to think of it, same issue with wood. You need to be sure nothing chips or splinters off and gets into the hydraulic system.

Maybe my original idea is still best
- buy a couple of male quick-connect fittings and attach then to to a 1/4-turn ball valve, so they can just remain attached to the disconnect FEL lines until it's time to reconnect, then, when ready to reconnect:
- open ball valves for a second to relieve pressure,
- remove the temp fittings and store in tool box.
- Reconnect FEL to tractor
- have some fun.

I have a test for you take one of the balls out of an old coupler and run hardness test on it or smack it good with a hammer. These are not soft steel and if you have to hit it hard enough that you are afraid of damaging it you have other problems big time. On most of mine they have the ball in them but I have a few that has the tapered tip sticking out of the coupler and I have never had a problem summer or winter. I have only been at this for around 50 or 60 years so I have hooked a few up. LOL. The set up llike you proposed how are you going to keep the dirt from traveling back into the line once the pressure is released. I use mine in the dust and many times they are covered in dust and dirt. I wipe them off but I am sure I missed some. If you get a chip or dirt anything in that coupler you will not get it to connect. I have had a small amount of ice get into them and they would not hook up