The hydraulic hose for one of the the slide-outs on my Bighorn is leaking at the "crimp" on the hose where it connects to the pump. My repair facility wants $800 to change the hose out, most of which is labor. There must be a better/cheaper way to fix this. Can the hose be cut and a new fitting installed? I've been living with the leak for several years and have never had to add fluid.
Hydraulic Hose Leaking
- Thread starter jdfishing
- Start date
The answer to your question is yes. Any hydraulic hose can have a new fitting swedged or crimped onto the old hose. Now here are the real questions. Is the existing hose long enough to reach after the new fitting is installed? How easy is it to get to? After the hose is fixed and reinstalled there may be a problem getting all the air out. In most cases the pump will fill all empty lines and then the pump resavoir will have to be filled. There should be a facility that repairs those type of high pressure hoses in most average sized towns. Truck repair places, heavy equipment and/or forklift places will fix or know where to have hoses fixed or replaced. Getting the exact replacement fitting may be troublesome depending on what the factory used. If you can't get an exact replacement usually an adapter to convert can be used. As long as you have the original they can fix something to make it work. If you can manage a wrench you should be able to do the job. Those fittings will be tight so make sure you have a line-wrench so you won't round off the fitting. An adjustable or open-end wrench usually won't work. I know what's a line-wrench?? It's a six sided wrench with one of the flats removed so you will have 5 sides contacting the fitting instead of just two as with an open-end wrench. Those type of hose fittings are never made as hard as a regular nut or bolt. So they can be very easily rounded. The open section of the line wrench allows you to slip the wrench over the hose and then it makes contact with 5 sides of the fitting.
I'm not trying to insult your intelligence but since you don't know if the fitting can be replaced I'm assuming that you might not know things concerning working with these types of fittings. $800 seems like a lot of $$$$ just to remove and replace a hydraulic hose. I've R&R ed many power steering hoses and they can be real tuff to get to but not $800 worth. I've never worked on a hose of a Bighorn slide, and it may be buried and very difficult to get to but that still sounds like a lot of money. Best of luck and I hope the info helps.
TeJay
I'm not trying to insult your intelligence but since you don't know if the fitting can be replaced I'm assuming that you might not know things concerning working with these types of fittings. $800 seems like a lot of $$$$ just to remove and replace a hydraulic hose. I've R&R ed many power steering hoses and they can be real tuff to get to but not $800 worth. I've never worked on a hose of a Bighorn slide, and it may be buried and very difficult to get to but that still sounds like a lot of money. Best of luck and I hope the info helps.
TeJay
GOTTOYS
Well-known member
You may even be able to find a mobile hydraulic hose repair service to come and fix it. They are readily available for various agricultural needs, rubbish haulers, construction equipment and so on. They can easily replace an end or the entire hose from parts they cut and fit...Don
bighorn3370
Well-known member
Is it the hose leaking or is it the o-ring on the selector valve seeping? I make hydraulic hoses where I work. It is not safe to repair high pressure hydraulic hoses. Hoses do deteriorate from the heat and the sun. When you crimp on a new fitting, it does not crimp onto the hose the same as new. The end will blow off. With that said, you will pay a lot more for the mobile repair service to come to you. The hydraulic hoses on my BH look like they have -4 JIC fittings on -4 hose. This is very common, and any hydraulic hose shop should have them. These hoses are a nylon braided hose, not a wire braid. Now I contradict myself here, but if it were my hose leaking, I would go and get a reusable hose fitting, cut off the crimped on fitting, and put on the reusable one. The other thing you can do is buy a lot of ATF for $800.00. But it doesn't seem like you've had to add any oil into your resevoir. -Ernie
Very easy, snaking the line through the coach might take two people.
JohnDar
Prolifically Gabby Member
Kinda what I thought. Buy the hose to length with fittings attached and put the rest of the $800 in your pocket (hold some out to buy beer for the helper...after the job's done). Connect first to the pump, run it to get fluid in the new line and purge the air, then connect to the ram. Run again until all air has been purged back to the reservoir. If I understand the hydraulic system, the only time there's pressure in the line is when the ram is extended, so you would want to disconnect hoses with the slide in. Correct?
JohnDar,do not assume there is no pressure in the lines. It takes pressure to retract as well as extend slides and the valves close trapping pressure to hold slides open or closed. Always loosen fittings very carefully and slowly to allow trapped pressure to release. A small amount of fluid will come out as pressure drops to zero.
This sounds like it shouldn't be a very hard project, once you disconnect the hose from the cylinder just tie a good string to the end of your hose and start pulling from the opposite (pump) end of the hose, to install new hose tie string to the new hose and try pulling the new hose back in place it may follow the string without any problems.
Good luck,
David
Good luck,
David
wesley1963
Wes
That's what I thought until I looked and saw all of the zip ties holding other hoses together. I had to remove underbelly to expose and cut the ties first.
Thanks for all the great info., especially to TeJay for the "line wrench" description. I know what it is, but now I know what it's called. I think I'll do some checking with the local hydraulic folks and see what they say. Heartland will make the hose to the proper length, if you tell them what that is, but I would like to avoid that if possible. This would be a non-issue if my extended warranty company would cover anything that has broken. And I bought the "gold" plan.
caissiel
Senior Member
get yourself some hose plugs to plug the cylinder, and hose from cylinder, and hose at the pump and pull the hose out. have a new hydraulic hose done for less then $100. the hose most likely can be replaced and reinstalled by dropping some of the corroplast with a 3/8" socket on a battery drill or variable electric drill, at least. I installed 2 new hoses and 4 valves for $250 and in an hour when I installed the individual slide valves and fitting. The reason for female and male plug is to eliminate the mess the oil will do when hose undone.
250
250
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
I don't have hydraulic anything, but I was wondering, could some EteraBond solve the problem quickly? Or would that not work with the hydraulic fluid and the pressure it's under?
Just a thought.
E
Just a thought.
E
You want to be careful around hi pressure fluids. Several people die each year due to having it injected into their skin. Usually happens when they are feeling for leaks. Your typical slide/gear pump won't put out that kind of pressure normally but it still could get in an eye or hurt you.
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Thanks for the heads up!!!
I am curious where you are getting your info that several people die each year due to having hydraulic fluid injected into their skin.
[h=2]Health Hazards[/h]
- People can become exposed to the chemicals in hydraulic fluids via touch, ingestion or inhalation. People who often handle hydraulic fluids have reported weakness of the hands and skin irritation. To avoid irritation, wash contaminated skin and keep your clothing clean. There are no reports of definitive evidence of the hazards of hydraulic fluid inhalation, though ingesting these fluids can cause intestinal bleeding, pneumonia or death. Similar to ingestion, fluids can be accidentally injected into the skin. This can happen when the high-pressure hydraulic system hose is disconnected and injects leaking toxic fluid through the skin.
One of our local mechanics died this way.
Read more: Hazards of Hydraulic Fluid | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_7412261_hazards-hydraulic-fluid.html#ixzz1gQfa0Tb1
Lou_and_Bette
Well-known member
As an ex-ER nurse/Army Medic, I can attest to the fact that many "injection" injuries are seen in ER's every year. Any type tool that pushes a fluid into something under high pressure has the potential to "push" it under your skin and the results can be catastophic. If you have ever had an immunization done with "the gun" then you have had this done under controled conditions. Be safe and wear gloves if you can.
Lou
Lou
