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Reusable/Repair Hydraulic Fittings

September 29, 2014, 08:30:41 pm

Hello everyone,

Recently we lost our main 3/4" fan hydraulic hose.  We had a new one made at Napa and were on our way.  Shortly thereafter I started looking at roadside repair solutions.  One thing I found are called "reusable" fittings.  Cut the hose with a hacksaw, insert a ferrule, tighten down the rest and you have a JIC end terminated in the field.  Here is an example. 

SAE 100R2AT Reusable Hose Fittings > Discount Hydraulic Hose.com

Obviously using these long term is far from ideal, but neither is replacing the apparently 42 foot long power steering hose while sitting on a busy highway.  Since the hoses tend to degrade near the engine and look perfect in the center tray, fixing an existing hose using these may not be the worst solution either. 

Has anyone tried one?  In your experience do mobile mechanics have crimping solutions or carry these fittings to perform a roadside repair to a hydraulic line that can't easily be pulled otherwise.  I saw that silicone repair tape is good to 1100psi or so.  It would think it's possible that if you use enough of that stuff you might be able to get somewhere.  Of course you still need to spend $80 on 6 gallons of oil if you lose all of your oil so any solution involves risk of losing all of your new oil right away.  Make sure to grab a 5 gallon bucket so you can capture it if you have to drain it all because your repair doesn't work.  Does anyone have any specifications on all of the braided hydraulic lines?  All the ones that have a fabric covering look fine.  The one we lost was an aeroquip hose.  I suspect it was replaced at some point by someone else (cummins) and the aeroquip was inferior to the unmarked fabric covered stuff Foretravel used from the factory.

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Re: Reusable/Repair Hydraulic Fittings

Reply #1 – September 29, 2014, 08:49:23 pm

There was a thread a couple of years ago about the various sizes of hydraulic barb fittings and clamps to carry for emergency repairs.  I'll see if I can find it.

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Re: Reusable/Repair Hydraulic Fittings

Reply #2 – September 29, 2014, 08:58:57 pm

Aircraft have been using reusable/field assembly hose fittings for decades. They are very dependable even at high pressure. Care must be taken during assembly to keep the internal part from cutting the hose lining, which will lead to leaks. Assembly tools are available to ease assembly. 

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Re: Reusable/Repair Hydraulic Fittings

Reply #3 – September 29, 2014, 09:24:28 pm

Being in the CarWash business we use hyd. hoses on just about everything. We do use reusable fittings in many circumstances. If the hyd. hoses are in good shape it is a very viable option in our business. Most of the time our use is with 1/2" or  3/8" hoses with about 1200 psi. (water).

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Reply #4 – September 29, 2014, 11:00:09 pm

I used them when I worked on tuna boats and tug boats for many years. From 1/4 in up to 1 in hose. You do need to take care installing them though.

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Reply #5 – September 29, 2014, 11:23:43 pm

I thought these 'reusable' fittings are considered permanent and as long lasting as crimped, but can be reused if desired.

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Reply #6 – September 30, 2014, 01:28:10 am

Barry, that is true. Saves on buying fittings.

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Reply #7 – September 30, 2014, 01:33:17 am

So yeah, it would be nice if there was some ideal repair kit we could build to carry along.  I notice the big fittings cost $100 each but you could still put together a nice kit for under $500 that could really save you a lot of grief.  For me, it would be worth the money to be able to get oil at the nearest truck stop at midnight and have the parts I need on hand to make the repair so that we could be out of trouble in hours rather than days and with a tow.  These things always happen to us on a sunday or after hours somehow.

Hope I don't lose a transmission line.  I can't afford the transynd :-P

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Reply #8 – September 30, 2014, 04:07:26 am

In aviation, hoses are generally recommended to be replaced every 10 years.  At one time hoses in the engine compartment were recommended to be changed at engine overhaul. When usage was high in the 50's and 60's that worked out to every 3-5 years. With a reduction in flying during the 70's and 80's, overhaul times were coming along at 20 year intervals.  This brought a bought numerous Airworthiness Directives mandating increased inspection and mandatory replacement times of 8-10 years.  Many inspection programs now life limit fluid hoses to 10 years.  The hoses in our coaches are made of similar compounds and stresses.  While failure might not be as life threatening as failure in an aircraft, prudence would suggest we consider frequent inspection of hoses after they reach a certain age.  A decision to replace them due to age is a personal one, but you need to be aware that age is a significant factor in hose deterioration.  If you have had one hose fail, you would have to suspect the remaining hoses that have been exposed to the same conditions for the same amount of time.  One hose failure is often a precursor to more.

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Re: Reusable/Repair Hydraulic Fittings

Reply #9 – September 30, 2014, 06:05:25 am

I use reusable  fittings on my air brake  hoses on my Peterbilt. I carry spare  hose in case  I need  to make  up a new one for some  reason.

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Reply #10 – September 30, 2014, 08:47:47 am

When I was in the trucking business back in the 60s-80s, we used those types of fittings all the time with no problems. I still have a few in my shop. If the hose failed & I replaced it with a crimp type, I would always harvest the reusable fitting for redeployment later.

TOM

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