Removing a Stubborn Hydraulic Fitting on CASE 580

The worst way to remove a stubborn Hydraulic fitting! Out of neccessity, however, I had to resort to drastic measures - cutting through the hydraulic hose and crimp in order to get a deep wall socket on there.

This single difficult fitting has delayed my backhoe restoration by 2 weeks! Conventional wrenches failed to work on this stuck fitting, even after removing some of the body panels for better access. Next, I tried chopping up an impact socket and welding up my own tool (an IEW for Improvised Equipment Wrench) - which broke. I bought a set of pump (farmer) wrenches from Harbor freight - short handles fit into the space, but I could not get enough leverage.

At about this point, my assistant mechanic (my son!) suggested I cut through the hydraulic hose and use a regular deep socket. But that would introduce grinding dust and metal swarf into the hydraulic line, perhaps even into the spool!

Nothing seemed to be working, so I resorted to ordering a set of heavy duty crow-foot wrenches. If my custom-welded tool had been strong enough, surely, it would have worked.

A week later, I received my new crow-foot wrenches, and despite using an 18" breaker bar, I still could not budge it! On closer inspection, the crowfoot wrench ends up hitting the threads on the next spool.

Finally, down to the last resort, I decided to take my son's advice and cut through the hose. I estimate it was about 200 ft-lb to break it free. (the head bolts on my Ford V8 are 130 ft-lbs).

This video will make you cringe, but we got the job done.

What you don't see on the video is how I purged the system without turning the machine on. I stuck a very large shop vac over the port and pulled the spool lever, which sucked hydraulic fluid out of the port. This would have happened anyway when I started the machine after everything was put back together. But this way, none of the abrasive swarf would end up in my newly rebuilt cylinders. The vacuum trick seemed to work pretty slick, so maybe it will help someone else in a similar situation.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• csae
• backhoe
• 580
• hydraulic
• crimp
• fitting
• problem
• crow
• foot
• wrench
• socket
• improvised

[deezomaxima]

The ducks remind me of when I went to my friend's father's farm and worked on my suspension. The ducklings were under the car with us checkin out what we were doing. Pretty cool!!!

[amaedesign]

@deezomaxima Yeah, I like having them around too!

[holman26]

what make is ur shop vac

[amaedesign]

It's a Rigid. Not as powerful as a dust collection system, but bigger than your average shop vac.

[diggerdave51]

Great Video and looks like alot of hard work to get her off. I also have a 580SE and i have seen you on the Heavy Equipment Forums.

[amaedesign]

Thanks Dave, it sure felt good to finally get it loose. I'll have an update when we put her back together.

[syndydog]

Can you tell me what size wrench is needed for the flare nut on the steel tube just above your protective metal sign. Also the fitting it screws into. I have a 580se with a leaking flare fitting. Problem, the backhoe is in NC and right now I'm in FL. Thanks, John

[PIRTEKM3]

Thai is usual that a jic fitting would be so difficult to break loose. A trick you might want to try in the future is to us an 18" hammer chisel. you do not need to be perpendicular to the flat of the nut. Works best of ORFS fittings.

[pvtskitzo]

why not whip out the oxy/acet set and heat the fitting, off in 5 seconds