Yesterday my tractor (Ford 4610) developed a fast drip at the flare fitting for one of the power steering hydraulic lines. I finished out the day raking and baling with it but had to continually stop and add more hydraulic fluid periodically. Naturally I've got another field to do tomorrow and can't go on in this fashion. I see there are copper flared gaskets for fixing leaks but it's a pretty obscure item that doesn't look like it's something I'll be able to procur *today*. Are there any creative or quick fixes that can at least get me buy, or even slow it down? And something I can get done yet today? Otherwise I'll resort to a borrowed tractor.
Hayjosh
Emergency fix for leaking flare fitting?
Need to elaborate on 'flare'. Take a good pic and post.
JIC fittings work when the 'flare' fits to the countersink and forms a seal. Sometimes the crimp on the FJX (nut) is weak, and tightening does nothing.
If it's a JIC as I think it is:
Remove.
Inspect for nicks and gouges on both ends.
Apply a thin light film of locktite at the top of the 37 degree countersink. Do Not apply at the bottom.
JIC fittings work when the 'flare' fits to the countersink and forms a seal. Sometimes the crimp on the FJX (nut) is weak, and tightening does nothing.
If it's a JIC as I think it is:
Remove.
Inspect for nicks and gouges on both ends.
Apply a thin light film of locktite at the top of the 37 degree countersink. Do Not apply at the bottom.
And mind you this is a temporary solution that I'm comfortable doing but that's only because I manufactured hydraulic components. I would shy from gasket maker because it can get in the lines. I can better assist you if I can see the connection and the 'flares'.
You can put it on threads but be careful because it just might stay there and you can't get it off.
You can put it on threads but be careful because it just might stay there and you can't get it off.
Here you go.
I can tell that the female flare isn't lining up to the male flare squarely, eg, I can see a small gap at the bottom of the junction, and when I press down on the line so it makes the fittings meet squarely (after the nut's tightened), the leak stops. But when I let go of the line the leak resumes. I've tried bending the line slightly to make the ends meet up squarely but to no avail. The gap I'm talking about is just a hairline, you can barely see it, and I'd think it was the nut's job to be able to close that up.
I took some 320 grit to debur and see if that did anything, also to no avail. I'd try to put a copper flare gasket in there but none available locally. I'm also going to try just putting an O-ring right on the tip and tightening down a bit to see if it at least slows down the leak.
Attachments
Nobody is open even Saturday? That stinks. Are you in an area with no ag?
Nobody that would do something like this is open today. Even companies that would normally be open are closed for the holiday.
Ooooo flare tubing.
Option 1: take the elbow and take your line off the tractor. Go to town, find an elbow that is identical minus the lip on the elbow's MJ end.
Option 2: take your elbow and find a rubber o-ring that will seat on that lip, slightly smaller is better than larger.
Your flare on the tubing may not have enough shoulder and that may be causing a leak. If you have a flare tool for tubing, you can possibly build enough shoulder. Need a pic of tube flare to be sure.
Option 1: take the elbow and take your line off the tractor. Go to town, find an elbow that is identical minus the lip on the elbow's MJ end.
Option 2: take your elbow and find a rubber o-ring that will seat on that lip, slightly smaller is better than larger.
Your flare on the tubing may not have enough shoulder and that may be causing a leak. If you have a flare tool for tubing, you can possibly build enough shoulder. Need a pic of tube flare to be sure.
If the flare mating surfaces are good but the joint still leaks after tightening, I’d bet on a crack in the flared tube under the flare nut.
I know the exact copper repair washer you're talking about, keep several around for emergency's.
If you don't have one, the material that they make crimp on electrical ends is pretty soft, the better ones are actually tinned copper. Cut the rest off and file it down to make it as round as possible, then slip it over a tapered punch, to start the flare I've done it numerous ways, you can use a tiny hammer and rotate the punch while tapping it down, you can sometimes use another piece of tubing to get a flare started if the ID is just a tad smaller than the OD of your "copper repair ring".
If you don't have one, the material that they make crimp on electrical ends is pretty soft, the better ones are actually tinned copper. Cut the rest off and file it down to make it as round as possible, then slip it over a tapered punch, to start the flare I've done it numerous ways, you can use a tiny hammer and rotate the punch while tapping it down, you can sometimes use another piece of tubing to get a flare started if the ID is just a tad smaller than the OD of your "copper repair ring".
I had something similar happen on my 2310 Ford... I just went to the parts store and got a suitable flare brake line and bent it up to shape myself by hand (best to have the bending springs so you don't kink stuff but you CAN bend them by hand if you're really careful (or with a bending tool).
It's worked for years since then.
Best of luck! OL J R
It's worked for years since then.
Best of luck! OL J R
A " flared union", cut the line away from the leaking end, tighten that end down good, then tighten the union where it's spliced in...
Oh yah, and I forgot to mention this, I also save the copper washers from banjo fittings, changed a caliper on the wife's jeep and the old ones went in the drawer with the other oddball sealing stuff.
Take off the line and silver solder all around the flare inside and out . This is the easiest fix I know of for these things. If it is a short swivel nut type hose end you need to replace them. But steel tubes are easy to silver solder.
For a weekend fast repair: I would likely try the silver solder trick mentioned earlier in this thread if I saw a crack. Or the custom sealing washer trick if no crack.
However if I had no luck rigging it: then I would head to my local Rural King. Buy the adaptor fitting to screw in that tank that is Female pipe thread on the other end. Buy the adaptor fitting for the other end that is also female pipe thread. Then buy the 3/8 hydraulic hose in a pre-made length that is close enough to do the job. RK stocks a lot of different lengths and pretty darned cheap too. Less than $20 maybe and Less than $25 for sure and you are back in business Best part is their hydraulic hose even have a swivel fitting in one end so it makes assembly easy. TSC has some of the stuff too, but they stock way less than RK.
As my hoses fail on my ancient dinosaur antique tractors: Popped a hose on my 1950 JD A this weekend as a matter of fact on the aftermarket add on Yetter Power steering. I believe those hoses were 1950 originals. Replaced them both for cheap and back in business on Saturday. Had to do the 1946 Farmall M add on Behlen power steering a couple years ago when one of those hoses let go while cutting hay. Those hoses were also ancient and one popped so I replaced them both. Blew a loader hoses on the Kubota 3 years ago while I had a dump trailer rented from the rental yard for the day. RK got me back in business fast and cheap with all of these repairs on the weekend with off the shelf pre-made parts.
As I replace anything, I stay away from custom lengths, I will alter the routing if need be so that a standard off the shelf length will work for me instead. That way, if It ever fails again, I can fix it fast and easy in order to get going again when I store I have access to on the weekends is open.
However if I had no luck rigging it: then I would head to my local Rural King. Buy the adaptor fitting to screw in that tank that is Female pipe thread on the other end. Buy the adaptor fitting for the other end that is also female pipe thread. Then buy the 3/8 hydraulic hose in a pre-made length that is close enough to do the job. RK stocks a lot of different lengths and pretty darned cheap too. Less than $20 maybe and Less than $25 for sure and you are back in business Best part is their hydraulic hose even have a swivel fitting in one end so it makes assembly easy. TSC has some of the stuff too, but they stock way less than RK.
As my hoses fail on my ancient dinosaur antique tractors: Popped a hose on my 1950 JD A this weekend as a matter of fact on the aftermarket add on Yetter Power steering. I believe those hoses were 1950 originals. Replaced them both for cheap and back in business on Saturday. Had to do the 1946 Farmall M add on Behlen power steering a couple years ago when one of those hoses let go while cutting hay. Those hoses were also ancient and one popped so I replaced them both. Blew a loader hoses on the Kubota 3 years ago while I had a dump trailer rented from the rental yard for the day. RK got me back in business fast and cheap with all of these repairs on the weekend with off the shelf pre-made parts.
As I replace anything, I stay away from custom lengths, I will alter the routing if need be so that a standard off the shelf length will work for me instead. That way, if It ever fails again, I can fix it fast and easy in order to get going again when I store I have access to on the weekends is open.
I had this problem on our Ford 4610. There was a crack in the flare. I re-flared the tube and it cracked again. It apparently happened before we owned the tractor because there was a union on the other line. I suppose if you can find a union and a piece of brake line that you might fix it that way. I ended up ordering a new line from NH for $100 because I didn't want to chase cracks through that tube. These tube needed to be clamped to prevent flexing at the attach fittings so the flares don't fatigue crack..
Well thanks for all the suggestions guys. This has become a bittersweet thread for me and reading back on it brought back some pain. I was trying to make this fix on Saturday AM of Memorial Day. Later that day my dad died unexpectedly after a surgery and the doctors still don't know why, and pretty obviously, this repair--and my haying--went on hold.
I just got back from being with my family in Iowa celebrating his life and am getting back to this now. I like the idea of a rubber hose because the steel line would vibrate very bad and is probably what caused this.
There is a clamp for the steel lines, and if I push the line all the way down in the clamp, there's no leak at the fitting. The problem is that clamp doesn't hold the steel line anymore and it just pops back out. I suppose I could just put a hydraulic hose on there or try a new clamp, or do both. I"m sure the clamp will eventually fail and I'll be back to this issue. I like the cleaner look of a steel hose better, personally, but I need to get back in business quick.
--Another question: on a bend in one of the lines for the power steering cooler, there's a pinhole leak, must be a stress crack. This is a very slow leak, but the entire cooler would need replaced ($250). It vibrates a lot which is prob why this cracked in the first place. Is there a type of metal epoxy that could patch this up? I've wondered if plug of JB Weld there would do the trick.
I just got back from being with my family in Iowa celebrating his life and am getting back to this now. I like the idea of a rubber hose because the steel line would vibrate very bad and is probably what caused this.
There is a clamp for the steel lines, and if I push the line all the way down in the clamp, there's no leak at the fitting. The problem is that clamp doesn't hold the steel line anymore and it just pops back out. I suppose I could just put a hydraulic hose on there or try a new clamp, or do both. I"m sure the clamp will eventually fail and I'll be back to this issue. I like the cleaner look of a steel hose better, personally, but I need to get back in business quick.
--Another question: on a bend in one of the lines for the power steering cooler, there's a pinhole leak, must be a stress crack. This is a very slow leak, but the entire cooler would need replaced ($250). It vibrates a lot which is prob why this cracked in the first place. Is there a type of metal epoxy that could patch this up? I've wondered if plug of JB Weld there would do the trick.
Wow Josh, sorry to hear about your fathers passing....it puts life in perspective for us sometimes, my condolences for your entire family.
In terms of the cooler....I have repaired some things that absolutely amazed me that JB Weld actually worked. Like any other adhesive type of application, cleanliness is paramount. That being said, with today's two-part epoxies, there may be better solutions from a myriad of manufactures, JB Weld included. If you use due diligence in cleaning/prepping the surfaces to be mated, you will probably like the results. In terms of the line, I would just order a new one and replace but as a stopgap, I would use any fix that deems appropriate to get by until the correct fix is accomplished. Hth
In terms of the cooler....I have repaired some things that absolutely amazed me that JB Weld actually worked. Like any other adhesive type of application, cleanliness is paramount. That being said, with today's two-part epoxies, there may be better solutions from a myriad of manufactures, JB Weld included. If you use due diligence in cleaning/prepping the surfaces to be mated, you will probably like the results. In terms of the line, I would just order a new one and replace but as a stopgap, I would use any fix that deems appropriate to get by until the correct fix is accomplished. Hth
I got the lines off yesterday and indeed there was a crack in the tube flare as suspected by several. I'm not good at making flares so I'll take the line in this morning and have it repaired or a new one made.
If you stick with steel line, add something in the clamp so that it holds it solidly. Vibration is the enemy of flare fittings like that.
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