How to Repair Your Car's Hydraulic Hose
Your hydraulic hose replacement is a job that you can actually take on and achieve if you're looking to save money and time. This guide will explain how to locate your leak, dismantle and remove the hose, and replace your damaged hose with a new hose.
Find the leak
It's not always easy to determine where your hydraulic hose is leaking oil unless it has completely burst. With smaller leaks, you'll need to do a thorough inspection, being mindful not to touch areas where there is a lot of oil with your bare hands. The easiest way to do this is to purchase leak detection fluid, which will highlight the area in your hose where the leak is coming from. Once you've located the leak, you'll be ready to move to the next step.
Dismantle & remove the hose
To get to the hose, you'll have to dismantle clamps, housing, guards, and more. You'll want to remember how you took the system apart so that when the time comes, you're able to put everything back together again. After you've removed all parts to get to the hose, you'll need to release the pressure in your hydraulic system so that it does not blow oil everywhere. To do this, turn the compressed air switch to neutral, which will turn off the pressure, allowing you to begin disconnecting the damaged hose.
Using a wrench, loosen the fitting on the hose. Make sure that you do this over a container or bucket that can be used to catch any oil that may be in the hydraulic hose. Always be sure to plug the fitting so that no debris or water drops into it and ruins your hydraulics system while you prepare to replace the hose.
Replace the hose
At this point, if you haven't done so already, you'll want to visit your local automobile store and purchase a replacement hose. Ask that the store clean your hose prior to leaving so that there is no excess debris or dust in the hose. Always request that the hose is thoroughly cleaned and not just blown out with an air machine from the shop. Once cleaned, you can expect for the store to install end caps to your hose so that nothing gets in it prior to your installing it in your system.
Keep your end caps on during the installment of your new hydraulic hose. You'll want to reinstall every component of the system as you took it apart. Make sure that enough slack is given to your hose and all fittings and parts are tightly attached to the system. For professional advice, contact a business such as Hydraulink.
