# Need hydraulic help



## FarmerJosephus (Nov 14, 2021)

I have a 2003 TC30 with a Bush Hog M246 FEL. I need to replace a hose before it bursts and thought this might be a great opportunity to add quick connects to an area that doesn't kill my arthritic hands when I plug the current ones into the tractor. As you can see by the two areas in the lower diagram, they are in a tight spot under the two assemblies and were hard enough to connect when my hands were young! The hose I need to replace is one of the #50029334 hoses and I'd like to add quick connects to the ends of all 4 of those hoses right before they connect to the #25H40043 male unions that will connect to metal lines on the loader. I am lost when it comes to hydraulics and wondered if anyone could tell me what parts I would need to order and/or a source that can answer my question(s) if no one here can. My plans would be just to swap the original quick connectors to the opposite ends and make the connections permanent under that cramped shifter space. I’m not sure if it is doable and what other parts I need. Thanks in advance for the help and my old gnarled hands thank you, too. FJ


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Welcome to the forum. Those "Quick Connects" are not that quick if there is pressure still in the lines. If you bleed the pressure off, are they still difficult to connect? If I run into that issue, I depress the spring loaded ball in the male coupler and bleed the pressure off.


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## FarmerJosephus (Nov 14, 2021)

I didn’t so that may be a part of the problem. And probably why they finally connected after I “bled” them over an hour trying to get them connected🤪! I’m not sure why Bush Hog put the connection in such a cramped awkward area. Better protection? Thanks for your help!


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## BigT (Sep 15, 2014)

Pogobill make a good point, we have all had this problem. Rap the ball in the male connector with a hammer to relieve pressure on that end, and bleed off pressure on the female. If this solves your problem that's great. 

If you want to pursue your idea to get the QC out in a more accessible position, looks to me that you have all the necessary connectors readily available (of course, I normally have to make a trip to the hardware store for something...). Use teflon tape on all of your male connectors.


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## FarmerJosephus (Nov 14, 2021)

Y'all's suggestion about the pressure makes me think that it was probably the main culprit. The sleeves of the female QC also didn't want to slide into position once I got the connection made. It was quite fun trying to hold them together and rap on them with the handle of a socket wrench-all in that tiny, cramped space. Thanks again for the help.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

I should have been more clear. I set my loader and bucket down on the ground, then shut the tractor off. I then run the joystick through a full circle a few times to take the pressure off the hydraulics. Then I disconnect the QC fittings, making sure I mark them so I know where the plug back in, my dust caps are colour coded. If you have trouble plugging them back together, I do as BigT suggested, and a smack the center pin of the male connector to relieve the pressure that may have built up in the hose /system due to shifting. Once the pressure is off, the connects are relatively easy to reconnect. The same method works with my grapple
My old hands give me a bit of grief as well!


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

My QD fittings on my loaders seem to collect dirt in the slide collars making them hard to remove and replace so, before I take them apart I flush them out with brake cleaner to allow the collars to slide. I have old hands and tight spots as well...lol


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## unsquidly (Jul 13, 2021)

SidecarFlip said:


> My QD fittings on my loaders seem to collect dirt in the slide collars making them hard to remove and replace so, before I take them apart I flush them out with brake cleaner to allow the collars to slide. I have old hands and tight spots as well...lol



******* trick I do is wrap a red shop rag around each connector and secure it with a zip tie.....Then when I want to disconnect them I just cut the zip tie and unwrap the shop rag and the connector is clean and much easier to disconnect. Just one of my many ******* tricks.....


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