Kubota LA1153 loader hydraulic fitting problem

They won't connect no matter how much pressure is applied. The female fitting hits something solid about 1/8-inch shy of full on. Just a guess, but the balls might be hitting against the flare on the male fitting.

The M7040 has 300 hours. The LA1153 loader has been on and off about 6 times, and has been used a grand total of about 1 hour, never in dusty conditions. Fitting caps and plugs have always been in place. They connected easily the first couple of times, then the problem began. Today, none of the 4 fittings would connect.

I've cleaned the fittings, oiled them and blown them out repeatedly with compressed air. Nothing seems to help.

Any ideas? My next step is a drift or spanner behind the female fitting and serious bangs with a 3-pound hammer.

You have internal pressure in the hoses, please do not beat on the balls or pintles, loosen the fittings on the hoses and allow the pressure to escape then see if they attach normally . The pressure is keeping the balls in the fittings from unseating, hence the lack of clearance you need to hook up. I've had to replace fittings damaged beyond repat from customers beating on them to try to unseat the pintles and balls.

Release the internal hydraulic pressure. Take the lever and move it to it's stops in all directions. You have internal pressure and you could loosen a fitting to release it but why bother, just move the handle to it's stops with the machine off.

Shut the tractor off. Then move the loader control to each position. This should relieve any pressure build-up on the tractor side of the coupler.

There could also be pressure in the loader lines if it has shifted or moved somehow since you unhooked it from the tractor.

Take about a second and just take a wrench and loosen the female part there while you have a rag wrapped around it. All it is going to take is just a little release of pressure. Next time put the bucket level when you remove it.

The hoses and cylinder's are full of fluid, no voids in the system. When it warms up, the pressure in the cylinders and hoses increases a bit. I have left mine out in the sun, ran into the same problem, waited until after dark, everything cooled down, and it mounted up easily. Otherwise you can used a wooden dowel on the female fitting, I wrap a rag around the outside, because it will spit some oil out, I have ruined a couple of shirts that way. You really don't want to beat on anything.

Have a good day!

Thanks for the speedy replies.

The bottom of the bucket is always set flat on the floor when the loader is removed, and it's flat on the floor now.

There is no pressure in the tractor hydraulic system. The engine is always off when I try to install or remove the loader. I always move the loader joystick to all four positions and hold it in each for a couple of seconds before connecting the fittings.

The nipple in each of the tractor male fittings can be easily pushed in with a fingertip, and no oil comes out when it's pushed in.

There must be pressure in the loader lines.

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It's 11P here in Missouri, and I just tried again and got it. There was pressure in the loader lines.

I was able to push in the nipples in 2 of the female loader fittings and relieve pressure in either the bucket or boom circuit - couldn't tell which because the 4 hoses run in a sheath.

I wasn't strong enough to push in the nipples in the other 2 hoses, and wasn't strong enough to loosen the fittings on the ends of the floppy hoses - there's no possibility I could loosen the fittings.

The solution was a drift with a cupped end against the nipple in the fitting, and 15 or so hits with a hammer. A little oil squirted out each whack and pressure was finally relieved.

When removing the loader in the future, I'll back the tractor away from the loader, then turn off the engine and operate the joystick before unhooking the hoses, same as before connecting them.

Thanks all for the ideas.

Can I be the only guy that's had this problem? One more line in the loader removal section would have been helpful.

Happens all the time with all types of hydraulic equipment with quick connects.

I assumed you released the pressure with the loader still mounted. Moving the joy stick will release pressure in the lines on the tractor and the lines on the loader.

Glad you got this problem fixed now. Kubota make a systems for the LA1153 loader which I have call M1869 Hydraulic Multi- Coupler. It is designed to EASLY connect & disconnect all Four Hydraulic Hoses at once simultaneously without any oil leak. It works just great. I would not be without it. You can find photo's in the Kubota Operator's Manual for the LA 1153 Loader - page 22 & 23 You can go to Goggle and type in "Kubota M1869 coupler" to see it.

David Pidgeon
New Haven, Vermont