I sheared off hydraulic fitting

colinml · Mar 5, 2011

I was snugging up a hose leading to one of the FEL cylinders, and the male portion of the fitting sheared off inside the female threads on the cylinder. I can take a picture if my description isn't clear.

So, is there a way to remove this sheared off portion without sending all kinds of junk into the hydraulic system?

I would simply take the whole cylinder to the hydraulic shop, but the bolt holding it on is about the size of my fist, and I have serious doubts I could remove it.

Help?

I was literally just about to drive it out of the shop after working on it all winter.

J.Wondergem · Mar 5, 2011

I don't know how big of a fitting you got there, but maybe you could drive a file handle end, or a screw driver a little bigger than the inside of the fitting your trying to get out. Sometimes you will get lucky and be able to back it out.

JMS/.MN · Mar 5, 2011

Plug the hole with something- grease if nothing else. Grind a fine toothed hacksaw blade so it is narrow enough to go inside the fitting, and carefully make two close cuts part way through the broken fitting. Tap the small section with a chisel to break it loose. Another option is use a square extraction tool, drive tightly inside, and twist out.

Bob · Mar 5, 2011

Can you turn the cylinder so the port faces "down" to keep any chips out of the cylinder? Or as the other guy says, fill the port with grease.

Use THIS type of screw extractor:

<img src = "http://images.oreillyauto.com/parts/img/large/kdt/orly_720.jpg">

OR, even a Torx bit of the appropriate size, driven into the broken piece to grab it and unscrew
it.

<img src = "http://images.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/torx1.jpg">

colinml · Mar 5, 2011

Ok, thanks. This is helpful. So, I'm fairly ignorant about hydraulics. I can't really picture what the inside of the hydraulic cylinder looks like, but the port on this particular one has two inlets and two outlets because there is another cylinder on the other arm of the FEL. In other words, the fluid follows a path from the control unit, to this cylinder, then on to the other cylinder, routing back through this cylinder, and back to the controls. So, the fitting is sheared off in a port that has another port coming off it at a 45 degree angle. I'm presuming they are both inlet (or outlet, I don't remember which is which). Anyway, I'll look tomorrow, but I'm wondering if I remove the other hose on this part of the port, whether I will be able to view the "back" of the sheared thread in question. If so, that would make plugging much simpler.

My wife just walked by and also mentioned that perhaps it would make sense to magnetize whatever tool I use to extract, so chips stick. Hmmm....

Bob · Mar 6, 2011

"I'm wondering if I remove the other hose on this part of the port, whether I will be able to view the "back" of the sheared thread in question."

No. Ports will not be "common".

ET · Mar 6, 2011

The easy out method shown below works very well on broken fittings.

Jaden · Mar 6, 2011

For pipe sizes, there is also an "internal pipe wrench" available. Has a toothed cam to grab the inside of the pipe.

colinml · Mar 6, 2011

The internal pipe wrench cam thingy is what I ended up using because it was all I could find on a Sunday. Worked perfectly. Spun it right out.

Thanks to everybody for the help.

Bob · Mar 7, 2011

GOOD DEAL! You were lucky to find one for a small pipe like that. What was it... 3/8" or 1/2"?

colinml · Mar 7, 2011

3/8. I was surprised at how easily it came out. I guess after suffering with the other bolts I've been after up until now, I was anticipating much worse.

I sheared off hydraulic fitting

colinml

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JMS/.MN

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Bob

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colinml

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Bob

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ET

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Jaden

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