Replace HP Hoses With Pipe

[Red Baron]

As I was driving my il' John Deere tractor the other day, I was noticing the steel hydraulic lines and got to thinking, these never fail. Why then wouldn't it make sense to run steel hydraulic pipes from my hydraulic power pak, through the bay wall, and to a manifold on the inside of the IBA bay wall, then run the hoses from there to the grantry? Would eliminarte 50% of the potential hose issues, and guarantee that they'd always be in the bay not in the ER.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I think Mep had looked at doing something like this. I was actually just thinking about doing this for my self serve bays. I don't think it would be real cheap though.

 

[Ric]

I did that in my tunnel. It worked out nice. Never had one blow (the stainless tubing). It's been 10 years.

 

[MEP001]

I used stainless pipe on the boom for the Vector, and it was pretty expensive. At least you can get by with regular galvanized.

 

[mac]

Galvanized is pretty cheap and available, but after a couple years the rust builds up on the inside and starts shedding little rust balls. I like to use galvanized as a quick short term solution. Somebody earlier had a good post of doing stainless tubing as opposed to pipe. Less fittings and less chance of a shop screwing up the threads. I had one shop do that and I didn't find out till I put 80 feet of it in a crawlspace.

 

[MEP001]

Galvanized is pretty cheap and available, but after a couple years the rust builds up on the inside and starts shedding little rust balls.

Hydraulic oil won't make the pipe rust.

 

[newhampshiretech]

we ran stainless on installs for all of our long runs and the whip leads if hose to terminate. everything gatt hydraulics, hp water, low pressure funtions just about every thing we ever installed was thin wall 3/4 or 3/8 stainless tubing with compression fittings. I have repaired maybe 3 leaks on stainless fittings or pipes mostly do to rubbing through walls for every 20 hoses I had to replace. stainless is pricey but that's all we ever will use. (except for real low pressure apps foam brush etc)

 

[MikeV]

I have been using stainless steel tubing for all the high pressure lines for years. I don't understand why it isn't s o p for all installers. 3/4" for the main hp water line, 1/2" for hydraulics and undercarriage, 3/8" for s.s. bays. Haven't had to change our one in years.
Yes, it costs a little more initially but saves a lot of money and grief over the years.

 

[Ghetto Wash]

I had one SS that had copper tubing running to the bays. Only problem was if I had a freeze up the copper would stretch making it difficult to splice.

If stainless tubing freezes is it strong enough to not burst or stretch?

 

[MikeV]

A hard enough freeze will burst s.s. tubing, take the same precautions you would with any other type of hose or tubing. There are various grades of s.s. tubing, use the thick wall, non welded type and you shouldn't have a problem with most freezes.