Bobcat 743 Hose Repair, Releasing Pressure to Fix

[UTKTWF]

I have a Bobcat 743 and two of my front rubber hydro lines have dry-rotted and begun to leak. They are the short ones that control the bucket movement. I have scoured the internet looking but cannot find our figure out how to release all pressure in the system to take off and replace the lines. Also, once I do this and put new hoses on, what steps do I take to get it back up and running again?

 

[Tazza]

The machine runs at 2,500 PSI or there abouts, the hose will be rated at around the 3,000 PSI mark. Your best bet is to remove the hoses and take them to a hydraulic shop, they will make new ones for you and they will know what pressure rating the hose is. You may find they will cut the bad ones in half to count the rows of wires, this helps dictate the pressure rating if its not shown on the outside.
When you have the new hoses on, just run the machine, operate the hydraulics, there will be a bit of air in there, but it will bleed out in time.

 

[Tazza]

The machine runs at 2,500 PSI or there abouts, the hose will be rated at around the 3,000 PSI mark. Your best bet is to remove the hoses and take them to a hydraulic shop, they will make new ones for you and they will know what pressure rating the hose is. You may find they will cut the bad ones in half to count the rows of wires, this helps dictate the pressure rating if its not shown on the outside.
When you have the new hoses on, just run the machine, operate the hydraulics, there will be a bit of air in there, but it will bleed out in time.

OOPS forgot to mention how to remove the pressure
Shut the machine down, let the bucket rest on the ground with the pedal, tilt it back and forth, you have now removed all pressure from the cylinder and lines.

 

[UTKTWF]

OOPS forgot to mention how to remove the pressure
Shut the machine down, let the bucket rest on the ground with the pedal, tilt it back and forth, you have now removed all pressure from the cylinder and lines.

Problem - I have propped the bucket up in the air (about 5 ft off the ground) in order to be able to access the hoses and disconnect them. When it sits on the ground I cant get to those hoses. Can I release the pressure with it sitting up in the air? I have it propped up on a pallet sitting end to end. Will your procedure still work with it sitting this way?

 

[mrfixitpaul]

Problem - I have propped the bucket up in the air (about 5 ft off the ground) in order to be able to access the hoses and disconnect them. When it sits on the ground I cant get to those hoses. Can I release the pressure with it sitting up in the air? I have it propped up on a pallet sitting end to end. Will your procedure still work with it sitting this way?

As long as you are confident that your 'staging' will hold the weight safely for the time it takes to get the new hoses you can release the pressure. Maybe put a safety chain from the bucket edge to the loader step as extra precaution.

 

[Tazza]

As long as you are confident that your 'staging' will hold the weight safely for the time it takes to get the new hoses you can release the pressure. Maybe put a safety chain from the bucket edge to the loader step as extra precaution.

I have done this before. I used a chain from the lift arm to the top of the shed to prevent it being able to fall. Just ensure you don't have the bucket on or if you do, ensure its secured too!! Without the hydraulic hoses attached it will be free to fall forward and possibly causing damage or death. Just be careful.
You may want to sit a bottle jack under the rear of the machine prenevnting it tilting back. There is a lot of weight back there and it can tip backwards when the bucket/arms are in the air supported with chains.