Best ideas needed for hydraulic refill

[chucky]

Looking for the best way to refill my hydraulic fluid in the strange place ive gotten myself into with probably all the fluid from the cab lift cylinders now on the ground !
And the cab latch big 1 and 3/4 cap and piston laying some where on top of the engine and the cab down im going to have to jack/pick the cab up with something home made to be able to put the cab latch back togeather
So that i can start trying to either hook a line up to the hyd box fill hole with a hose going down to a 5 gallon bucket of fluid so when i start back up with the cab would the lift cylinders vacume the fluid into the system as the lift cylinders extended
Or is there a better way and ive never even seen anyone add fluid to the pump and im assuming the exposed bolt head you can see that the top plate doesnt cover is where to fill the pump????? My access to the pump is very limited to the point i think it might be easier to cut an access hole thru the front of the container so as to keep the future fillings to outside access instead of pulling up the access plate underneath the plywood and bed (a real pain)
So while ive got LOTS of time on my hands i thought i would give yall this puzzle to start thinking about and i guess i should order a rebuild kit for the latch if yall have a good source for them let me know !

 

[Ronmar]

Well if the latch is disassembled, this is a piece of cake. disconnect a hose from somewhere else, and connect it from the hand pump outlet port directly to the lift port on the cab lift cylinder. Open the pump fill port and top off the hand pump reservoir and you can then pump the cab up directly using the hand pump. Set the control valve to the cab lift position so any fluid that may return from the lift cylinder returns to the pumps. Since the pump outlet is one way only, you can only lift the cab, and it will be safely hydraulically stuck there while you work on the cab latch and refill the AOP reservoir with your newfound easy cab up access The reservoir fill port is on the forward end of the AOP, knurled knob with screw slot on top, you should still be able to access it with the protective shroud in place…

Do the repair work on the cab latch, then make a cab crutch with a length of 2X4 from the forward crane lift arm to the bottom rear of the cab. You will need to open the hydraulic system to reconnect the original system hose at the cylinder base to lower the cab once the latch is repaired and the system re-sealed. You need to support the cab to insure it stays in the up position whenever you open the hydraulic lift line or latch plumbing unless the cab is in the down position. Someone was recently trapped by their partly raised cab when they unknowingly opened their latch plumbing and it came down on top of him/trapped him. apparently no one was seriously hurt, but it could have easily been worse…

Once the normal hose is reconnected on the lift cylinder and at the hand pump, you can remove the crutch and lower the cab normally using the control valve and AOP or hand pump…

good luck…

(edit) The original hoses must be reconnected at the cab lift cylinder, hand pump and the latch plumbing must be restored before you remove the crutch and try and lower the cab. You can confirm that this plumbing is intact/sealed by setting the control valve to the cab raise position and pumping on the hand pump. If the system is sealed, the pump should very quickly build pressure to the point y0u can no longer pump it as there is no place for the fluid to go… once it does this it is safe to remove the crutch and set the valve to the lower position. This is also a good way to confirm the latch repairs were successful as it should open the latch when the lift circuit pressurizes…

 

[chucky]

Well if the latch is disassembled, this is a piece of cake. disconnect a hose from somewhere else, and connect it from the hand pump outlet port directly to the lift port on the cab lift cylinder. Open the pump fill port and top off the hand pump reservoir and you can then pump the cab up directly using the hand pump. Set the control valve to the cab lift position so any fluid that may return from the lift cylinder returns to the pumps. Since the pump outlet is one way only, you can only lift the cab, and it will be safely hydraulically stuck there while you work on the cab latch and refill the AOP reservoir with your newfound easy cab up access The reservoir fill port is on the forward end of the AOP, knurled knob with screw slot on top, you should still be able to access it with the protective shroud in place…

Do the repair work on the cab latch, then make a cab crutch with a length of 2X4 from the forward crane lift arm to the bottom rear of the cab. You will need to open the hydraulic system to reconnect the original system hose at the cylinder base to lower the cab once the latch is repaired and the system re-sealed. You need to support the cab to insure it stays in the up position whenever you open the hydraulic lift line or latch plumbing unless the cab is in the down position. Someone was recently trapped by their partly raised cab when they unknowingly opened their latch plumbing and it came down on top of him/trapped him. apparently no one was seriously hurt, but it could have easily been worse…

Once the normal hose is reconnected on the lift cylinder, you can remove the crutch and lower the cab normally using the control valve and AOP or hand pump…

good luck…

LOL Yea seems i herd something about that he had the control knob set in the center pos. thinking that kept the fluid from releasing out of the lift cylinders but as soon as the last thread released from the dust bowl on the cab latch all the fluid sprayed out in oh like a milisecond and the cab came down and landed on their skull which was face down on the airlift beam while the rest of the cab rested on his bent over back yea it was a real party!!!!! And that was ME !

 

[Ronmar]

Oh snap!

Yep, the latch is Td off of the mainline on the lift side of the hydraulic system. The safety check in the bottom of the cab cylinder should have caught the cab when the hydraulic system opened…

Very glad you are OK…

 

[M35fan]

Just tossing in a crazy thought:
Would it be possible to tie a strap or bull rope to the top rear of your cab, and then pull it with something heavy like a tractor to raise it? I was thinking of a crane, but you might not have one laying around.

However you proceed, remember:
Step 1: Heal Self.
Step 2: Jump back on that horse!

 

[chucky]

Just tossing in a crazy thought:
Would it be possible to tie a strap or bull rope to the top rear of your cab, and then pull it with something heavy like a tractor to raise it? I was thinking of a crane, but you might not have one laying around.

However you proceed, remember:
Step 1: Heal Self.
Step 2: Jump back on that horse!

Im thinking to use the 2 lift points on the front top of the container with chain and come a longs to pick up back of cab enough to brace and go back in and repair the latch and make a door to access the fill hole for the hydraulic resivor ! If anyone knows what the thread sise is on that fill plug maybe i could put a 90 on it and bring a stem through the wall with another 90 and a plug to fill in the future ! Sp while im on the mend i can order the fittings and a seal kit and be ready when my back is lol !

 

[Ronmar]

The cab weighs close to #1800. I would not try this unless I had a crane or large Aframe. It is way easier to install the temp hydraulic line between hand pump and cab cylinder. They used JIC-4 fittings on everything so if you dont want to pull of another hose like to the suspension compression system, you could get a pre-made hose from someplace like surplus center to connect between pump and cylinder quite easilly, and lift the cab using the system designed to do that.

One of these would work…

1/4" x 84" JIC 4F Swivel x JIC 4F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5800 PSI NRP Jones | Hydraulic Hose Assemblies | Hydraulic Hose and Hose Assemblies | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

1/4 x 84 JIC 4F Swivel x JIC 4F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5800 PSI NRP Jones, Hydraulic Hose Assemblies, 1/4&quot X 84&quot JIC 4FNRP Jones,A150-04-604-604-84 ,

www.surpluscenter.com

I edited my first posting to clarify the process a bit…

 

[chucky]

The cab weighs close to #1800. I would not try this unless I had a crane or large Aframe. It is way easier to install the temp hydraulic line between hand pump and cab cylinder. They used JIC-4 fittings on everything so if you dont want to pull of another hose like to the suspension compression system, you could get a pre-made hose from someplace like surplus center to connect between pump and cylinder quite easilly, and lift the cab using the system designed to do that.

One of these would work…

1/4" x 84" JIC 4F Swivel x JIC 4F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5800 PSI NRP Jones | Hydraulic Hose Assemblies | Hydraulic Hose and Hose Assemblies | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

1/4 x 84 JIC 4F Swivel x JIC 4F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5800 PSI NRP Jones, Hydraulic Hose Assemblies, 1/4&quot X 84&quot JIC 4FNRP Jones,A150-04-604-604-84 ,

www.surpluscenter.com

I edited my first posting to clarify the process a bit…

Maybe just hang a snatch block off say the p. side lift point on top of the container and slide my winch in the reciever hitch on my civ vehicle and take the cable thru the snatchblock and hook either the cab /guide loop that sets on the pegs on cab airbag bar and pick it up enough to brace cab and get a better lift point with soft strap ! Am i understanding that the fill plug thread pitch is 1/4 inch ?? Ive got the original hoses from the tire lift for the hose swap . but i want to remote the fill hole spot to the frontside of the box in between the cab !

 

[chucky]

The cab weighs close to #1800. I would not try this unless I had a crane or large Aframe. It is way easier to install the temp hydraulic line between hand pump and cab cylinder. They used JIC-4 fittings on everything so if you dont want to pull of another hose like to the suspension compression system, you could get a pre-made hose from someplace like surplus center to connect between pump and cylinder quite easilly, and lift the cab using the system designed to do that.

One of these would work…

1/4" x 84" JIC 4F Swivel x JIC 4F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5800 PSI NRP Jones | Hydraulic Hose Assemblies | Hydraulic Hose and Hose Assemblies | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

1/4 x 84 JIC 4F Swivel x JIC 4F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5800 PSI NRP Jones, Hydraulic Hose Assemblies, 1/4&quot X 84&quot JIC 4FNRP Jones,A150-04-604-604-84 ,

www.surpluscenter.com

I edited my first posting to clarify the process a bit…

THANK YOU for the wisdom !

 

[coachgeo]

Part of problem with pulling cab up with something is the cab is tinfoil-ish and something that wraps up and over may deform the cab.. might only be enough deformation to pop out the windishield.... but that is enough.

 

[chucky]

Part of problem with pulling cab up with something is the cab is tinfoil-ish and something that wraps up and over may deform the cab.. might only be enough deformation to pop out the windishield.... but that is enough.

Thats why i just want to lift on the bottom back of the cab to pick up just a couple feet to fix latch and fill resivor then let cab back down remove all the lifting garb and jack it all the way over on it own power (and from now on brace the cab from falling ) so i can put a door or fill tube on the resivor and be done with it ! For at least 24 hrs lol

 

[Ronmar]

But why go to all that trouble and risk to mechanically lift the cab when you can connect one hose and pump the cab all the way up and over the balance point or high enough to put it on braces to safely work on the latch?

Maybe I am missing something, but I am not following the reasoning with wanting to lift it mechanically...

You still have a hand pump right? If you have one of the old suspension compression hoses, you have everything you need and could have the cab up safely in 5-10 minutes.

I dont think the air op pump filler port is 1/4". I think it is larger, but no longer have one so cannot measure it...

 

[Guyfang]

At least we now know Chucky's head is load tested to 1800 LB's.

 

[chucky]

But why go to all that trouble and risk to mechanically lift the cab when you can connect one hose and pump the cab all the way up and over the balance point or high enough to put it on braces to safely work on the latch?

Maybe I am missing something, but I am not following the reasoning with wanting to lift it mechanically...

You still have a hand pump right? If you have one of the old suspension compression hoses, you have everything you need and could have the cab up safely in 5-10 minutes.

I dont think the air op pump filler port is 1/4". I think it is larger, but no longer have one so cannot measure it...

I thought if all the fluid shot out on the ground that theres nothing in the lines to pump the cab up was my thinking of another way to raise the cab / im the same guy that thought the control knob on the manifold kept the cylinders fluid trapped inside them so theres lots im not understanding lol

 

[chucky]

At least we now know Chucky's head is load tested to 1800 LB's.

SUPERCHUCK HUMAN CANNONBALL !!!!! and human jackstand !

 

[Ronmar]

If you plumb right from the hand pump output to the lift cylinder with another hose, and top off the hand pump reservoir(little allen head plug on the left front corner when facing the hand pump), The hand pump will put in all the fluid it needs to lift the cab with the lift cylinder.

You do have room to lift the cab all the way up right? You had a couple things go wrong here. If the cab had been all the way up, it would have been over the balance point and most likely have set there just fine while you worked on the latch, as you have to pump it back over the balance point to lower the cab. I suspect you had it partially raised because the fluid leaked at the latch and you ran out before you could raise it fully?

if the latch popped open in your face and dumped the fluid like you cut a line in two, the safety check valve in the bottom of the cylinder should have locked up and stopped the freefall, but sadly that did not happen.

While experimenting with my alternate hand pump, i was able to lower mine fast enough that it tripped that safety, so mine has one that works.

 

[Ronmar]

Oh, and thinking about it a little more, you don't need to add a filler line for the Air op pump Reservoir. Ideally you should rarely have to fill it. In the event you do though, you can use the hand pump to push fluid up to the AOP reservoir. Disconnect the two lines at the hand pump and connect the return hose to the pump output port. Connected like this, when you pump the hand pump, this will push fluid along the return path, and thru the path of least resistance(5psi check) shown in red, to the AOP reservoir…

It will take a little bit to fill as the hand pump only moves .25CU/IN per stroke…

You will have to switch the 3way valve off of the circuit you were trying to move(like lifting the cab), while you swap the lines at the hand pump, otherwise, when you loosen the output fitting on the hand pump, the cab will start to lower.

 

[chucky]

My hydraulics have been moved and buried in some case's the hand pump is out where i can get to it ! i will post some pics

 

[chucky]

So i turn all the selector knobs to the center postion and then run a line to just one lift cylinder ?

 

[Ronmar]

On one of your pics, i circled what should be the outlet port on the hand pump and the filler port for the hand pump reservoir. You run a line from that outlet port on the pump to the port on the forward side at the bottom of the lift cylinder. I would set the valve selector to cab raise. This is just so any fluid on the rod end of the piston will return thru the normal return path to a reservoir As the piston moves up toward the top end while lifting the cab. I don’t think they typically have much fluid in them on that end as I think most people only pump long enough to get back over the balance point and the cab comes the rest of the way down via gravity. I don’t think the cab cylinder typically sucks much fluid as it is easy to suck in air around the rod seal as it was not designed to resist pressure in that direction. At any rate, the fluid needs a path to return from the cylinder.

top off the hand pump reservoir and you should be able to pump the cab right to the top. once there, put in a brace to insure it stays there and fix the latch. When done with the latch repair, remove the line you added and put the original hoses back on the pump and cylinder ports. With the selector still in the “cab raise” position, pump on the manual pump to test that the system doesn't leak/will hold pressure. This should open the hydraulic latch and the pump handle will become solid as the fluid has noplace to go. The pressure builds because the lift cylinder is fully extended and the latch should now be open. Now check the lines and latch for any leaks. if it is not leaking, remove the brace and select “cab lower“ and pump the cab back over the balance point like you normally would to close the cab.