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These hoses are made to be very durable, with thorough testing carried out before use. However, if you keep using them for a long time without proper preventative maintenance, the machines' hose may inevitably break. This results in lower production efficiency, a higher cost of repairs, environmental harm, and workplace risk. 

5 Simple Steps to Repair a Hydraulic Hose 

To get by until you can get in touch with a hose technician, you might have to make a field repair. It's not as difficult as one might imagine to temporarily mend a hydraulic hose. Repairs can be rather simple once the process is divided into 5 simple steps.

1. Locate the Damage and Reduce the Pressure 

Determine where the hydraulic fluid is leaking by turning the hydraulic unit. Once you are able to find the leak, mark it in order to understand exactly what kind of hydraulic hose needs to be replaced. 

After finding the leak, release the hydraulic system's pressure. Remove the damaged hydraulic hose by switching the pressurized air and hydraulic controls to the neutral position, which will relieve the system's pressure. 

2. Choose the right hydraulic hose 

The majority of heavy machinery can carry out a variety of tasks, such as lifting, pushing, pulling, or cutting, and each of these tasks may require a distinct size, length, and pressure tolerance. Therefore, it is important to select a hose with the correct pressure rating, diameter, and length and with the best material properties for your application. 

In some cases, a hydraulic adaptor is needed to completely install a hose. Insert the adapters into the proper ports, making sure it's the correct connection.  

The adapters and couplings must be properly torqued (or tightened) as part of the repair procedure. The hydraulic system could suffer from over- and under-torquing. Before beginning, seek advice from the system's manufacturer or a qualified expert if you are unsure of how much torque to apply. 

Learn more about hydraulic hoses. 

3. Crimp the Hose Properly 

One of the most important processes in hose-making is the crimping process. A good crimp ensures that the hose is secured firmly within the terminal so that it can withstand the use for which it is designed. A poor crimp will not retain the wire within the terminal with enough force to prevent it from falling out or being pulled out. 

Here’s a step-by-step instruction on how to crimp hoses (specific to the BOApod Crimping Machinery). 

Step 1: Select the correct die set and install it into your crimper, choosing the die set smaller than the correct crimp setting found on the crimp chart for your job.  

Step 2: Get the correct crimp setting diameter from your crimp chart to suit the hose & ferrule type being used. 

Step 3: Set the crimping machine to the correct crimp setting. When the dial is set at 0.0 and the #20 die is installed the resulting crimp diameter will be 20mm, the same as the die set installed. 

Example: The specified crimp diameter is 21.8. Select and install #20 die set. Zero the dial adjuster and turn clockwise until showing 1.8 position (upper scale 1, lower scale 80). This setting will give a crimped diameter of 21.8 over the ferrule when completed. (20+1.8=21.8) 

Step 4: Position the assembled hose into the opened dies with the rear of the crimper. Line up the font of the ferrule collar approx. 0.5mm back from the face of the dies. 

Press and hold down the crimp button until the pre-set diameter is reached and the crimper stops automatically. 

Step 5: Press the crimper die set retraction button until die set is fully open. Check the resulting crimped visually and measure the diameter on the lower third of the ferrule between the ribs. For smaller hoses check that the flow of the hose has not been restricted or cut off. If necessary, correct the scale value and recrimp. 

Watch how to use a hydraulic hose crimping machine:

Check out our different crimping machines. 

 4. Use The Right Hose Length and Seal it Properly 

Make sure that you got the hose length correctly before installing it. A hose that is stretched too far or has an awkward routing is put under more strain.  A hose that is too short increases the risk of dangerous and expensive failures in hydraulic systems since they are continually under pressure. 

Make sure the hydraulic hose is routed properly once you've got the hose length right. Now, the rest of the hydraulic system can operate regularly. 

Double-check the seal's tightness before continuing because even a tiny crack or defect might cause issues for the hydraulic system. Keep in mind that the seal should be tight but not too tight. When installing the hose, never twist or torque it. Avoid overtightening the seal when tightening the fitting with a wrench. 

5. Double Check for Any Leaks 

Finally, turn on the hydraulic system and let the fluid circulate. Let the system run for a few minutes then check if there are any potential leaks and damaged connections. 

 The remaining air is also flushed out by allowing the fluid to circulate all throughout the system. 

When a hydraulic hose blows or is damaged, there is a variable amount of unplanned downtime until the hose can be fixed. Additionally, when heavy machinery gets taken in for servicing, many other parts of the machine may be serviced, but not the hydraulic hoses 

At BOA Hydraulics, we’re implementing a complete solution to hydraulic hose repair and maintenance. This solution tackles issues of productivity and profitability of hydraulic machinery.  

We reduce downtime, operational expenditure, and health and safety risks, and move heavy machinery industries towards digitization of asset management. With these disruptions, we’re supporting a shift towards greater autonomy for companies over their own assets, downtime, and hydraulic hose expenditure. 

Let's Get in Touch

Contact the friendly BOA Hydraulics team today to learn more about how our integrated solution can support you and your customers reduce downtime and increase productivity and profitability on heavy machinery.