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Flat face quick connect won't release

katsequipment

Active Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2018
Messages
30
Location
Staten Island, NY
Hi everyone, any helpful guidance is greatly appreciated. I just installed a new set of flat face quick connects on my hammer going into my cat 262d. I tried disconnecting the female coupler from the machine but for the life of me I can't pull it off. I may have damage the coupler some how. I released pressure in the lines by pushing the fitting in. I hear the oil going back into the machine and the coupler is loose.

The collar on the coupler is forward. I tried pulling the coupler off. I tried prying it off. I tried hammering it off but for the life of me it won't come off. It's a brand coupler that's either defective or I bent some how.

Thanks again for any help.
 

Tugger2

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2018
Messages
1,366
Location
British Columbia
Hi everyone, any helpful guidance is greatly appreciated. I just installed a new set of flat face quick connects on my hammer going into my cat 262d. I tried disconnecting the female coupler from the machine but for the life of me I can't pull it off. I may have damage the coupler some how. I released pressure in the lines by pushing the fitting in. I hear the oil going back into the machine and the coupler is loose.

The collar on the coupler is forward. I tried pulling the coupler off. I tried prying it off. I tried hammering it off but for the life of me it won't come off. It's a brand coupler that's either defective or I bent some how.

Thanks again for any help.
Your not alone.The flat face connectors do exactly the same thing on my 303 Cat. I know how they are suposed to work and they just dont. I usually have to crack the fitting and relieve them. If i used mine a lot id just go to a different style.
 

old-iron-habit

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
4,233
Location
Moose Lake, MN
Occupation
Retired Cons't. Supt./Hospitals
On my New Holland skid steer, I shut the machine off, turn the key back on and operate the control. That relaxes them as there is no pump turning to pressurize them. Not sure if it will work but easy to try. They will not operate with the key off.
 

Jbullfrog

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2011
Messages
98
Location
Avoca, Iowa
I have a Stanley breaker and use Case style flat face. Sometimes they connect and disconnect fine, other times the take two guys and tapping on the ring. Usually, it's because they have dust or moisture in the section that slides in the female coupler causing it to bind. I try to spray them off with ether before connecting them, or wipe them with a clean rag. I have usually have more problems with my auger drive then my breaker. I swap attachments between the CX50b shown and my 1845C.
 

Canuck Digger

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2012
Messages
263
Location
Mission, BC, Canada
Occupation
Business Owner, Equipment Operator, Fishing Guide
May be somewhat relevant, but during storage of the attachment I connect both male/female together and don't disconnect them until I go use them. Keeps them lubricated and clean. I've had the same issue couple of times. Wood block and tap away.
 

RTSmith

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2008
Messages
420
Location
Middle Tenn.
Occupation
Amateur demolition & dirt pusher
On my New Holland skid steer, I shut the machine off, turn the key back on and operate the control. That relaxes them as there is no pump turning to pressurize them. Not sure if it will work but easy to try. They will not operate with the key off.

I do to- but do remember to also cycle the park safety switch, or the hydraulic control won't activate. At least on my Cats it works that way.
 

old-iron-habit

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
4,233
Location
Moose Lake, MN
Occupation
Retired Cons't. Supt./Hospitals
I do to- but do remember to also cycle the park safety switch, or the hydraulic control won't activate. At least on my Cats it works that way.

Us New Holland skid steer folks don't know what a park safety switch is.
 

KSSS

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
4,319
Location
Idaho
Occupation
excavation
The fact that your having that issue with hammer attachment I think is the key. While all the tips mentioned have value, sometimes hammer attachments can, over time damage the carrier couplers just like they beat up the attachment connections. The same damage you see on the attachment (the dimpling caused by the vibration of the couplers) is happening inside as well. If you do a lot of hammering, you have to plan on replacing the couplers on the machine as well. My guess is the couplers on the machine are beat up and need to be replaced as well. I had the same issue on my Taki excavator. I replaced the hammer couplers but still had trouble releasing the couplers. I replaced the couplers on the mini ex and now it works like it should.
 

DKELONE

Member
Joined
May 1, 2016
Messages
10
Location
IL
I had an unremovable female coupler on a cat289d3 equipped with a grapple. Found no workable technique to remove it so I cut the outer slide ring twice 180 degrees apart approx 1/8” deep. I pried apart the two cut pieces with a flat bladed screw driver. Coupler was then easily removed. There was no damage to the male portion.
 

dirty4fun

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2010
Messages
1,188
Location
N. IL
To couple I quite often have to crack the fitting loose, so that I can get them to connect. Usually they come apart pretty easily, thou do use a screwdriver to push the lock ring back sometimes.
 

catman13

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2011
Messages
435
Location
oregon usa
Occupation
refrigeration engineer/excavation contractor
taking apart is usually easy but going together i find most of the problem so crack the line
 

DPForumDog

Active Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2013
Messages
43
Location
Alabama
Paw removed the coupler completely . He has the male and female completely off and he still can get them separated. He assumes the balls aren’t opening up to allow the male to come out The male is stuck. He unscrewed the male from the cutter and unscrewed the female from the cutter. That is a temporary remedy. He plans on just getting a new set. I assume we will just scrap the old set.

Paw does remember that when he attached the cutter to our skid steer that it was hard to connect, and now 3 weeks later he can’t get them apart. I guess it a common problem fixed by a $40 Amazon purchase.

Granny DP
DPForumDog
 

Tones

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2009
Messages
3,062
Location
Ubique
Occupation
Ex land clearing contractor, part-time retired
The old school thinking about hammers and quick connects was don't use quick connects. The pulsing of the oil buggers them.
 

DGODGR

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2009
Messages
1,062
Location
S/W CO
We always installed the screw together couplers with a hammer or as TONES mentioned above don't use quick couplers.

https://www.stucchiusa.com/threaded-flat-face-couplers/
I've invested thousands into Stucchis VEP 17 HD couplers. After I still experienced failures I was told by my supplier (a local hydraulic repair shop) that I needed to get the VEP HDL couplers if using them for high impulse/vibration applications (this seemed like an avoidance technique as they are the ones who recommended, and sold me, the original couplers knowing what my application would be). High vibration applications would be things like breakers, ho-pacs, etc., which we do use. (I honestly struggle to come up with very many "low vibration" hydraulic attachments). Regardless, I spent the money to upgrade both machines and attachments. This adds up when you have (6) pairs of 1" couplers to buy (they are just under $400 per pair). The "L" in the part number indicates that it will have a locking pin, and subsequent holes, to prevent the coupler threads from coming loose due to vibration. In my applications this does sometimes happen (usually with the ho-pac, and hammer, but not so far with my crusher bucket) and when it does the seals in the couplers go bad (maybe they get cut?). Once this happens they tend to constantly leak. In theory the locking pin seems like a pretty good idea. In actual use they do not perform as promised. Despite the locking pin the coupler will still come loose enough to leak and destroy the seals. They won't come all the way off (never had any of the non "L" style come off either because the operator will notice that the attachment performance suffers from restricted oil flow caused by coupler coming loose) but they will still get damaged. I plan to contact Stucchi, maybe even return some to see if they will warranty them but I don't hold out much hope for that. Right now I have removed them and am just screwing together the JIC fittings. It's a bit messy but only when actually connecting/disconnecting the lines...not during operation of the machine/attachment. This also has the added benefit of not having to wonder if the coupler is causing any performance loss, and/or extra heat, due to possible restriction of oil flow that is inherent in hydraulic quick couplers.
 

gggraham

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2009
Messages
587
Location
London Ontario Canada
Occupation
Licensed Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic
I've invested thousands into Stucchis VEP 17 HD couplers. After I still experienced failures I was told by my supplier (a local hydraulic repair shop) that I needed to get the VEP HDL couplers if using them for high impulse/vibration applications (this seemed like an avoidance technique as they are the ones who recommended, and sold me, the original couplers knowing what my application would be). High vibration applications would be things like breakers, ho-pacs, etc., which we do use. (I honestly struggle to come up with very many "low vibration" hydraulic attachments). Regardless, I spent the money to upgrade both machines and attachments. This adds up when you have (6) pairs of 1" couplers to buy (they are just under $400 per pair). The "L" in the part number indicates that it will have a locking pin, and subsequent holes, to prevent the coupler threads from coming loose due to vibration. In my applications this does sometimes happen (usually with the ho-pac, and hammer, but not so far with my crusher bucket) and when it does the seals in the couplers go bad (maybe they get cut?). Once this happens they tend to constantly leak. In theory the locking pin seems like a pretty good idea. In actual use they do not perform as promised. Despite the locking pin the coupler will still come loose enough to leak and destroy the seals. They won't come all the way off (never had any of the non "L" style come off either because the operator will notice that the attachment performance suffers from restricted oil flow caused by coupler coming loose) but they will still get damaged. I plan to contact Stucchi, maybe even return some to see if they will warranty them but I don't hold out much hope for that. Right now I have removed them and am just screwing together the JIC fittings. It's a bit messy but only when actually connecting/disconnecting the lines...not during operation of the machine/attachment. This also has the added benefit of not having to wonder if the coupler is causing any performance loss, and/or extra heat, due to possible restriction of oil flow that is inherent in hydraulic quick couplers.


Feels like a no win situation with the high vibration applications. No couplers is best but it's slow and messy changing over attachments, quick couplers are clean and quick but always breaking and costing money.
 

heymccall

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2007
Messages
5,352
Location
Western Pennsylvania
On the Stucchis, the seals in the male are replaceable, and available.
With a male installed in a vise, fully depress the poppet with a blunt tool, and inspect the two seals.

I've only got a few machines using them (22 to be exact), and twice as many attachments.

#1 The male couplings need to be on the carrier, solely for ease of connection. Female on the carrier means both the threaded collar and the male on the implement both turn

#2 Tighten them with a wrench. Do not buy the stoopid stucchi aluminum wrench. For VEPHD 17 couplings, I use this...
Screenshot_20220209-141813_McMaster.jpg
Short enough to prevent over tightening, and strong enough to take loosening via hammer.
I etch the machine number on every wrench, and make simple holder for in every cab.
I also use the aluminum caps on the males, and have begun installing holders for the caps when removed.
20220209_150551.jpg
 
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