# TECO bucket stuck in air with busted hydraulic hose



## Lonewolf47 (Sep 4, 2011)

I have a Teco bucket truck that has a busted hydraulic hose in the upper boom. The bucket is about 12ft off the ground and I can't saddle the boom to remove it from the job to take it to the repair shop. Can anyone tell me a way to safely saddle the boom using the lower controls?
I added 5 gallons of hydraulic fluid trying to see if I could quickly saddle the boom and it would not move and all of the 5 gallons leaked out in what seemed like about 30 seconds. I thought about taking another one of my bucket trucks over and trying to find the busted hose but there are not many access holes in the upper boom. Please advise....:sad:


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## dakzaag (Jan 6, 2009)

I have never seen a boom truck that didn't have a release available for the operator to let them self down in such an emergency. 

One time I watched another outfit struggle with a similar situation for a whole day. They called out a mechanic who couldn't figure it out. They were about to dismantle the whole boom when I sent my mechanic over and he had the boom on the ground in about two minutes. 

Funniest thing I ever saw, my mechanic never went to a bunch of school or anything, but he could fix it if it moved. He spent about thirty seconds figuring out which hose to drain and lowered the bucket by draining the oil slowly. 

I just tell you this to help you realize that often there is more than one way to solve the problem. In our case, after he lowered the bucket for them, they started the truck and it worked perfectly. 

I could have saved them a bunch of wasted time, but they were a little too cocky and full of themselves when I asked if they needed a hand the first time.


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## Lonewolf47 (Sep 4, 2011)

Well the boom would need to rotate as well to get it drivable.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Man, that's going to suck if you have to leave it there....liability.

They make metal clamps that go over hoses for emergencies, but as you said, no access. can't you disconnect it from top/bottom and pull it out?

I just replaced a hydraulic hose I emergency clamped months ago. I took it to a tractor supply place and they made me a new one in 10 minutes. They also said automotive parts stores (napa?) will put in a splice for ya, but not sure as that's just what they told me. I used a cut up rubber glove and 4 hose clamps for a quick fix. Ace hardware should have that metal hose clamp cover as it's plumbing. I think it's used to cover pin holes in old water pipes. A piece of rubber (glove) will provide room for compression seal.


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## Nac (Apr 16, 2006)

Their schould be a manual valve taht you can turn to release the the pressure to lower it, you can probly look at where all the hydraulic valve banks are. To turn it you will be SOL have to remove the hose fix and install first. Or just call for a road service and have them figure it out.


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## Tdawg (Jul 24, 2011)

There must be a hydraulic shop or an equipment dealer that has a mobile unit somewhere in your area...no? All mobile heavy equipment mechanics deal with hydraulics every day. A mobile hydraulic guy would probably have the gear to make you up a new hose right on site.


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## Lonewolf47 (Sep 4, 2011)

Yep. It's at least $100 an hour and no telling what it would be on a holiday. I took my other bucket truck yesterday and found the busted hose, patched it good enough to saddle the boom. Problem solved. I'll take the hose off at the shop and have one made. Probably saved myself at least $1000.


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## Tdawg (Jul 24, 2011)

Good stuff, glad it worked out.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Lonewolf47 said:


> the busted hose, patched it good enough to saddle the boom. Problem solved.


Well? Hose clamps and piece of rubber sheet?
or 










or...?


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## Lonewolf47 (Sep 4, 2011)

I found that it is very hard to patch a hydraulic line. There is so much pressure that no matter how hard you clamp it or how many clamps you use, it wants to pull apart. I inserted a 3/8 copper pipe into each side of the cut ends which fit very snug up in it. I then used 5 fuel line hose clamps on each side. Even with them tightened all of the way down, the copper still pushed out from the pressure. Finally, to get the boom down and outriggers up, I had to put channel locks very tight on one side and use vice grips on the other side to keep the patch together long enough. We got the truck back to the shop.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Lonewolf47 said:


> I then used 5 fuel line hose clamps on each side. Even with them tightened all of the way down, the copper still pushed out from the pressure.


Dontcha just love jury rigging things? :thumbsup:
I had to patch 1/4ID hydraulic hose and you're right, it leaked, but it worked enough to push a large slide out out.

I bet if you could have flared out the ends of that piece of copper it would have held better.


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## Lonewolf47 (Sep 4, 2011)

You are probably right. I will know next time. I have a flare tool but its kind of hard to think when you are trying to do it in a torrential downpour. We got 6.45" of rain from what was left of tropical storm lee where the truck was sitting.


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

Ughh, what a day.


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