How to Fix Hydraulic Leak on Bobcat e42 Excavator - Swivel Joint (Step by Step DIY) 

Dude thank you so much this is exactly what is happening to our JCB and I was pretty stumped until I watched this video. I have yet to do the repair but now I know exactly where I am going with it. 👍

Hey, thanks for the video, I did mine this weekend on a Bobcat 324 Mini, some of those hydraulic lines on the top, I had to remove others just to reach, they were challenging. To make installing the top seal easier, I took a disposable thin plastic face shield, and wrapped it around the cylinder and taped it together, and the new seal slid all the way up in about 5 seconds..easy.. thanks again for the video, really helped out!!

I wish I had found this video before I took the swivel joint off of my E32. Still waiting to get it back from guy who is rebuilding it. I will definitely use what I learned from you to reinstall.

little free tip. these swivels have sharp edges. instead of rolling or fighting the seal down. use a zip tie turned inside out {smooth side to seal} as a strap to ever so lightly stretch the seal on and over without rolling it or cutting the edges. works great on crown seals and ptfe seals alike.

This is the best repair video iv'e ever watched. You only talked about what was necessary did it in order and left the music and all the stuff that doesnt matter out of it. The camera work was good and not shaking all over and out of focus. Nice job.

I worked as a design engineer on hydraulic circuits for years. I think the reason the top seal is worn so much is dirt and water is getting in on top. A top hat type seal like a lip seal if hung out over the top would help keep out the dirt. Without checking (I'm too lazy to look it up) the very top seal and very bottom seals only handle drain pressure and also take most of the side loadings. They basically keep the spindle centered. Metal rotating on plastic seals has to wear eventually, even on a film of hydraulic oil. It also helps if the unit is located perfectly in the center of the ring gear. Even if offset 5mm, the hoses move back and forth that amount during a full rotation. This side loads the unit a little. Just my thoughts.

The cinder blocks could have injured or killed you. I only trust heavy wooden beams stacked so they can't compress. Anyway, a good video all in all for the purpose. Side note. All of the seals need to be replaced if going in that deep. Senseless to only replace what is obviously leaking for what it costs.

Hi I just wanted to say thank you for making the process so easy the way you explain everything step-by-step showing and you just made this difficult task very very very extraordinary step by step every way thanks again

Nice job ! well executed. Tim is right about those blocks !! 2'' x 12'' x 8' planks stacked work great. Thank you for your insight- and expertise. I gotta do my 353 3000 hrs - this takes all the mystery and anxiety out of the equation . Thanx millions !

If you have to block this machine up again, please place those blocks so the hollows go up and down! If they break the way they were in there, they would drop in a heart beat.

I found this video after doing the same job on my Bobcat mini. Wish I'd seen it first. Great job and thanks for posting. Doing it myself saved $1000.00. And I only got dirty and a few skinned knuckles.

Did this on a Grove 50 ton crane. Good job. Dirt sand grit gets in plastic seal area wears it out.Best to clean out area with wd40 washout gap.

Very Well Done! You hit all of the troublesome spots that saves me some time. My only caution is be careful using concrete blocks (CMUs) as jack stands. The are unreliable. Keep making these videos.....way better than a manual. Thanks.

Nice job. Thanks for the tool suggestion. I have an E35 with 2600 hrs. It's probably something I will do in the future

Thanks for your help, dad.. appriciate it. Didn't here that.

NICE VID. For YOUR SAFETY... PLEASE only load the CONCRETE BLOCKS with the VOIDS VERTICAL..(Like they would be stacked in a wall). NOT on their SIDES. I was yelling at the screen when I saw that! The COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH is in their OUTER EDGES. Remember..You only get crushed once. *Whenever you can, just try to AVOID BLOCKS altogether.. and just use pieces of TIMBER. (Much SAFER). Liked seeing the SWIVEL work though.

Where did you find the seals? Dealer wants $500 for seal kit.That was awesome!, looked alot easier than the final drive I had to rebuild years ago...heck, the hardest part of it will be the 16lines connected. Thanks million for making the video, your the only one I found that looks like mine.

Could you have left the assembly in the machine and unhooked the topside hoses, then just lifted the "cartridge" out of the swivel? I'm about to have to do this on an e35. Thanks for the awesome video!

Great video! Very informative! Well documented! I'm about to tackle that very project on my 2011 E-32. Thank you very much!

Dang I wish I found this video earlier, I had to learn this on my own, bobcat told me to remove 3 bolts on bottom and it should come out, lol said I didn’t need to remove hoses

Just watch you do the swivel joint on the little digger I've done several swivel joints on 20t and 13t machines it's a lot easier more room to work but you do need a ratchet strap to lower the joint I normally dig a trench in a field and track machine over it you can stand up under machine the only thing you done which could be fatal is sitting the machine on them concrete blocks they have a tendasy to shatter you should have turned the blocks upright that's a 4 and half tonne machine I wouldn't have chanced it I always think safety I'm always working on my own out in middle of nowhere sometimes you do well if it was your first time iv been at it nearly 50 years well done

and after watching it, i figure you should have used 3 or 4 slim wires - like a brazing rod sat on cylinder to stop that seal falling into every single groove when you wrestled it all the down with the pick.... i'll try it!

Great Video, Now I can tackle my leaking swivel Joint!!

Thank you for the video I'm going to do mine in my bobcat 430 mini excavator

Thank you for this video! I was fearing repairing this on my e26 at some point, but it looks manageable.

Did a great job. But, please from now on stand your block up. They are like a million times stronger that way.

Thanks great video. I'm doing this today on a terex xt55 boom need all the help i can get cause i would rather not have to pull it out again definitely wasn't fun.

Excellent video! Thank you for sharing!

David, thanks for the video. We have an older Bobcat 331 mini excavator that we think is leaking on the swivel joint. Once we determine that this is the problem, we will need to get it out. This gives a great overview of the tool and procedure needed to remove it. I was wondering why you didn't change the oil-seals between each groove? I think I may do that, due to the age of our machine. Also, how would you recommend marking the hoses?

Those blocks under the tracks. Support better with the holes up - down.

I put a 21k dozer on 4 dump truck brake drums.....not sure what they're rated for but it held dozer up:)

Look into aera diesel for parts and repai

Best video,thanks I have to work on mine,Thanks you so much.....😊

This is a great video! Thank you for putting it together and with all the details.. I have a 2014 E45 and I have the same project to do and your video will help me immensely. Can you send me a link to the plugs you bought on Amazon? Thanks again!

Great video. Very informative . I see how you purged the air out of the sysem but where did you purge the air out of the system?

excelnte video

Great overview. While you were in there, why didn't you change all sectional seals?

Was the swiwel weak? my komatsu 3 ton mini excavator is really weak when i am gonna push some dirt sideways, maybe the swiwel have an internal leak

So glad you’ve done this video I have an e20 and gotta do seals on it over Xmas. What size bungs and caps did u use. Thanks Kev

i have same problem on old fiat Hitachi ex50 urg tok it out gave it to shop to get the seal done put it back in after one minute leaked again,my head went then,cant get book or workshop manual to do it myself ,yours looked easy, mine is a right pig to work on,think I put hosses back in wrong place, nightmare,can you help ,books etc or where to get tried all ebay ,japan,all,nothing on these old machines,regards joe.ps put hosses bak wrong would that cause the seals to blow again,problem is on track drive not the digging.

Does your cab not jack over? I have a gehl603 that looks about same size and it Jack's over for easy access to swivel. Thanks for video, I'm gonna tackle that soon

Hi David, same machine, if when you raise the blade falls quickly back to the ground and left track is slow as hell vs other side, what would you say ? do i have same issue with center joint seals mixing fluid ?? Thank you in advance.

Thank you for the video gracias...

Hi im getting ready to do a e35 will bobcat sale them seals separately

Hi.. thanks for video - we are just about to do an E26 which i guess is very similar... can i ask where you bought the seals????

Did you notice reduction of swing power because of the leak? Thanks for the upload

I'm working on a 3003 mustang excavator swivel joint,can't find seals for it..

Oh yeah, and dont ever use concrete blocks, use rr ties, or big truck brake drums, but never blocks, especially on their side, there is zero structural strength on their side, they are designed to stand holes vertical, but that could have been deadly. Dont wanna see yall get hurt .

Did this leak cause all your hydraulic functions to lose power?

WHAT IS THE HYDRALIC CAP ASSORTMENT KIT YOU MENTIONED THAT CAN BE FOUND ON AMAZON?

Where did you get your book for the machine that helped walk you through the process?

Hello, have you ever had your machine to start leaking from the travel pedals?

Hey man what hydraulic oil did you use to refill??

Great video but one thing gender blocks as ramps is very dangerous. When they break it happens all at once. Please used cut railroad ties or something other than gender blocks.

Bro , can you tell me about seal size ?

Nomro wtshp