Number 26 in 132 Cardinal Sins of Hydraulics I put together several years ago is: ‘Failing to properly document hydraulic system performance tests for evaluation and future reference.’ And #96 is: ‘Failing to properly document past problems and their solutions, along with machine repair history.’

When a hydraulic machine has a problem, good historical records can be just as valuable, … Read more

A repairer rebuilt a hydraulic piston pump. A week later it came back like a boomerang, the subject of a warranty claim. Upon tear down the piston retaining plate was found to be broken–see inset pic. Fearing the aftermarket parts they used were not up to scratch, the repair shop quietly accepted warranty and rebuilt the pump for a second … Read more

In chapter 13 of The Hydraulic Maintenance Handbook I discuss in detail the elimination of problems by engineering them out. An obvious example of this strategy is, if a hydraulic system has taper thread adapters, their replacement with a more reliable type of connector eliminates the possibility of recurring leaks. Job done. And if an oil to water heat exchanger … Read more