How Much Hydraulic Oil Consumption is Acceptable?

how to heat hydraulic oil safelyWhat is an acceptable level of oil loss for a hydraulic machine:
a). Zero
b). 2%
c). 5% or more?

In a perfect world, the right answer would of course be zero. But in reality, the true answer is 5% or more–of tank oil volume per year. And the reason I can say this with confidence is because total hydraulic … Read more

What You Must Understand BEFORE Carrying Out Repairs on a Hydraulic Machine

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 tapered 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

Tandem Piston Pumps, Shaft Seals and Case Drain Lines

IM000260A 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