During a recent conversation with a client, the issue of testing hydraulic pump rebuilds came up. As I explain in Insider Secrets to Hydraulics, it is essential that all hydraulic components are properly tested after rebuild. Ensuring a repaired component will perform the way it should when it’s installed on the machine BEFORE it leaves the shop, instills confidence … Read more

I was recently consulted about a situation where the glass-reinforced nylon, rod guide-bush in a hydraulic cylinder was scratching the hard chrome plated rod. So in effect, the guide-bush was harder than the hard chrome plating. And this should NOT be the case. In other words the hard chrome plating on the rod was soft. Or more correctly, not hard … Read more

Pipe threads are a lot like suction strainers in that they have no place in a modern, properly designed hydraulic system. HOWEVER, pipe threads are a legacy item, and as such, are still a feature of many (too many) hydraulic systems still in operation today. So every hydraulics professional needs to know about them.

National Pipe Tapered (NPT – U.S.) … Read more