Gas-charged accumulators are a common feature of modern hydraulic systems. They carry out numerous functions. These include energy storage and reserve, leakage and thermal compensation, shock absorption and energy recovery. But while accumulators present a number of advantages in hydraulic system operation, and can provide many years of trouble-free service, they are a maintenance item.

For example, the correct gas … Read more

A recent client consulted me about the failure of an axial piston pump. And based on my long experience working in hydraulic repair shops, the mode of failure was unusual. In fact, it was a type of failure I’ve never seen before. The slipper of just one of the 9 pistons had split clean in half–see inset pic. The other … Read more

One of our members wrote me this question:

“One of our customers has a new wheeled excavator. The auxiliary circuit on this machine is controlled by an electronic proportional foot pedal which sends its signal to an ECU. This ECU then sends a variable voltage to 2 proportional solenoids located on the auxiliary circuit sandwich on the main DCV. But … Read more