One of our members wrote to me recently regarding the following problem:

“Recently, we bought a used hydraulic power unit (15HP electric motor directly coupled to a vane pump). A high-pitched, clicking noise is generated when the unit runs. We have checked the following:

–We thought it was a motor bearing, so we detached pump from motor, no noise heard.… Read more

In my free email series, on YouTube and in exhaustive detail in The Hydraulic Troubleshooting Handbook, I explain the concept of how a double-acting cylinder becomes a displacement cylinder if the piston seal leaks. And as part of the explanation of this concept I state: “…if the piston seal is completely removed from a double-acting cylinder, and its ports … Read more

A hydraulic machine has lots of moving parts to maintain. In fact, a hydraulic system is one of the most complex systems to maintain effectively. And here’s one more item to add to the list: the machine’s drawings. A machine’s hydraulic (and electrical) schematic diagrams don’t wear out, but they do tend to become inaccurate over time.

Even absent a … Read more