Why The Hydraulic Tank is NOT an Oil Cooler

how to heat hydraulic oil safelyDuring a recent conversation I had with a member who builds hydraulic power units, this observation was made: “Oil coolers are generally resisted by customers because of initial cost and maintenance, so fitting a bigger reservoir, when possible, is often the preferred solution.”

I recall coming across the very same resistance when I was building hydraulic power units for end-user … Read more

Another Reason Why Pump Suction Strainers Shouldn’t Be Installed

Photo credit: Stauff CorporationI recently came across an article describing a failure that occurred on a hydraulic machine during the last northern winter. The extreme cold had caused the water present in the hydraulic oil to freeze on the surface of the installed suction strainer. When the hydraulic system was started the ice-clogged suction strainer imploded and the resulting debris destroyed the hydraulic … Read more

The Top 2 Causes of Hydraulic Vane Pump Failure and How to Avoid them

vaneOne 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