What to Do When Hydraulic Cylinders Chatter or Squeal

The Hydraulic Troubleshooting HandbookHere’s the scene for an unusual but instructive hydraulic troubleshooting story:

The end of the month was just a few days away when an OEM customer called and advised its hydraulic cylinder manufacturer that the boom extension cylinder on a rough terrain forklift was SQUEALING. This single-stage cylinder was 6″ bore x 3″ rod x 14′ stroke. The OEM was … Read more

The Role and Value of Hydraulic Schematic Diagrams

hydraulic schematic drawingI am regularly involved in troubleshooting problems with hydraulic equipment. In these situations, there are two things I always do before reaching for my test gear. The first is to conduct a visual inspection of the hydraulic system, checking all the easy things that could cause the problem in question (never overlook the obvious). The second is to ask for … Read more

A Silent Killer of Hydrostatic Transmissions

Rexroth A2VSL1000 hydraulic pumpRupert Murdoch, the boss of global media giant News Corporation was a neighbor of ours where I grew up. Not that my family was particularly well off. It’s just that my father’s farm happened to be situated close to a group of “sheep stations” the media mogul owned. And compared to the 300,000 acres Mr Murdoch controlled, Dad’s land holding … Read more