Hydraulic system start-up procedures

You wouldn't start an engine with no oil in the crankcase – not knowingly anyway. And yet what amounts to the same thing happens to a LOT of pricey hydraulic components.

Fact is, if the right steps are not followed during initial start-up, hydraulic components can be seriously damaged. In some cases they may work OK for a while, but the harm done at start-up dooms them to premature failure.

There is two parts to getting this right: knowing what to do; and remembering to do it. If you don't know what to do that's one thing. However if you do know, but forget to do it, well that's soul destroying. You can't pat yourself on the back for filling the pump housing with clean oil when you forgot to open the intake isolation valve before starting the engine!

This sort of mistake is easily prevented by using a start-up procedure and check list. Trouble is, to be MOST effective, it must be machine specific. The pre-flight check list for a Boeing 747 is not much use to a pilot flying an Airbus A380!

HOWEVER, if a machine-specific start-up procedure is not available, this generic procedure is definitely better than nothing at all. Complete the form below to get your copy:

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