I was recently hired by a manufacturing company to assess the performance of four hydraulic pumps powering a large hydraulic press. These pumps had been in operation for over 10,000 hours, and the client was concerned that any decline in their performance could hamper production.

After conducting tests, I found that all four Car Lift Repair Tampa Florida pumps were performing within acceptable parameters. However, due to their prolonged usage, I recommended urgent replacement despite the minimal projected increase in productivity. My recommendation stemmed from the fact that these pumps had exceeded their anticipated service life, and without a robust condition-based maintenance program, the risk of bearing failure while in service was significantly heightened.

When hydraulic components fail during operation, they often generate metallic particles that can circulate in the hydraulic fluid, potentially damaging other components before the filters can intercept them. The cost of repairing a component that fails during operation is typically higher than that of one removed before failure due to the mechanical damage incurred. In some cases, repair costs can soar by up to 40%, making preemptive replacement more economical.

Unfortunately, despite heeding my advice, one of the pumps experienced a bearing failure before it could be replaced. This led to $6,000 worth of damage to the main hydraulic cylinder, with the repair cost being 50% higher than the other pumps replaced preventatively. This incident underscores the importance of adhering to manufacturers’ recommendations regarding service life and implementing effective predictive maintenance strategies.

To mitigate the risk of hydraulic component failures, it’s crucial to follow manufacturers’ guidelines for scheduling replacements based on expected service life. While it might be tempting to extend service life through condition-based monitoring techniques like oil analysis, doing so without a comprehensive predictive maintenance program can result in costly repercussions.

Regarding the inquiries I receive from members, there’s a significant lesson embedded within one recent query:

“We’re encountering difficulties with a Parker-Denison hydrostatic transmission pump, model P24S 2R1C 9A2. Despite operating under light conditions with a working pressure of 65 bar, the oil temperature surges from 20 to 50 Celsius within just 15-20 minutes. We’ve already spent $10,000 on repairs at a local workshop, yet the issue persists. Even an engineer dispatched by the hydraulic repair shop couldn’t resolve it. Any insights?”

Discovering that the Car Lift Repair Tampa Florida hydraulic pump wasn’t the root cause of the problem is a costly realization. Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common among users of hydraulic equipment. However, is there truly a problem to address here?

The rapid increase in Car Lift Repair Tampa Florida hydraulic oil temperature to 50 Celsius within 20 minutes of operation might not be as alarming as it seems. Considering the member’s location in Singapore, where VG68 hydraulic oil is commonly used, it’s worth noting that the optimal operating viscosity typically falls within the range of 55 to 78 Celsius. Therefore, after 20 minutes, the system hasn’t even reached its designated operating temperature. Thus, there’s no immediate cause for concern.

So, why does this hydraulic system heat up so swiftly? The culprit likely lies in the size of the transmission pump—a hefty 24 cubic inches or 400 cubic centimeters per revolution, accompanied by a substantial charge pump, possibly as large as 4.8 cubic inches or 80 cubic centimeters per revolution. Operating at 1500 rpm with a charge pressure of 23 bar, the charge pump generates a considerable heat load of 4600 watts, akin to the power output of two electric kettles.

Moreover, as a hydrostatic transmission, it may feature a relatively modest reservoir, possibly only half the available charge pump flow per minute. In this instance, that could amount to as little as 16 gallons or 60 liters. 

Drawing upon my extensive experience in the Car Lift Repair Tampa Florida hydraulics industry, it’s evident that end-users often overlook the critical factors of efficiency, heat load, and cooling, as well as their intricate relationship with viscosity and lubrication. As demonstrated by the aforementioned example, this oversight can lead to substantial trouble and financial repercussions.

Recently, I oversaw a planned component replacement on a Car Lift Repair Tampa Florida hydraulic machine in a supervisory role. The machine’s hydraulic power unit was of the common variety—cheaply constructed with all components mounted on the tank lid. These setups, with an electric motor positioned vertically and the pump submerged in the tank, are inexpensive to assemble but notoriously difficult to work on. While I could launch into a rant about this, I’ll save it for another time.

The task involved replacing a Car Lift Repair Tampa Florida tandem gear pump submerged in the tank, a seemingly straightforward 15-minute job on this machine—provided you spend two hours disconnecting everything to lift the tank lid. Though I wasn’t onsite for the pump replacement, the technician handling the task was experienced and knowledgeable. Initially, the same technician was scheduled to re-commission the machine post-shutdown. However, due to scheduling conflicts, he became unavailable.

I received a call in the early afternoon requesting my presence onsite to supervise the startup. Anticipating a simple push-of-a-button scenario, I left the office in my civilian attire, driving my personal vehicle and without any tools—a regrettable oversight.

The commissioning process hit a snag from the start. While the rear section of the tandem gear pump that had been replaced charged an accumulator, we failed to obtain charge pressure upon startup. The electric motor’s rotation direction was correct, but determining the new pump’s rotation was challenging due to its submerged placement.

After consulting with the technician over the phone, I felt reasonably confident that the new pump’s rotation was correct. Nevertheless, to double-check, I attempted to reverse the electric motor’s rotation (not an ideal solution), yet this yielded no change.

Left without a flow tester and faced with the laborious task of lifting the tank lid, I suspected the new pump might either be faulty or failing to prime. Unlike Car Lift Repair Tampa Florida vane pumps, which sometimes require an oil head on their outlet to initiate pumping, gear pumps are typically self-priming, particularly when submerged in hydraulic oil.