Your John Deere or Hitachi excavator’s hydraulic pump is one of the most vital parts of your machine. An excavator’s hydraulic pump is like its heart since it is responsible for plumbing the hydraulic fluid that provides the pressure and power for your excavator to perform any tasks. Unfortunately, a failing hydraulic pump can result in downtime and costly repairs. Therefore, the sooner you notice that it is having issues, the easier and less expensive it will be to fix.
Warning Signs
Your excavator hydraulic pump is one of the hardest working components and as such, it is often subject to wear and likely to be the cause of a sudden or gradual failure. When your excavator’s hydraulic pump is beginning to wear down or malfunction there are certain signs which act as a warning. You should be able to identify these warning signs in order to act fast and prevent serious damage that may lead to the complete failure of your hydraulic pump.
Leaks
Hydraulic fluid leaks can be visible (i.e. fluid on the exterior of the pump) or they may occur within your excavator without any exterior signs. If they are not visible, however, there may be a noticeable decrease in the performance of your excavator. You may also observe a sudden drop in hydraulic fluid pressure. If you act fast, by tightening or replacing a valve or seal, you may be able to correctly fix the leak before it causes more serious damage to your hydraulic system that could lead to a breakdown.
Banging and Knocking Sounds
As you may have noticed, when your hydraulic pump is working properly, it makes no sounds. However, due to wear and tear of parts and failing seals, it may begin to make banging and knocking sounds. These sounds may be a sign there is air in the system due to the lock of hydraulic fluid pressure. Cavitation will eventually develop and your hydraulic pump will begin to overheat. As the pump overheats, its interior parts will begin failing. If this occurs then you need to fix the issues immediately before it leads to more serious problems that you may not be able to repair.
Increase in Temperature
The hydraulic fluid circulating in your excavator’s hydraulic system should not go above 82°C (180°F). Higher temperatures can damage seal compounds and begin to affect the viscosity or quality of your hydraulic fluid. A pressure drop in your hydraulic fluid due to a failing pump will result in more heat and higher fluid temperatures.
This is one of the most common causes of hydraulic system failure. It’s important to note that as your hydraulic pump begins to fail, it can damage the entire hydraulic system. This can occur because the fluid can contain contaminants and debris that will be distributed throughout the entire system and potentially damage other components. Therefore, you consider a number of factors such as contaminated hydraulic fluid, low fluid levels, aeration, or normal wear and tear of components.
Weak Final Drive Motor
If your final drive motor seems to have less power, one of the causes could be a lack of hydraulic fluid pressure. Consequently, you need to investigate your excavator’s hydraulic pump. It is advisable to check your excavator’s hydraulic pressures on a regular basis.
If you maintain your hydraulic pump, it should work as it has been designed and provide you with years of service but like with any complex working component it has a limited life. At Langley Excavator Parts Exchange, you’ll find new, rebuilt, refurbished, and used excavator components and parts for John Deere and Hitachi excavators. Our expert technician will find what you need quickly and help minimize downtime. Call us at 1-888-530-5444 or contact us online. With one of the largest inventories of John Deere and Hitachi components, our experienced and knowledgeable staff is equipped to help you with the part you may need.
