Going to start working for a guy I know as his heavy equipment mechanic/machinist. First thing I'll be working on is an RT 528 crane that's got some hydraulic issues. Not an expert with hydraulics, but I know a bit. I know I am going to need a hydraulic testing kit, but beyond that I'm confused. Are the connections for the testing ports all standard? Who would be the best place to get a kit from? There are some on Ebay that look like they would work, but I don't know enough to tell. Stupid questions I know, but I appreciate any and all help.
For something of that vintage you would probably be looking for some NPT port adapters and some JIC inline test points. TIFCO hydratest is the best. I have used some of those Chinese digital gauges, the ones off of ebay. They function.... If you you are serious I would recommend 1 or 2 Precision Digital/TIFCO 0-10,000 gauges. The parker stauff are good also, but the screen are too slow
I've seen a couple of commercial kits that are high end expensive and provide lots of stuff that only works for a few things. Your best bet is to obtain what you need as it becomes necessary. There a few different quick coupler fittings used by the manufacturers and it doesn't make sense to purchase them all. I carry three basic couplers and lots of adapter fittings in pipe, O ring and flange to allow me to check most anything. It has taken me years to acquire them and plenty of expense spread over time so I could afford them. Many of them I have custom made. To get started I would advise finding out what the fittings on the crane are and either obtain the mating part or an adapter to enable you to remove the coupler and install the adapter instead. I keep a few ten foot super two wire #4 hoses with JIC female swivels on each end. My gauges are all standard fluid filled pressure gauges. I have at least one 600 PSI, two 1,000 PSI and four 6,000 PSI gauges for my main work on excavators. If you do a lot of work on transmissions you probably want more 600 PSI gauges. If you work on excavators mostly you will need the higher pressure units. I have never trusted the digital units and don't like their cost. They are also hard to see when you are under an excavator or standing on your head inside a wheel loader trying to make an adjustment. Destroy a manual gauge and you are out maybe fifty bucks. I won't even guess the cost of a digital and wonder if they need batteries to make them work. Mine get real oily and crappy when I am on a job and moving fast. I just don't trust technology in those conditions. Good Luck!
Thanks a bunch guys. I bought a NOS Widia 5000 PSI gauge ($25) and a 6' lead of hydraulic line off eBay. That and a handful of pipe connections and adapters should get me going. All my stuff and the big stuff of the boss's is going to be pipe connections, but I'd imagine his smaller newer equipment would have those fancy quick connect couplings. Simple stupid questions I know, but appreciate the help. I had no idea about those inline test ports, I was thinking I was going to have to machine similar myself.
As you go along pick up a wide range of gauges, and I always try to have twins in every range. I have pairs of 100, 250, 500, 2,000, 5,000, 8,000 psi liquid filled gauges if I recall correctly, with the CAT rubber boots on them. If you just buy them one or two at a time when you have some cash, it's painless and you will use them all, lol. I like the digital gauges, but call me old fashioned I prefer the needles, you can watch trends and see some of the slower pulses and spikes. And when you drop one and crack the glass, you get pissed, but with the digital if that happens, you might just sit down and cry. I would.
Hear what your saying about having multiple gauges, I kinda got screwed by a mechanic once when his only gauge turned out to be junk. I'll eventually get a stock of them built up, but a couple of 5000psi ones should work for a while.
Also there are times when it is very useful to see more than one circuit pressure simultaneously. Both sides of the actuator of a hydrostatic transmission pump, for example.