I have a cat 272c leaking hydraulic fluid when it is not running. I have lifted the cab inspected all lines leaving the hydraulic tank. I see no signs of a leak but there is fluid sitting in the belly. Seems to be leaking a gallon of oil a week when just sitting. Any ideas on where else to check?
Hoping someone will chime in here. What’s even more weird is that it appears to leak at the same rate wether the machine is running not so the location leaking must never see higher pressure. I would think there would be limited possibilities for this but its nothing I can see easily with the cab lifted. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Could it be leaking while it's running but you're only noticing it when parked? If the belly is full of debris you'll never know. Leaks on these can be deceiving and impossible to diagnose unless it's clean under the cab. Remove as much debris from the belly as possible which takes out the guess work. This means cab up, load frame up, remove belly plate, loosen the A/C box and sit on the track next to the machine, remove the battery and battery support plate, then degrease and pressure wash the hell out of it. There's just no other way to clean these machines. Reinstall battery, sit A/C box back in place and take it for a quick test drive, park it up, torch and mirrors. Common causes are: - Park brake steel tube rusted out. This runs along the floor across to both sides and spends it's life buried in mud/debris. - Behind and under the battery the park brake steel tube can rub against the case drain steel tube. They intersect at 90 degrees to each other. - Steel tubes also have a tendency to split, usually somewhere in or close to a bend. They will shoot out a jet stream of oil while the circuit is under pressure, which lands nowhere near the failed tube and usually needs a second person to locate the source. Let us know what you find.
Thanks for the reply. I’m planning on pressure washing in the morning. Just to clarify, I do think it’s leaking when it’s running just not at a higher rate than when it’s off. Just basing this off the amount of fluid lost after running half a day versus just sitting there. Seems to me about the same but I could be wrong. Also the first time I lifted the cab it was very dusty and dry. No signs of moisture anywhere except in the belly. If it’s squirting, it’s buried behind debris.
I've also fixed leaks on these machines and had them come back a few days later with customer saying it' still leaking. Gave it a quarantine wash, only to find it not leaking anywhere. It's just the design of the belly pan. Oil sits in there and drips out for days if it's not clean.