Couldn't decide if this should be in excavators or forestry. Had a client pick up a fecon mulcher that he wants to run on a Hitachi zx120 (and possibly on a Komatsu pc78mr-6, but I will worry about that one later). Spent most of the day fabricating a head so it could couple up to the machine. Now I am trying to figure out the case drain line. He has three machines that can couple up to the head and have the right pressure and flow. All of these machines are plumbed to run flail mowers and the case drain lines are #4. The factory line on the fecon is #12. I am kind of assuming that the #4 line is too restrictive for the fecon. But it looks like all of the factory supplied return ports on the hydraulic tank are #4 (maybe one #6). I did see a #12 hose going in to the suction side of the main hydraulic pump. So, I guess these are my questions: 1. Is a #4 return line too small? (can't find any minimum drain specs on fecon's website) 2. What does anyone think of teeing in to the #12 on the suction line? I kind of worry about putting unfiltered case drain oil into the hydraulic pump. 3. The return line for the fecon is also #12 and goes to a valve to either send the return oil to the valve body or directly to the oil cooler. Can I tee a #12 drain line in there? 4. Or do I just drill and tap holes for #12 fittings in the top of the hydraulic tank? (zx120 tanks are round, so top seems like best option.) Everyone state side, happy Memorial Day weekend.
The mulcher should only return 5 litres a minute through the casedrain so teeing into the excavators casedrain should be OK. Most mulchers on excavators requires a priority value set up to work properly and ain't cheap. Without it any other movement of the machine takes oil away from the mulcher affectively slowing the rotor speed making it near useless.
Well.... That did not go well. I did a case drain test last week and confirmed a nominal 5 quarts per minute on the case drain (nominal, because I don't think in metric. But just under a gallon in one minute with oil at operating temp and full stroke on the machine.) So I gave the thumbs up on putting it in the field. Probably jumping the gun on posting. I won't be able to put eyes on the machine until tomorrow morning. But I got a call a little bit ago. The drive motor is cracked and somehow the operator ripped the drain line off the machine. On the upside; I hear it ran like a champ for 6 hours.
Squeezing the drain line is probably the cause of the motor cracking.
Good call. Replaced the motor and the line. Ten months later, no problems. Thanks
Did you get this to work on the Pc78mr-6?