I am new to this world , But very enthusiastic and Interested. I would like to know how to gain knowledge on the oil and hydraulic changes on equipment. particulary the skidsteer and excavators..BAsic maintenance ..
Okay.....You tell US all about maintenance on YOUR spacecraft and how you got here to OUR world.....and we'll tell you all about skidsteer/excavator maintenance.....................Deal? .....and where is the planet Vipa? .....and do you promise not to use the oil knowledge against us? .....and welcome to the forum/planet(we call it Earth):notworthy
Careful, xkvator--they may not have senses of humor there. You could find yourself looking down the business end of a disintegrator ray gun... Serious question Vipaworld--do you have this particular equipment, or do you mean just these types in general? The reason I ask is, because each will have it's own peculiarities, and the owners manual might be your best resource. If you are looking for general information common to all equipment of the type, I'm sure somebody will be happy to help you get your hands dirty. And welcome to the site....
Don't scare off the new guys right away,Xkvator!!:nono Lets wait to see if we can trick em' out of their money first!!:thumbsup But seriously,welcome Vipaworld. A good place too start would be getting manuals for the equipment you have,either from the dealer,or an aftermarket source.They would have the fluid change intervals,and directions on how to change them. There may be some manuals available that may not be brand specific,but would cover a wide variety of equipment,although only touching on very basic maintenance routines for each machine.You might find these kind on E-Bay.Also,Amazon has books dealing with this kind of stuff too. Good luck!
Oh,leave it too Digger to whip up a reply and post it,while I'm typing mine up,just too cut me off!! Now they're out of order.Mine should get to be first,sheez!!
well thanks all for your welcome!!! I am starting an onsite maintenance service and need to be up on lots of equipment. I have worked with autos and diesels, so I have some knowledge, but, my Hydraulic knowledge lacks. we have never heard of of this "Hydraulic" in my Vipa world....:wink2
You have no idea how scary it is to see Jeff saying things similar to what I said--now I'm wondering where my thinking is faulty... Hydraulic systems fluid changes have some basic similarities to engine oil changes, etc. but there can be dramatic differences too. For example, you're more likely to see cartrige type filters, either contained in a housing somewhere, or actually within the hydraulic system somewhere, as opposed to spin-on type filters that are more common for engine oil. Also, some hydraulic systems will be pressureized--if you fail to relieve that pressure before servicing, bad things result. I'm sure some of the other guys can add more thoughts... Oh, also, I'm having trouble seeing out of my glass--can you change my Vindsheild Vipas?
Good one....Thanks for the advice...I wish I can be more specific at this moment Vipaworld = Vi= Vito Pa= Paula ..anyone in any NCAA final four pools?
You'de better just hope we don't start looking alike Digger!! (TOO much fun in Vegas years ago.WAY too much!!)
Uhh...Thank you, Jeff for that informative illustration of how to purge your hydraulic system, but I'm not really sure it applies to anything Vipaworld will be working on. The winters are really long up there in Minnesota, aren't they? Next poster, please...
Hi Vipa! Maintenance requirements should be in the operators handbook. On hydraulic systems its best not to overservice and change the oil and filters just for the sake of it. As other users said the system is pressurised to stop ingress of dust etc. If there are no leaks then the system shouldn't require top up. Follow the manufacturers intervals and use the approved oil (personally I wouldn't use multi-purpose tractor oil that is supposed to be good for everything). Buy clean oil in clean pails and keep it clean during storage in a clean place (you can never overemphasize cleanliness LOL) If changing hyd oil on an excavator you should put the boom and stick in the position recommended to make sure as much oil as possible gets drained (either way you will only drain about 60% of the oil as the rest stays in the pump, motors, lines, cylinders etc.) Its a good idea to measure how much oil you drain and refill the tank with the same volume. After refilling the tank on a machine with piston pumps, run the engine at low speed without operating the controls to ensure that any air trapped in the system gets purged out. After 5 minutes you should carefully extend and retract the cylinders without reaching their end stroke and run the swing and track motors. After this is done increase the engine speed and go through the process again. If you don't do this you can sometimes hear screeching and squawking from the pumps which will probably reduce their life.
Won't be the first time.........I've dealt with E.T.'s before...........can't talk anymore about it, though.:spaz I do live close to Kecksburg