So I've got a brand new hydraulic pump coming for my Takeuchi TB145... Any tips for installing? My basic understanding is to bolt it to the engine, connect all the hydraulic lines, fill the hydraulic tank with fluid and crack the bleed valve on the pump until solid fluid is flowing out...then let her rip. That pretty much it in a nutshell? Theres going to be a lot of air in the various lines and pistons...do I need to do anything special to get the air out? Or just run everything back and forth slowly and fill the tank as needed? Any tips/info at all would be appreciated. The pump should be here either the end of this week or early next week, so I'll probably be ready to do this mid-week next week.
Why'd you have to change the pump? leakage or catastrophic failure?
Yes, Inquiring minds want to know. Always bad when a new part suffers the same fate as the previous one....
One piece of advice I have add to add to your procedure. After you install the pump, go to the front of the engine with a bar and check for end play on the crankshaft. I've seen people who installed pumps and or transmissions that pushed the crankshaft forward against the thrust bearing and ruined the engine. Also on bleeding the pump I usually bled them in and then started them at idle for a few minutes and then shut down and bleed it again. Don't worry about air in the lines. It will makes its way back to the tank anyway. Run a couple of functions with the engine just above idle and then check your level. Keep oil in the sight gauge and you will be OK.
The pump was failing...but not catastrophic failure. Its a 2 part pump, the main piston pump for digging functions and a small gear pump for dozer blade and slew. My dozer blade and slew were very weak. I brought it to a hydraulic shop, they pulled it apart and determined the gear pump was in need of rebuild or replacement. The piston pump was ok...I forget exactly what part, but they said there was some wear to something they'd recommend replacing as well. Long story short, they couldn't (or just did not want to) rebuild it. They said to get the parts + labor for that small of a pump would be more expensive than just replacing the entire pump. I called two other shops and basically got the same story. I don't know if thats the truth, that they typically just don't rebuild small pumps like this...or these shops just don't think its worth their time? They all claimed parts had to be ordered from Japan for rebuilds and by the time we get the parts and do the rebuild it will cost more than a new pump, not to mention possibly taking many weeks to get the parts. I called around a LOT of places for quotes on brand new pumps. Im amazed at the huge variation in prices I was given...but luckily a shop here locally about an hour from me was willing to match the lowest quote I had gotten, so I placed the order last week. I got a smoking deal on the machine knowing something was wrong with the hydraulics...this is basically worst case scenario in terms of cost, but all in all I'll have a brand new hydraulic pump to hopefully last me for the rest of my life with the machine. It's just being used for personal use on our 40-acre property so minimal hours in the grand scheme of things. My little tractor averages about 250 hours a year so it will probably be similar. The machine has 4200 hours...are these little pumps just not expected to last forever? Or was that way premature for that pump to be failing?
Thanks for the tip! I'll do that for sure. Are you saying that people cause issues with the crankshaft by forcing the pump on incorrectly/too aggressively?
Many times there is wear in splines or those plastic or rubber isolators that leave little ledges or catch spots that don't mate up well between the engine or pump input shaft. The other issue is that at times something gets installed backwards and holds the pump mount out. I've seen people use the mount bolts to pull the pump or transmission together to the engine. Just that little check can catch a really expensive mistake.
Your pumps are the weak link in any hydraulic system by design they can to eat themselves up as they're working so low hour lifespans are common. You been given some very sound advice And direction the only thing I would add is that when you exercise your hydraulics do not go to the end of the rod travel in either direction go slowly at idle a little further each time in each direction until you're at the end of the rod this helps get rid of the arrogance in the system because we don't want problems. Then after you've got the entire system bled out and you've made sure that your hydraulic well as staying full I would change your hydraulic return filter one will take 1 more time to catch any more impurities that might be into system
Gear pumps dont last as long as piston pumps.
Thanks for clarifying Mike. My stupid auto correct changed gear pump to your pump I'm glad you caught That andmade that clarification
Pump is in, sitting on my toolbench. I'm working this weekend so the install will hopefully happen next Tuesday. I've done plenty of automotive work/repairs over the years but never with a part that cost almost $4k....any last minute words of advice/encouragement?!
Fill the case of the piston pump
Oh yes, I intend to. My plan is to mount the pump to the engine, connect all hoses, then fill the hydraulic oil tank with fluid...then crack the little bleeder on the top of the pump to allow the air to escape as gravity allows the fluid to fill the pump. Once fluid is coming out of the bleeder I can safely assume its full of fluid - correct?
Did you check that your strainer was clean? Assuming you have one? I always check them, but I have never actually found any debris in them. I clean out the bottom of the tank while I’m in there, too. If it is accessible.
By strainer, you mean hydraulic filter? I actually have a brand new set of all filters for the machine, including the hydraulic filter, sitting in the garage. I planned to install the new hydraulic filter at the same time Im doing the install...and also order a new one to put in after a few hours of use. Probably overkill but I figured if any debris got introduced to the system during this job I'd rather catch it and swap in a new filter now...better safe than sorry. Cheap insurance as far as Im concerned. I'm not sure I'll have enough access into the tank to clean the bottom? The two access holes on top of the tank are not very large.
LN Pipeline is referring to a mesh strainer that some machines have in the hyd tank on the suction intake pipe. This is typically the largest diameter hose that feeds oil to the side/bottom of the hyd pump. Somewhere in the bottom of your empty tank, your operators manual will have a picture of this strainer if it has one fitted.
Ah I see. I'll check into this to see if I have a mesh strainer in mine. Thanks!