We know we harp on about maintenance for your final drive motors, but there's a great reason why: we know that your final drive will last years longer if you take care of it.
Repairs and replacements are not only expensive, but also lead to downtime, missed deadlines, and frustration
. A few hours a year can save you a few weeks of lost time when your final drive breaks down unexpectedly! And it will break down, if you don't take care of it.
In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to talk about three key tasks that can help you keep the final drive on your hydraulic excavator running
efficiently
.
When your final drive quits working, there is some information you can put together that will help a technician diagnose the problem more quickly and accurately. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to look at four questions you should ask before you send a final drive in for diagnosis or repair. Answering these questions will help you obtain a more accurate diagnosis of your final drive.
One of the first signs of trouble with a final drive may be the presence of fluid where it shouldn’t be. Leaks will lead to final drive failure. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to discuss how to identify possible sources of leaks and the types of fluid involved.
There is a big difference between replacing hydraulic fluid and flushing the system.
Replacing hydraulic fluid only involves draining old fluid and adding new fluid; flushing the entire system is much more thorough, and aids in eliminating both contaminants and old fluid
. In an ideal world, fluid would only ever need to
be replaced
. However, there are situations in which the hydraulic system
really
needs to
be flushed
.
In this Shop Talk Blog post, we will discuss the why and how of flushing the hydraulic system on your construction equipment
.
Have you or one of your operators noticed that your final drive motor is vibrating excessively or has become a little too noisy for it to be normal? In this Shop Talk Bog post, you'll learn step by step how to troubleshoot a noisy or vibrating hydraulic motor and what steps you need to take to keep your equipment running.
One of the common questions we get asked is this: why is my final drive spinning backwards? In this Shop Talk Blog post, we'll talk about why final drives spin the wrong direction and some different approaches on how to fix the problem. This information holds regardless of whether it's on an excavator, skid steer loader, or compact track loader.
Hydraulic fluid may seem relatively harmless to work with -- until it is pressurized. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to take a look at why hydraulic fluid under pressure is so dangerous, what happens when you come into contact with it, and what you can do to minimize those dangers when you're on the job.
Note: If you're working with pressurized hydraulic fluid and feel a prick (like electricity) on your skin, please seek medical attention right away.
If you have a Bobcat T180, Bobcat T190, or Bobcat T140 compact track loader, you may eventually need to replace the brake pack. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to talk about what the brake pack is, how it works, signs of wear, and what to expect when it comes time to replace it ... complete with a video from Dr Drive himself!
Is your final drive gear box overheating? Is it hot to the touch, or does it steam when water comes into contact with it? That could be the sign of some serious problems that you need to investigate. In this Shop Talk Blog post, you'll learn step by step how to properly troubleshoot problems with an overheating gear box on your final drive motor.
There can be up to five hydraulic connections to your final drive motor or travel motor, and this is true whether you have a mini-excavator, skid steer loader, or compact track loader. In this Shop Talk Blog post we will discuss each hydraulic port, including how to identify them and what their purposes are.
