Are You Looking For a Quality Excavator Drive Motor?

The Excavator drive motor is one of the vital components of the excavator. Mainly used as a power source of the hydraulic system. A quality excavator drive motor is required for a long service function of an excavator.

At Xugong KS we make sure that all these drive motors are made of high-strength materials through a high-tech manufacturing process. The integrated monitoring process of speed, pressure, displacement, etc. We make sure that the rated pressure is at a high bar and will reach its maximum volumetric efficiency.

Parts numbers are always needed when you order an excavator drive. As we made excavator drive motor 100% according to OEM Part no to avoid any mistakes when fitting on the excavator.

Get the best excavator drive motor now at Xugong KS, we are happy to serve you!

Excavator Drive Motor – The Complete FAQ Guide

Excavator drive motors are vital components that your excavator must have for it to function. If by chance your excavator drive motor gets damaged, your entire excavator will not work as optimally as it should.

Today, there are many excavator drive motor manufacturers and suppliers in the market. However, it is not a guarantee that all these manufacturers and suppliers will provide you with the right information that you probably need to take care of your drive motor.

In this guide today, you are going to learn:

• What an excavator drive motor is and how it works
• How to care for your excavator drive motor
• Where to get high-quality aftermarket OEM excavator drive motor parts

Keep reading this guide to find out more.

1.  What Is An Excavator Drive Motor?

An excavator drive motor is a device that provides your excavator with torque. This torque is used to turn the excavator’s tracks to move the excavator.

2.  What Are The Components of An Excavator Drive Motor?

Your excavator drive motor is made up of two primary components:

• The planetary gear hub

• The hydraulic motor

3.  How Does An Excavator Drive Motor Function?

Your excavator works like a system – different components work together to achieve a certain objective. As such, when the excavator’s engine ignites, it pumps oil under high pressure to the excavator’s main pump.

When the main pump receives pressurized oil, it sends the oil to the hydraulic motor, which then actuates the planetary gear hub. The planetary gear hub then produces torque which is used to turn the excavator’s sprockets which in turn move the excavator’s tracks.

If all these components function as they should, you will have an easy time operating your excavator. Now, for them to continually function correctly, you’ll need to take care of them by maintaining them regularly.

Keep on reading this guide, as it has top tips to help you maintain your excavator drive motor.

4.  How Can I Select The Best Excavator Drive Motor Between An Electric Drive Or A Hydraulic Drive?

With the advancement of technology today, your excavator can either run on an electric or hydraulic drive motor. The best way to decide on which drive motor to use is by comparing the merits and the demerits of each.

It is true that:

Hydraulic drive motors are way more common than electric drive motors. Why?

It is simply because hydraulic drive motors can function in places where electric drive motors cannot. Electric drive motors are sensitive to seawater, dust, dirt, etc.

On top of that, if a load stalls your electric drive motor, it can easily get damaged. Hydraulic motors cannot get damaged if they stop under excessive loads. Also, the bigger the electric drive motor, the more the torque produced – making the large size impractical.

Since electric drive motors are not popular, they are cheaper than hydraulic drive motors. However, considering the demerits they bear, it would be best to have an excavator that uses a hydraulic drive motor.

5.  What Is The Difference Between An Excavator Drive Motor And An Excavator Travel Motor?

An excavator travel motor is simply a hydraulic motor that is powered by the hydraulic pump. On the other hand, the excavator drive motor is the combination of the travel motor and the planetary gear hub.

Check this out:

The planetary gear hub is powered by the hydraulic motor (travel motor) so that it can produce torque necessary to move the excavator’s sprockets which then move the excavator tracks. This process enables you to move your excavator in any direction that you desire.

6.  Why Does My Excavator Have A Weak Drive Motor?

Your excavator could be weak because it has a weak drive motor. Here are some top reasons why your excavator’s drive motor is weak:

The first reason is that your drive case drain filter is clogged. When your case drain filter is clogged, the drive motor will have a lot of stress and pressure. This stress and pressure can cause your drive motor’s cover plate to crack.

In some severe cases, the entire drive motor could get damaged. To resolve these issues, please check your drive motor’s case drain filter and clean it. If the filter is damaged, you can replace it with a new one from KS.

The second reason why you could have a weak drive motor is your excavator tracks. If your tracks are overly tight, they will generate a lot of friction, which harms how your drive motor functions.

The tightness of your tracks affects how well your drive motor performs. If the tracks are not too tight and the case drain filter is okay, consider checking the health status of the track, track idlers, and track rollers.

The final reason why your drive motor is weak is that there is another underlying issue within the excavator’s hydraulic system. A perfect example is an insufficient oil in the hydraulic oil tank. Low oil level means that there will be an insufficient generation of pressure which in turn affects how your drive motor responds to movement.

Also, a leaking swivel joint will harm how your excavator drive motor performs. Consider also checking your excavator’s speed control. If the excavator is in high-speed mode, then it will not produce a lot of torque necessary for moving heavy loads.

It may make you feel as if your excavator is weak.

If you are in doubt about what to do, please reach out to us. We’ll be happy to hear from you and help you out with your issue.

7.  What Are The Common Excavator Drive Motor Problems?

KS has been manufacturing, repairing, and supplying different excavator parts for over 10 years now. In the course of our business, we’ve managed to come up with frequent excavator drive motor issues that many people complain about.

Check them out:

• Noise and Vibration – Your excavator drive motor works silently without any noise or vibration. The most frequent reason why your excavator drive motor could be noisy and vibrate is because of insufficient or contaminated gear oil.

It could also be due to worn-out bearings, or a loose sprocket. The drive motor could also be completely worn out and requires full replacement. Eventually, your excavator drive motor will wear out due to normal wear caused when your excavator works.

• Overheating Drive Motor – You may also find out that your excavator drive motor overheats. Overheating is usually caused by insufficient gear oil because the mechanical components of your excavator’s drive motor are not properly lubricated.

Another reason why your drive motor overheats is that your hydraulic fluid is hot. This is a common issue with hydraulic systems. However, the hydraulic fluid should not be hotter than 170 °F.

If the temperature goes beyond this, consider checking your excavator hydraulic system, especially the hydraulic cooler.

• Poor gear oil quality and quantity – if the quality of your gear oil is not good, the excavator drive pump will automatically overheat. When the quantity is not ideal, it’ll also overheat. Apart from causing friction, low gear oil levels also blow the main seal.

When the gear oil level is more than the recommended amount, it causes your case drain filter to clog. A clogged case drain filter causes your drive motor to have a lot of stress and pressure and it might end up cracking the drive motor’s cover plate.

When the drive motor’s cover plate cracks, you should prepare yourself to buy a new excavator drive motor. A cracked cover plate is a sure sign that your drive motor is totaled due to the entry of contaminants into the internal components of the drive motor.

Contaminants that damage your excavator drive motor include water, dirt, sand, etc.

8.  How Can I Know If My Excavator Drive Motor Is Damaged?

The best way to find out if your excavator drive motor is damaged is to have an expert check it out for you. There are times that your excavator may behave abnormally, for example, overheating. However, the problem may not necessarily be within the drive motor.

There could be other underlying issues that affect the performance of your excavator drive motor.

Here’s the deal:

Have your local certified excavator expert check it out for you. The expert will help you know where the problem is, as well as understand other operational aspects of the drive motor such as which gear oil to use, when to service your excavator, etc.

9.  How Can I Repair My Excavator Drive Motor?

Repairing your excavator drive motor requires you to understand fully which part of the excavator is damaged. You can then order aftermarket parts for your drive motor so that you can replace the damaged ones and get your excavator back in business.

It is vital to note that there are many excavator parts manufacturers and suppliers in the market today. As such, the probability of acquiring low-quality aftermarket parts is high. These parts will break down prematurely, and sometimes, they may end up totaling your drive motor.

You certainly wouldn’t like that to happen to you. That is why we are here. KS is a leading excavator parts manufacturer and supplier globally. We manufacture our parts from high-quality virgin material.

All our parts are manufactured in-house. It helps us ensure high-quality production of parts under strict OEM manufacturing standards. We have over 10,000 excavator drive parts in stock, and we are ready to ship whenever you place an order.

We do not have a minimum order quantity (MOQ). You can choose to order single parts or in bulk. Bulk orders are usually cheaper in the long run.

We’ll ship them over to your desired destination, because we have managed to establish a cordial working relationship with top logistics companies like DHL, FedEx, TNT, etc.

Here’s the best part of it all:

All your ordered parts are covered by a 90-day warranty cover. Contact us right now to place your order. We’ll respond as soon as possible with an actual solution that favors both your requirements and your budget.

10. How Can I Replace My Excavator Drive Motor?

To replace a damaged excavator drive motor, you’ll first have to remove it from the excavator.

Here’s how:

• First, you’ll need to set the excavator on flat ground, remove the tracks and the sprockets. It would be best if you’d loosen the sprocket bolts first before removing the drive motor.
• Secondly, remove the track motor cover plate from inside the undercarriage frame.
• Thirdly, sling the final drive and take the weight. Remember, final drives are heavy, and it would be best if you’d take a lot of caution to avoid physical injury.
• Mark the hydraulic hoses using the method that suits you most. You can opt to mark with different colors to distinguish which hose goes where.
• You can then remove the hoses and cap them to avoid entry of contaminants such as dirt, mud, sand, water, etc.
• Remove the bolts that secure the final drive from inside the track frame.
• Swing out the final drive while taking a lot of caution.

Once the old final drive is out, you can then fit the new one. You’ll use the reverse method of the removal process to install the new one. Please pay attention to the hydraulic hoses as they’ll affect the direction in which the drive motor will spin.

If by mistake you interchange them, the excavator drive motor will work in reverse. When you want the excavator to move forward, it’ll reverse and vice versa.

11. How Can I Disassemble My Excavator Drive Motor for Repairs?

Repairing your excavator requires a certified expert to help you out.

Now, before disassembling your excavator drive motor, you’ll need to remove it from the excavator. You should follow the process highlighted earlier in this guide.

Before you begin disassembling your final drive, clean it thoroughly. The cleaning process includes removing hardened debris, scaling, filth, rust, mud, sand, concrete dust, etc. It reduces the probability of introducing harmful contamination into the interior of your drive motor.

After that, you can proceed to remove the cover plate. That can be challenging, especially with KYB / Kayaba drive motors. You might need some cheater bars and other non-standard tools to get your drive motor open.

There is a great chance you’ll need an arbor press to separate the hubs.

After you’ve removed the cover plate, pay close attention to the order in which you remove the inner components. You might want to take pictures regularly for future reference. Taking pictures will help streamline the reassembly procedure.

You can even choose to make some marks to remind yourself how different components are aligned with one another.

Now, upon opening the drive motor, there are parts that you’ll have to replace and others that may need replacing. For example, you will have to replace the drive motor’s seals. Seals are not reusable.

You’ll also have to replace the drive motor’s bearings. Failure to follow this process will cause your drive motor to leak and eventually damage it completely.

Seals and bearings need to be replaced regularly. They are replaced more than any other component in the drive motor.

Some parts may need to be replaced. You may need to replace the drive motor’s main bearings, gear bearings, draft shaft, and couplers. You may also find parts that are a bit worn out but they can still function.

You can replace such types of parts later on as you will be servicing your drive motor.

You’ll then rebuild (assemble) your final drive by reversing the disassembly process. Remember to use those photos you took, they’ll help you a great deal.

12. Why Does My Excavator Drive Motor Leak?

You first need to understand that there are only two types of leakages when it comes to excavator drive motor leaks. You can have either hydraulic fluid leaks or gear oil leaks.

You’ll first need to understand which type of leak you are having. You can distinguish the two as gear oil leaks occur on the planetary gear hub side of the drive motor. Hydraulic leaks occur on the hydraulic motor side of the drive motor.

Hydraulic leaks indicate that there is an issue with your hydraulic hoses, or there could be a fatal problem with your hydraulic side of the drive motor. You’ll find out that common problems such as a clogged case drain filter will cause internal leaks and make your drive motor blow due to stress from excessive pressure.

Another reason could be because of failing seals. You’ll need to have this issue fixed as soon as possible before your excavator drive motor gets completely damaged because of the entry of contaminants.

Leaks on the planetary side of the drive motor indicate leakage of gear oil. You can detect this leakage by checking for dripping fluid on your excavator’s tracks or behind the sprockets. Topping off gear oil only solves the problem temporarily, if there is leakage.

You may also detect this problem when you hear grinding noises coming from your drive motor. Your drive motor may also lock-up after producing these noises.

You’ll need to solve this problem by replacing the mechanical face seal as it is responsible for preventing gear oil leaks. It’ll help prevent this leakage, as well as the entry of contaminants to the gear system.

If your drive motor is leaking, kindly contact us with immediate effect. We will advise you on what to do and which parts to replace. The sooner you handle this leakage, the better for you as you will have minimal repairs.

Should you neglect this leak, you’ll face lots of problems – one of them being replacing your entire drive motor which is quite expensive.

13. How Can I Maintain My Excavator Drive Motor?

You can maintain your excavator drive motor by regularly checking on it for leaks or other anomalies.

It would also be best if you had a records book that shows you how many hours your excavator was working and the magnitude of the tasks. This procedure will help you determine when to replace seals and bearings as well as change the gear oil and hydraulic fluid.

Also, replacing damaged parts with high-quality OEM aftermarket parts from KS will go a long way to ensure that your drive motor serves you for a long time.