How to Diagnose Excavator Hydraulic Pump Failure – The Complete FAQ Guide

 

Excavator hydraulic pump failure is nothing to joke around with as it is a brutal process that will cause you to have a lot of stress and pressure.

 

Hydraulic pumps are vital components in your excavator’s hydraulic system. They play an important role in ensuring that your excavator operates well. Remember, your excavator heavily relies on hydraulic power to run.

 

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Over time, your excavator hydraulic pump will fail – it will develop mechanical issues which may even force you to replace the entire pump instead of simply repairing it. KS XuGong understands how frustrating hydraulic pump failure is, and that’s why we have prepared this guide especially for you.

 

This guide is meant to help you understand the following concepts:

• What a hydraulic pump is and how it should operate when it is healthy
• The symptoms of a faulty excavator hydraulic pump
• How to carry out an extensive diagnosis on your faulty excavator hydraulic pump
• How to maintain an excavator hydraulic pump
• Finally, where you can get high-quality aftermarket excavator hydraulic pumps

 

Keep reading this guide to find out more.

1. What Is An Excavator Hydraulic Pump?

 

An excavator hydraulic pump is a device that your excavator hydraulic system needs to run. The hydraulic pump converts mechanical power into hydraulic power by generating enough hydraulic fluid flow required to run your excavator.

 

 

Excavator hydraulic pumps enable your excavator to move around and work effectively and efficiently. Whenever you hear the term “hydraulic,” you can be sure that it means liquid used to carry out a specific task.

 

Your excavator uses a variable displacement hydraulic pump, which is a bit complex in terms of its functionality as it allows you to adjust it as you wish. That’s why it is always important to have a certified mechanic repair and/or replace your excavator hydraulic pump and its components.

 

2. How Does A Healthy Excavator Hydraulic Pump Work?

 

As you have read earlier in this guide, excavator hydraulic pumps work by converting mechanical power into hydraulic power. They do so by creating a vacuum in their inlet. This vacuum forces hydraulic fluid to rise from the reservoir to the hydraulic pump’s inlet using atmospheric pressure.

 

The pump then drives out hydraulic fluid through its outlet to the hydraulic system, thus, creating a hydraulic fluid flow. It, therefore, means that your excavator hydraulic pump creates the necessary flow of hydraulic fluid necessary to run your excavator’s hydraulic components.

 

3. What Are the Symptoms of A Failing Excavator Hydraulic Pump?

 

Eventually, your new, healthy excavator hydraulic pump will fail or get damaged. Before it completely fails or ceases functioning, the hydraulic pump will display some signs that will notify you that immediate action is required.

 

Here are some of the signs your excavator hydraulic pump shows before completely failing:

 

• Exorbitantly high temperature – your excavator hydraulic system is designed to manage the heat that comes from the system when it works. However, if your excavator hydraulic pump is too hot, there could be an underlying issue in your excavator’s hydraulic system.

 

Consider checking for underlying issues within the hydraulic system that could make the hydraulic pump overheat. Such issues may include debris buildup which forces the system to fail to dissipate heat.

 

• Noisy Hydraulic System – It is normal for mechanical and hydraulic systems to produce some noise. However, some noises are simply not acceptable. The most common noise that faulty excavator hydraulic pumps make is banging and knocking noises.

 

Consider checking for cavitation or aeration within your excavator hydraulic system. These two factors could damage your high-quality aftermarket excavator hydraulic pump.

 

• Your excavator is too slow – Your excavator can be slow because your excavator is facing a hydraulic pump failure. Apart from being weak, your excavator will take too long to complete tasks meaning that it will consume a lot of time.

 

The major reason why your excavator is slow is because of low hydraulic fluid flow. It could mean that there is a serious internal leakage that will eventually damage your hydraulic pump.

 

It is important to check for exterior leaks as well. They will similarly affect the performance of your excavator in a negative way.

 

• Failing Seals – your excavator hydraulic pump seals will also fail after being regularly used. The most frequent factors that make your excavator hydraulic pump seals fail are misaligned or bent rods. Failing seals will leak hydraulic fluid.

 

Now, depending on the degree of damage, you may be forced to replace the entire excavator hydraulic pump.

 

Should you fail to handle these symptoms as soon as possible, you’ll be forced to replace your entire excavator hydraulic pump. Keep following this guide to know how to carry out a full diagnosis of your excavator hydraulic pump and the hydraulic system at large.

 

4. What Happens If My Excavator Hydraulic Pump Fails?

 

Here’s the deal:

 

If your excavator hydraulic pump fails, then you will be unable to operate your excavator in general. The hydraulic system is vital to the excavator. Remember, the hydraulic pump is yet one of the most important components of the hydraulic system.

 

Here’s a clear depiction of how the excavator hydraulic system works:

 

5. How Do I Know If My Excavator Hydraulic Pump is Bad?

 

Excavator hydraulic pump failure can be an intimidating process. You may need to engage your favorite mechanic to help you out with the process. Check out how you can tell if your excavator hydraulic pump is failing:

 

• You’ll begin to notice that your pump’s seals keep failing sooner than expected. They fail because of misaligned rods within the hydraulic pump or even excessive heat within the hydraulic system. If left unattended, you’ll soon start experiencing hydraulic fluid leakage.

 

• Your excavator may also become weak, meaning that it is not receiving the expected amount of hydraulic fluid. Consider checking for internal leakages – frequent reports have indicated internal leakages to be the key problem.

 

• Your excavator hydraulic pump overheats even after doing a simple job. When your hydraulic pump overheats, consider checking if the hydraulic fluid is clean. Also, check for debris buildup – debris buildup blocks the normal flow of excavator hydraulic fluid within the hydraulic system forcing the excavator pump to overwork and subsequently wear out prematurely.

 

• Banging or knocking noises should not be heard within your excavator’s hydraulic pump. These noises signify cavitation or aeration that could cause serious excavator hydraulic pump failure. Consider checking for air leaks within the hydraulic system of your excavator.

 

If your excavator hydraulic pump is not completely damaged, consider replacing the damaged components with new, high-quality aftermarket ones from KS XuGong. Repairing damaged components is cheaper than replacing the entire excavator hydraulic pump.

 

However, if the degree of excavator hydraulic pump failure is too high, the replacement option will be the best for you. It will guarantee you that your new aftermarket excavator hydraulic pump will work without any faults.

 

6. What Are the Components That Fail in A Damaged Excavator Hydraulic Pump?

 

All components generally will eventually get damaged in your excavator hydraulic pump. However, the hydraulic seals are prone to fail sooner than any other component, so you need to look out for changes in the performance of your excavator.

Figure 5 – Damaged Excavator Hydraulic Pump Seals

 

Consider also checking for external links.

 

7. How Can I Properly Troubleshoot Issues in My Excavator Hydraulic Pump?

 

You can troubleshoot issues that arise within your excavator hydraulic pump by keenly listening to your excavator’s hydraulic pump. You’ll also need to observe how your excavator performs compared to how it did when it was new.

 

Here’s how you can troubleshoot issues within your excavator hydraulic pump:

 

First, you can check for leaks. Now, there are two types of leaks – internal and external. External leaks are visible which means spotting them is not hard. However, internal leaks are not easily spotted as they occur inside the excavator’s hydraulic pump.

 

You can identify internal leaks by checking the general performance of your excavator as it works on a construction site or even a quarry. Since internal leaks will make the excavator hydraulic pump supply insufficient hydraulic fluid, your excavator will become weak and slow.

 

The second issue that your excavator hydraulic pump may show is overheating. When your excavator hydraulic pump overheats, consider checking for debris buildup – it could be the root cause of this issue. Consider also checking the quality of your excavator hydraulic fluid.

 

If your hydraulic fluid is of low quality, it will definitely get damaged quickly. Also, check for dirt in the excavator hydraulic fluid. If the hydraulic fluid is dirty, replace it together with the hydraulic filter before you resume operating your excavator.

 

Overheating may also be a sign of another underlying issue within the excavator’s hydraulic system. Consider checking for other anomalies that could make your excavator hydraulic pump and the hydraulic system overheat. Remember, your excavator works systematically, meaning that the performance of one component will affect the output of the next component.

 

Thirdly, be keen when listening to identify knocking or banging noises. These noises notify you of cavitation and/or aeration within your excavator hydraulic system. You’ll need to handle this issue by identifying where your excavator hydraulic system has an air leak.

 

Cavitation and aeration damage the excavator hydraulic system, more so, your excavator hydraulic pump from failure.

8. What Causes Failures in Excavator Hydraulic Pumps?

 

Finding faults in your excavator hydraulic system requires you to keenly inspect it for any problem that it may have. Frequently, excavator hydraulic pump failures are accelerated by underlying issues that you are going to find out right now. These issues will eventually make your excavator hydraulic pump cease functioning.

 

Check them out:

 

• Excavator Hydraulic Fluid Contamination– this factor accounts for 90% of all the excavator hydraulic pump failures. Contaminated fluid means that it has dirt and buildup which may block the pathways of your excavator hydraulic fluid, forcing your excavator hydraulic pump to overwork and subsequently wear out prematurely.

 

Apart from debris, your excavator hydraulic pump’s mechanical components will wear out quickly because there is insufficient lubrication. Insufficient lubrication will then cause your excavator hydraulic pump to overheat, damaging its seals and causing both internal and external leaks.

 

• Type of hydraulic fluid being used– The type of hydraulic fluid your excavator hydraulic system uses has a significant impact on the performance as well as the service life of your excavator hydraulic pump.

 

The type of hydraulic fluid for your excavator should be neither too high nor too low – it needs to have the correct viscosity. If the viscosity is too high, there will be cavitation within your excavator hydraulic pump.

 

If the excavator hydraulic fluid becomes too thin, your excavator hydraulic pump’s mechanical components will be insufficiently lubricated, subjecting them to a lot of stress and heat as friction generates a lot of heat.

 

• When you over pressurize your excavator’s hydraulic system by carrying excessively heavy loads more than what they can bear, you’ll be damaging the hydraulic pump. If you continually practice overpressurizing your excavator hydraulic system, your excavator hydraulic pump will wear out prematurely.

 

• Cavitation and Aeration– They both involve the presence of air within your excavator hydraulic system. They cause excavator hydraulic pump failure. You can listen to whining noises within your excavator hydraulic pump.

 

Aeration on the other hand causes your excavator hydraulic pump to produce knocking and banging noises, It could also cause excavator hydraulic pump failure.

 

9. Why Does My Excavator Hydraulic Pump Leak Fluid?

 

The most frequent reason why your excavator hydraulic pump leaks fluid is because of damaged seals. Seals help prevent hydraulic fluid leaks, as well as help the hydraulic pump achieve optimal pressure when working.

 

Also, if your excavator hydraulic fluid is too thin, it will leak outside the excavator hydraulic pump. You shouldn’t also use extremely heavy oil on your excavator hydraulic pump, as it can cause cavitation which subsequently causes hydraulic pump failure.

 

Here’s the deal:

 

There may be other reasons why your excavator hydraulic pump leaks hydraulic fluid. It would be best if you’d check it out with your favorite mechanic to help you handle such issues.

 

Reach out to us today in case you have experienced any anomaly in your excavator hydraulic pump and you are in doubt of what action to take next. Our skilled and experienced service reps are always available (24/7/365) to help you out with your query.

10. How Should I Rebuild My Excavator Hydraulic Pump?

 

Rebuilding an excavator hydraulic pump requires you to disassemble the damaged pump and replace the damaged components with new, aftermarket ones. Disassembly is important because it helps you identify the cause of damage which led to your excavator hydraulic pump failure.

 

The difference between rebuilding and repairing is that when you rebuild an excavator hydraulic pump, it has to undergo testing. Testing helps in finding out whether the rebuild is a success or if something went wrong during the rebuild that could affect the performance of the hydraulic pump.

 

We strongly recommend that all excavator hydraulic pumps that need to be rebuilt be done by a certified hydraulic system expert. You can even contact your excavator’s brand to get hold of a mechanic sent by the brand.

 

The reason why it is important to do so is that rebuilding has to pass all the tests – hydraulic fluid flow, optimum hydraulic pressure as well as zero hydraulic fluid leaks. The rebuilt excavator hydraulic pump must have the recommended engineering specifications outlined by your excavator brand manufacturer.

11. Why Is My Excavator Hydraulic Pump Too Hot?

 

Heat is normal when using your excavator. However, the excavator hydraulic system should not overheat, as it could cause serious hydraulic pump failure.

 

Whenever your excavator hydraulic pump is too hot, consider checking if the hydraulic fluid is dirty. Dirty hydraulic fluid brings about buildup within the hydraulic system pathways which then blocks or interrupts the normal fluid flow, forcing your hydraulic pump to overwork and subsequently overheat.

 

We recommend using the correct type and amount of hydraulic fluid, as low-quality hydraulic fluid will also overheat and cause excavator hydraulic pump failure.

 

Apart from that, consider checking if your excavator has sufficient hydraulic fluid. Insufficient hydraulic fluid means that the mechanical parts of an excavator’s pump will run without adequate lubrication causing friction due to metal-to-metal contact.

 

Friction will then generate a lot of heat. Consider checking your excavator hydraulic fluid reservoir, and hydraulic fluid filter as they could be the root cause of insufficient hydraulic fluid within your excavator’s hydraulic system.

 

Consider also checking if your excavator hydraulic fluid cooler is still functional. It could be damaged, therefore making your hydraulic fluid become too hot and subsequently overheating your hydraulic pump.

 

Cavitation and aeration could be yet another reason why your excavator hydraulic pump gets too hot. Both cavitation and aeration involve the presence of air inside the hydraulic system. When air is compressed, it naturally becomes hot, and that’s why your excavator hydraulic pump is overheating.

 

Be keen to listen to banging or knocking noises within your excavator hydraulic pump. These noises signify the presence of air within the excavator hydraulic system – cavitation and aeration. To prevent hydraulic pump failure from these two causes, consider checking for any air leaks within the hydraulic system.

 

Normal wear could also be another factor that causes your excavator hydraulic fluid to overheat. Consider replacing the entire excavator hydraulic pump if it is excessively worn out.

 

Do not overload your excavator hydraulic system. Carry the recommended maximum load capacity as overloading damages your excavator hydraulic pump by forcing it to overwork.

 

Also, do not modify your excavator hydraulic pump beyond what the manufacturer terms as acceptable. It can cause an imbalance to the excavator hydraulic system which then makes your excavator hydraulic pump overheat.

 

Here’s the deal:

 

In whatever you do, do not let your excavator hydraulic pump cook, as it could damage the inner components, leading to hydraulic pump failure. It will further cost you more money and a significant amount of time dedicated to repairing your excavator pump, if not replacing it.

 

Be on the lookout for poor maintenance, crappy hydraulic pump modifications, and imbalances in the excavator hydraulic system.

12. Why Does My Excavator Hydraulic Pump Fail to Build Pressure?

 

There are two main reasons why your excavator hydraulic pump fails to build enough pressure necessary for running your excavator. Check them out:

 

• Insufficient Hydraulic Fluid– When your excavator’s hydraulic system does not have the required amount of hydraulic fluid in its system, the hydraulic pump will be unable to generate enough hydraulic pressure.

 

External leaks could bring about this issue. You can top off the hydraulic fluid to the recommended amount specified in your specific excavator’s service manual.

 

Check out for contamination in the excavator’s hydraulic fluid – it can cause buildup in the excavator hydraulic system pathways causing blockages. These blockages then cause an insufficient supply of hydraulic fluid.

 

• Internal Leaks– When your excavator hydraulic system has internal leaks, the excavator hydraulic system is unable to pump the recommended amount of hydraulic fluid. Internal leaks make the hydraulic pump fail to build enough pressure.

 

We, therefore, recommend checking for any internal leaks – if left unattended, it could result in serious hydraulic pump failure.

 

 

13. How Can I Lengthen the Service Life of My Excavator Hydraulic Pump?

 

Lengthening the service life of your excavator hydraulic pump is important, as it will help you avoid downtimes that make your excavator unproductive. Here’s how you can lengthen your excavator hydraulic pump’s service life:

 

• Ensure that your excavator has the correct amount and type of hydraulic fluid. The type of hydraulic fluid your excavator uses has a great influence on how long your excavator hydraulic pump is going to last until it finally fails.
• Use the correct type of aftermarket spare parts for any damaged components such as seals, hydraulic fluid filters, etc.
• Do not modify or upgrade your excavator hydraulic pump in a way that causes your excavator hydraulic system to become imbalanced.
• Ensure that your excavator’s hydraulic pump motor’s wiring is correctly done.
• All repairs and replacements must be done by a certified expert. The expert will go the extra mile of notifying you of other existing issues within your excavator that need to be addressed urgently.
• Ensure you properly maintain your excavator hydraulic pump – visually inspect it as well as the hydraulic system to check for any anomalies. Listen to any abnormal noises that may come from the excavator hydraulic pump.
• Ensure that the excavator hydraulic pump, as well as the hydraulic system, is clean. A clean system will enable you to quickly spot an external leakage and handle it accordingly.

 

14. Where Can I Get the Best Aftermarket Excavator Hydraulic Pumps?

 

KS XuGong is the only leading one-stop shop that offers the best excavator aftermarket parts across the globe. We have been in business for the past 11 years now, and we understand exactly what you need.

 

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In our many years of doing business, we’ve managed to manufacture all excavator aftermarket parts for leading excavator brands in the market today. We manufacture all excavator aftermarket parts, including hydraulic pumps and their components in-house under stringent OEM measures.

 

Doing so helps us maintain our high-quality standard for the production of aftermarket parts. The best part about using our aftermarket parts is that they are completely interchangeable with the original ones.

We can guarantee you that your ordered excavator aftermarket hydraulic pumps and their components will reach your desired destination on time, without any physical damages. Since the inception of our company, we’ve managed to establish a close working relationship with the world’s leading logistics companies.

 

These companies help us transport your ordered parts easily, regardless of the size of the load.

 

Apart from that, we also sell our aftermarket hydraulic pumps at pocket-friendly prices. You’ll first need to reach out to us with your requirements (excavator type and brand) as well as your estimated budget.

 

We’ll then respond with a free quote that attempts to meet these two parameters. Once we get into an agreement, we’ll require you to clear your balance so that we can send the hydraulic pump its components to your desired destination.

 

We are flexible in terms of payment platforms. You can pay us through Alipay, Paypal, Western Union, T.T, and L/C.

 

Reach out to us right now for detailed information on our manufacturing process as well as our pricing for specific excavator hydraulic pumps and their components.

 

Doing so will prevent premature excavator hydraulic pump failure.