Is my pump going/shot?

[logman81]

Ok over the last four months I've noticed the hydraulics getting slower and less powerful in my gafner skidder. It is full of oil and their is no filter in the system so it's not a clogged filter. Both the blade and steering are getting very slow I have to really rev up the engine to make it do anything. Could my pump be gone?

[jocco]

Plugged screen or pick up???

[logman81]

I don't think so

[sandsawmill14]

could be a relief valve bypassing but most likely the pump i have had one relief valve stick open but i have had several pumps go bad may just be my luck though :

[beenthere]

Why no filter?
Maybe some debris that would have been caught by the filter has caused a problem in the pump?

[logman81]

No sure why, can't see a filter in the suction or the pressure lines. The tank is part of the transmission and share the same oil.

[sandsawmill14]

it probably has a permanent filter/metal screen inside the housing somewhere

[deastman]

I would try to find a place somewhere in the hydraulic system to tap into with a pressure guage to see what you have for pump pressure.

[logman81]

That's what I'm going to do, buy a pressure gauge and T into the line coming from the pump.

[snowstorm]

the best way to test a pump is with a load flow meter. you can load the pump while seeing the gpm psi and temp. on a worn pump as the load goes up so dose the temp and the gpm goes down. the oil slipes between the gears an the housing that makes heat and on and on until you replace

[Holmes]

  My old Zetor tractor would do that. It had a magnetic screen filter attached to a drain type plug, with a built in shutoff. The screen would get plugged with metal filings and slow down the hydraulics almost to  not working at all.

[madmari]

I had a pump go on my old International S7. You'll know it if it's just the pump. Got pretty noisy, slowed a little, but not a lot. More apt to think it's flow restriction.
  The C4 Tree Farmer has no filter either. I had a shaft to the pump that was worn and that little bit of wear slowed the hydraulics noticeably. New, tight shaft and Wow! fast hydraulics again.
  Good luck.

[logman81]

I don't think I have play in the shaft splines and I don't hear any pump wine.

[madmari]

Another problem I had was a plugged breather cap on the hydraulic tank. That little issue was an easy fix and stopped the noise I was getting.

[Corley5]

Tighten the spring in relief valve until you can hear the pump loading the engine.  Then back it off a bit  ;)  See if that makes a difference.  Sometimes you can get some more life out of a worn out pump.  Plumb a filter in after you get the problem solved.

[logman81]

We're would I look for the relief valve be I only see a valve bank?

[Corley5]

If there's not one between the pump and the valve bank it's part of the valve bank.  Does the oil on your machine go to the steering valve before it goes to the blade valve?  I think on my Mule the relief was part of the steering valve :-\ and then the oil went to the loader valves.  My C4 Forwarder's is mounted on the firewall and then oil goes to the blade/steering bank and the loader.

[Corley5]

If you do tighten up the relief remember to reset it if you replace the pump  ;)

[logman81]

Thanks ill look closer tomorrow,  I do believe that the relief valve you spec of is integrated into the control bank. I feel it's either that or the pump is just about dead. If it is the pump I'll have to find a replacement.

[Corley5]

Surplus Center for a replacement.  That's where I've gotten them for the Iron Mule and Tree Farmer.  It's more than likely your pump is worn.  Tightening up the relief may keep you producing while you source a new pump.

[sandsawmill14]

tightening the relief valve will not help if the pump is worn out as the pump is already not  building enough pressure to open the relief valve

[logman81]

Corley do you know what the flow requirements should be for the pump?

[Corley5]

Worked on my Tree Farmer for a while    That's what the owner of the hydraulic shop told me to try until my new pump came in.  Worked better for a few days but wasn't a cure    That pump was toast.  It was a Cessna and the gears wore into the housing beyond the plates.  That's what happens when an operator can't operate a dipstick and adds oil when it quits working  >:(

[Corley5]

  I have no idea what they'd be for that machine.  Surplus Center has a calculator to determine what your current pump's specs are.
  Tightening up the relief won't hurt if it doesn't help  ;) ;D 

[sandsawmill14]

something else to think about is a blown cylinder. i had that happen on my backhoe and the pieces of the seal went through the system was a real pain to figure out >:( had a piece of it stuck in a valve