As an experienced and expert repair shop for a wide range of hydraulic and pneumatic equipment, we often get asked about fastener grades for various pieces of equipment. At first glance, this may not seem like such an important question, but hydraulic systems are typically used in extremely rugged and harsh environments and hardware failures can be costly in terms of both time and money.
Operators who experience frequent equipment failures, especially for such critical components as bolted pump flanges may be the victim of hardware that’s simply not meeting their specs. For example, some repair shops may be using SAE Grade 5 hardware when they should be using Grade 8. In some cases, this may be a simple case of “ignorance is bliss” and the repair mechanic may not realize there’s a significant difference between the two grades’ performance. With that in mind, let’s take a look at why it’s important to use Grade 8 hardware to meet your specs.
Tracking down hard-to-find hydraulic oil filters is a commonplace occurrence for us. Customers often have over-worked hydraulic systems that are old, worn, dirty and faded. This can present a challenge to anyone trying to replace an old hydraulic oil filter that may or may not be in stock at most filter suppliers, or worse, no longer available through normal supply chains.