PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-700

PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly

ISSUE 700

MARCH 2011
PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-700 - Page 28 of 33
53
PS 700
MAR 11
Does It Read Low?
The operator’s manual tells you
to eyeball the hydraulic oil level
before startup. Do that and the oil
level can read too low. It’ll also read
low if the cylinders are extended.
Oil expands as it warms. That
means the oil in cylinders won’t
register on the hydraulic tank’s
sight indicator gauge. Overflling
the oil tank just builds pressure that
blows seals.
Play it safe. Make sure the
excavator is in the parked position,
with all cylinders retracted. Then,
let it warm up a few minutes. The
oil level should then be between the
ADD and FULL marks.
Shut down the excavator before
adding any hydraulic oil.
Sneaky Oil Leak
An oil leak from the sight indicator gauge
usually
means
one
thing—the
gauge’s
mounting screws were overtightened.
Too much muscle on those screws will
crush the rubber gasket behind the sight
indicator. Then oil seeps past the gasket and
runs down the side of the tank.
Suspect an oil leak? Touch the tank near
the bottom of the gauge. If you feel oil it
means the gasket is shot.
So easy does it. Tighten the screws so
they’re
only
snug. Replace just the gasket
with
NSN
or
the
complete sight indicator assembly with NSN
6680-01-144-8984. The gasket is part of the
sight indicator assemblies shown as Item 22
in Figure 317 and Item 25 in Figure 318 of
TM 5-2420-224-24P.
Hydraulic Tank
Info
SEE…
Hydraulic Tank
Info
be in the
know when it
comes to the
excavator’s
hydraulic oil
flow.
read
on.
..
Fluid level
between
ADD and
FULL?
Oil
seeping
past
gasket?
hey,
what’s the
problem?
it’s my
hydraulics!
they won’t
budge!!
if you had done
proper
pm
on
them, there
wouldn’t be a
problem with
their oil flow!
700.52-53.indd
1-2
1/24/11
1:15 PM
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