How long should Hydraulic seals last? Bradco a fail?

[wdchyd]

Two factors for premature seal failure is poor fit or poor finish. Poor finish could be obvious damage on the rod or rust/machine marks in the gland/piston under the seal groove. And poor fit could be too much tolerance between metal parts (sloppy housing) or grooves not machined to proper specs. This all is assuming proper seals and installation/lubrication techniques are followed during a rebuild.

I rebuild cylinders everyday, large and small, most problems we see from premature seal failure is from customers just stuffing seals in grooves and calling it good without spin polishing, inspecting, measuring, cleaning and lubing parts before the seals go in.

If parts are loose tighten them up and give a good polish.

 

[rScotty]

Thanks for all the responses it verifies what I was looking for - what is normal wear life for a seal.

To clarify - my rods are absolutely clean and shiny, however it is the seal at the rod end that is leaking. By leaking I mean significantly - not a drip here and there but a flow that demanded the backhoe be removed immediately for fear of draining the system.

While the seals aren't expensive, but I have been around $200 a shot for the local hydraulic shop to replace them.

So if it is not unusual for valves to go 6000 hours, thats more than 10X over what I am seeing. I would lean toward the prior @brokentrack comment that they are probably crap cylinders/seals that bradco is using.

The prior issue of the boom dropping is likely a control valve issue, that cylinder has shown no signs of issue from a leaking perspective. I am going to take it in to the shop and have that looked at when I feel like dealing with that PITA.

Sam

I sure understand the frustration, a part of it was that machinery designers were caught off guard several times in the last 20 years. Not just Bradco. Basically the designers here were so used to getting good subassemblies and parts all built to US & European standards that we had gotten complacent. That is particularly true of the really basic things like nuts & bolts, seals, springs, lubes, and even alloys - especially stainless. It just didn't occur to designers & parts buyers that there were now a lot of new international suppliers who would take advantage of the fact that we were assuming that things were as good as they used to be without testing to see if that were true.

In hindsight, we had gotten too used to there being an implied quality of basic manufactured components that we didn't check. The assumption was that quality was standard & cost was everything. Everyone in the industry got bit by that for awhile. Most are wiser now.

It sounds like the problem in your cylinders is basically poor quality seals. The good news is you can still buy good seals. With luck, the tubes and rods are OK. If it were me I'd replace all the seals in all the cylinders - seals tend to be standard dimension parts - check McMaster Carr and any seal handbook. Good seals should then last a lifetime.
Good luck, rScotty

Just be glad it's a tractor implement and not a rocket ship.

 

[David_Kb7uns]

Not sure if this helps, but have a Bradco 408N subframe mounted backhoe got it in 2005 it was used, came off a Bobcat skidsteer have no idea how many hours on hoe before I got it.

Mounted on a new Kubota GL3130 cannot begin to estimate hours, but tractor is at 998 right now and maybe use it a quarter of the time so maybe 200-300 hour range. If I do not lock the main boom up it would take several days to settle down. When I first got the hoe the stabilizers would drift down over a few weeks but have very little leak down on anything now, blew one hose on the dipper cylinder so replaced both on that cylinder. Changed hydraulic fluid and filter at 50 hours and 450 hours and getting ready again at 1000. Trying to think what would make the seals fail early, fluid, contamination, filter quality? Have been told by many people that the Bradco products are near the top, have forks and grapples from them also with no problems

As far as seals a lot of guys around here go to Christopher Seals in Eugene, Oregon, they do not have a web site but are in the phone directory and say they can get many seal sizes.

David

 

[goeduck]

How long should hydraulic seals last?

I have a bradco 3265 3-point backhoe. Had it about 7-8 years, probably less than 300 hours with it actually mounted. Relatively light use, a couple of long trenches, planting some trees etc.

I just had the 3rd cylinder rebuilt, and the fourth is on its way... for the stabilizer leg no less which should be pretty low wear.
.

I have a 19year old Bradco backhoe attachment that has zero leaks.