How to Fix Air Bleeding in Excavator Hydraulic Pumps

United Tractors, Jakarta – Performing regular maintenance on heavy equipment every month or according to a predetermined schedule is the best step to keep an excavator in excellent condition. An excavators is a type of heavy equipment that uses a hydraulic system to move the boom, arm, and bucket. The operation of an excavator depends much on its hydraulics, so this component has to be maintained in good condition.

Using high-pressure fluids or liquids, the hydraulic system on an excavator moves the cylinder and motor, which will eventually generate power and movement, enabling the excavator to perform its main functions, such as digging, lifting, and moving heavy materials.

There are several ways to keep the hydraulic system of heavy equipment like excavators functioning properly; one of these is to bleed air from the hydraulic pump. Air in the hydraulic system should be avoided, as it can cause lots of problems. To address this, air bleeding must be done.

Before we talk about what air bleeding is and how to do it on an excavator, let’s talk about the impact when air gets trapped in the hydraulic pump.

Impact of Trapped Air in Excavator Hydraulic Systems
What will happen if the bleeding process doesn’t get rid of the air that got stuck inside the excavator and was left there for too long? Here are some of the consequences of skipping the bleeding procedure:

1. Decreased Excavator’s Performance

The hydraulic system is an important part of the excavator that affects the overall performance of the equipment. If air enters the hydraulic system, the work efficiency of the excavator may be lowered since the air slows down bucket and boom movements. Actually, the air trapped in the hydraulic pump can also lower the excavator’s lifting capability.

2. Damage to Components

Air trapped in the excavator’s hydraulic pump can also cause oxidation and corrosion in parts of the hydraulic system. If this happens, the excavator’s service life will be shortened, which will result in higher repair costs because the excavator must be serviced.

3. Can Impact Excavator Safety

Because air causes the hydraulic system to respond to pressure more slowly, the boom, arm, or bucket moves uncontrollably. It’s possible for this to raise the risk of accidents at work, especially on construction sites where space is limited.

Air bleeding for hydraulic pumps for an excavator
Air trapped inside a hydraulic pump is as dangerous as excavator oil leaks. Finally, it causes damage to the excavator, which is the most avoidable consequence because of the many expenses that must be faced.

One of the best ways to solve hydraulic pump air problems is through methods of air bleeding. Bleeding is the process whereby certain steps release air trapped inside the hydraulic system of an excavator. This bleeding process ensures only fluid in the hydraulic system and no air at all, so that the hydraulic pressure and movement become smoother and more effective.

Basically, bleeding the air out of an excavator is a good way to maintain heavy machinery, especially those with hydraulic systems, because air stuck in a hydraulic pump will make the tool work less efficiently overall.

Bleeding air also has a lot of benefits, such as making power transmission more efficient so that hydraulic movements are faster and more responsive, lowering vibrations and noise caused by trapped air bubbles, stopping cavitation, which can damage parts, and making control and precision better.

As part of the excavator service series, bleeding is a preventative maintenance task that needs to be carried out regularly to keep the hydraulic system from accumulating more air. If your excavator is not checked on regularly, it is most probable that it will sustain various types of damage.

There are signs that the hydraulic system needs to be checked on the excavator, such as the boom, arm, or bucket moving slowly. Trapped air might be the reason the less responsive movement happens. You must take steps to service the excavator heavy equipment, such as air bleeding. But how to do it? Here are all the steps for bleeding the air in the hydraulic system of an excavator.

1. Prepare all the things you’ll need to start the bleeding process, such as keys, fluid containers, and clean cloths. Make sure the engine is off and all the gears are in neutral as well.
2. Find the hydraulic system’s bleeding point. Here is where you will begin the bleeding process. Usually, this bleeding point finds a place on the hydraulic pump.
3. After finding the point, release the bleeder nipple on the hydraulic pump to start the process of trapped air removal.
4. The air has been effectively removed, and the most likely leak is if oil is leaking from the loosened nipple.
5. If no oil comes out when the nipple is opened, you can open the drain hose from the hydraulic pump case to add oil, preventing air from entering.
6. If it’s filled and there’s no more trapped air, tighten the air drain plug and replace the drain hose.
7. After that, you can use a cloth to wash the bleeder nipple and the fluid or oil expelled from the pump. Before running the hydraulic system, please run the excavator engine at low speed for ten minutes to test its smoothness after the air has been eliminated.

It is easy to apply air bleeding to an excavator! But if you’re not sure about doing it yourself, you can get help from a professional to solve this problem.

When you buy a Komatsu excavator at United Tractors, we have experts on hand to do air bleeding and other services for this type of heavy equipment. As a reputable distributor of Indonesian excavators, UT always gives customer satisfaction top priority by offering product services, including UTGPS, sometimes known as outstanding after-sales treatment.

This service offers consumers the best experience with heavy equipment maintenance; it also includes the availability of qualified mechanics and technicians. Actually, UT also offers heavy equipment spare part delivery online and trains operators and mechanics for business partners. United Tractors provides excellent after-sales service, so you don’t have to worry about doing air bleeding yourself; you can contact our technicians anytime!

Easy and Fast Excavator Maintenance with United Tractors’ Excellent After-Sales
Purchasing an excavator from United Tractors has several advantages. Apart from acquiring a quality excavator, the heavy machinery you purchase from United Tractors comes with excellent after-sales service. This service will not only improve your loyalty but also contribute to maintaining the quality of the heavy equipment you purchase, extending its lifetime of operation.

Excellent after-sales service on the heavy equipment warranty shows UT’s ability to build trust with clients. United Tractors will always offer the best solution for all kinds of problems with your heavy equipment, so with different service programs, you don’t have to be reckless to sell the excavator when the unit cannot be repaired.

If you want to take advantage of this service, you can get a mini excavator, a medium excavator, or any other type of heavy equipment you need from United Tractors! Visit our branch office or call UTCall at 1 500 072 right now!