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Blew a hydraulic seal on a Kato 50 ton yesterday in Detroit
I was doing a pick for a steel beam on Gratiot Ave and my swing brake just locked up out of nowhere. Turned out a seal on the rotation motor blew, so I had to shut everything down and call the yard for a relief crane - cost me a half day of work. You guys use anything special to prevent blowouts on older rigs, or is it just luck of the draw?
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riley_price25d ago
Adam nailed it about water contamination being a killer in Detroit winters, but heres something I dont see anyone mentioning. Those old Kato cranes had a specific issue with the rotation motor drain line getting pinched under the cab mounting plate. I had a 45 ton that kept blowing seals until I found the line was chafing on a bracket when the turntable rotated. Youd never catch it on a regular inspection unless you climbed under there with a flashlight and watched it cycle. So before you blame your maintenance schedule, pull that drain line out of its clamps and check for flat spots or rub marks. A 2 dollar hose tie can save you a 500 dollar seal job and a half day of downtime.
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adam_nguyen725d ago
Bullshit, man. Proper maintenance prevents that stuff. I've got an 88 Link-Belt that still runs like a top because I swap those rotation seals every 500 hours without fail. You waited too long and now you're paying for it. Check your hydraulic oil for water contamination too - that's what kills seals on older rigs in Detroit winters.
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