Routine Maintenance

O B J E C T I V E S

General Recommendations

• Describe what routine maintenance is, and state its purpose.
• Describe four steps involved in establishing a routine maintenance program.
• Describe personal protective equipment and clothing that should be worn by personnel performing routine maintenance tasks.
• Identify hazards of hydraulic fluid spills and describe one method of cleaning up a spill.
• Describe what is generally meant by lock out and tag out and describe the purpose of such a procedure.

System Inspections

• List components that are typically checked during a visual inspection and explain why they are checked.
• Describe problems to look for during a visual inspection of fluid lines on an operating hydraulic system.
• Identify areas where fluid leaks are commonly found, and describe possible causes.
• Describe the term starving the pump and identify one possible cause.
• Explain what a sounding rod is, and describe specific conditions or malfunctions that can cause components to make unusual sounds.
• Define the term hot spot and explain how hot spots can be detected in a hydraulic system.
• List possible causes of excessive vibration in a hydraulic system and list some possible results of this problem.

Component Maintenance

• Describe two types of contaminants that are typically found in hydraulic fluid, and identify likely causes of each.
• Describe how filters and strainers are maintained and explain why they must be maintained.
• Describe a procedure for cleaning a hydraulic reservoir and explain the purpose of this task.
• Explain the purpose of checking the charge of a nitrogen-charged accumulator.
• Describe a procedure for cleaning an air-cooled heat exchanger, and explain why this is necessary.

S U B J E C T S

General Recommendations

• Establishing a Program
• Safety

System Inspections

• Visual Inspections
• Other External Inspections

Component Maintenance

• Fluid and Reservoir
• Accumulators and Heat Exchangers