Hydraulic seal and hose aging question: Brand new machine, unused for 12 years

[Sawmill-eng]

Hi! New member- MechE, in the forest industry in Western Canada.

Question: I have a friend in the heavy construction industry who is looking at purchasing a new hydraulic crane that mounts on a heavy highway truck. It was caught in the economic slowdown of the oil industry in the mid- 2000's so it has been in a bankruptcy or two, as well as being not exactly the current "size" to buy. (It is 40 ton rated but the current equivalent cranes are 45 ton rated.) It has never been installed onto a truck.

So its a brand-new 2006 crane for sale in 2017. The storage history of the unit is unknown. It was likely stored indoors in a warehouse somewhere, and may have been moved multiple times.

The price, of course, is very good.

The question for you hydraulics experts: What would we expect to see within the hydraulics system in terms of age-related issues on the hydraulic hose and hydraulic cylinder seals?

Thanks!
Jon.

 

[HPost]

Water deposits that were in the machine may have caused some rusting...

The seals will have some compression setting...

Hoses may have degraded somewhat...

I would suggest that the machine is commissioned and run for a while and keep a look out for leaks, over heating and anything else that seems amiss and then treat and repair as appropriate.

None of the above are guaranteed to of happened or certain to fail - it is just that failure is more likely on the basis that dynamic parts have been left in a static condition for a long time.

Keep some of the cash you have saved on the sale price and use it as a contingency.

 

[romke]

Apart from what HPost already mentioned I would also check whether the hydraulic oil tank needs draining of water that may have entered due to condensation via the tank breather. If it is possible to remove a lid from the tank so you can look inside the tank it is a good idea to see whether the walls pf the tank above the fluid level show signs of rust. If so you better drain the oil and have the tank cleaned thoroughly, before putting the (dewatered) oil back in to prevent pumping around contamination within the system.

 

[hydtools]

Maybe change the filters before first run. Then change them again after the first run.

Ted