How To Make Hydraulic Connections to a Single Speed Travel Motor
How To Make Hydraulic Connections to a Single Speed Drive Motor
Making incorrect hydraulic drive motor connections can at worst destroy the final drive.
This post will help identify the hydraulic connections relevant to a single speed drive motor. There may be up to 4 hydraulic connections to a single speed hydraulic travel motor and gearbox:
Two hydraulic lines to power the drive motor. These are the flow and return lines connected to the A & B ports (see images)
A case drain / leak-off. It is very important to connect this to the correct C port — See below
A brake line. If fitted it is usually connected to the gearbox rather than the travel motor
Below are some examples of single speed hydraulic drive motors with their ports identified.
1.5T Mini Excavator
Single speed orbital type travel motor showing 2 entry ports. Note there is no need for a case drain port on this motor.
8T Mini Excavator
Integrated single speed travel motor showing 4 front entry ports. The C ports are interconnected and either can be used.
A & B Ports (flow and return)
These are the main inlet/outlet ports and are usually the largest ports on the travel motor. Where there are four or more ports they will nearly always be located in the centre of the manifold.
C1 & C2 Ports (case drain)
A modern drive motor will usually have two case drain ports, one on either side of the A/B ports. The position of the drain port can be changed by placing a plug in either C1 or C2.
It is important to always attach the case drain hose to the uppermost port and leave the bottom port plugged. Some drive motors have a single case drain port between the A/B ports.
In smaller travel motors the twin speed hose/port and case drain hose/port are the same size so it is critical that the case drain hose is correctly identified.
Attaching a pressurized hose to this port can cause both hydraulic and mechanical failure. If the hydraulic is plumbed incorrectly you WILL cause damage to the drive motor. Be absolutely sure which line is which before connecting the hoses. If in doubt, contact your local FDC Partner.
All conventional axial piston hydraulic travel motors must have a controlled leakage from the rotating group (motor) into the casing. This oil lubricates all moving parts within the rotating group and it MUST be able to drain back to the hydraulic tank relatively unrestricted via the swivel joint and return line filter.
The case drain oil also lubricates both motor shaft bearings. It is important that the case drain hose is connected to the uppermost case drain port (where there is an option) so the drive motor case is constantly full of hydraulic oil.
If the case drain port is not connected or becomes blocked, the hydraulic pressure inside the drive motor case will build, causing catastrophic damage to the motor and usually the gearbox.
Brake Port
With the exception of tracked dumpers and other faster moving tracked machines it is unusual to find a brake port in an integrated gearbox and travel motor as the brake is usually controlled automatically.
Where a separate “plug-in” drive motor is used the brake port is usually found on the gearbox. If equipped the port location will be clearly shown in the installation instructions.