BendPak LR-60, Installation And Operation Manual, Page: 21 / 44

LR-60/60P Low-Rise Scissor Lifts
21
P/N 5900337 — Rev. F — December 2020
Hydraulic Fluid Contamination
Hydraulic Fluid contamination poses a serious issue for your Lift; contaminants such as water, dirt, or
other debris can get into the Hydraulic Hoses and Fittings of your Lift, eventually getting into the
Hydraulic Fluid. Once debris is in the system, you could experience issues such as one Platform
lowering faster than the other, internal and external Hydraulic Fluid leaks, slow operation, and so on.
Your Lift is shipped from the factory with clean components; however, BendPak
strongly
recommends that you give the hydraulic components an extra cleaning. Even a small grain of debris
introduced into the Hydraulic System is enough to make the Lift unusable. It is better (and less costly)
to take these extra steps now, so that you do not need to take your Lift out of service later to fix issues
that could have been prevented.
What you need to do
When you get to the procedure describing how to connect the Hydraulic Hose, make sure to take a
survey of the Hydraulic components that come with your Lift
prior
to making connections. There are
several ways to clean the Hydraulic Hoses and Fittings:
•
Use an air compressor to blow out contaminants. Clean, dry air is preferred. Keep in mind that the
contaminants are going to be coming out the other end, so be prepared for that.
• For Hoses with ends not secured with Fittings, use a projectile cleaning system that shoots
expandable cleaning “pellets” through the Hydraulic Hoses to clean them all the way through.
HydraCheck, Eaton, and Ultra Clean make these types of systems.
• For Hydraulic Hose ends and Fittings that are not too long, soak part of a rag in the same
Hydraulic Fluid you will be putting in the reservoir, then use the rag to clean out the Fittings and the
ends of the Hydraulic Hoses. Do
not
use water or other cleaning fluids, as they should never be
mixed with Hydraulic Fluid.
Some additional steps that will help keep your Hydraulic System clean:
•
Always use clean equipment
. If you use a dirty bucket or funnel to transfer the Hydraulic Fluid
into the Hydraulic Fluid Reservoir, the contaminants will likely be introduced into the Fluid. When
using cleaning rags, use a lint-free rag.
• Proper Storage . Keep the Hydraulic Fluid sealed in its container until ready for use; store the
fluid in a clean, dry, and cool area.
• Cover the Hoses and Fittings . Before installation, do not leave the ends of the Fittings
exposed; the same applies for Hydraulic Hoses. As a general rule, keep the Hydraulic Hoses and
Fittings capped and kept in a clean area until ready for use.
• Filter the new Hydraulic Fluid . Just because it is new does not necessarily mean it is clean .
Use an offline filtration cart or kidney loop system to make sure the Hydraulic Fluid is clean
before
being transferred into the Hydraulic Fluid Reservoir.
• Avoid mixing different types of Hydraulic Fluid . If Hydraulic Fluid needs to be replaced,
make sure to flush the Hydraulic System of the old Hydraulic Fluid before you add the replacement
fluid; do
not mix the two together.
•
Remove old thread seal tape
. Some fittings are shipped with temporary plugs secured with
thread seal tape, so make sure to thoroughly remove the thread seal tape before attaching an
NPT Fitting; this prevents pieces of the tape from being pushed into the Hydraulic System. If NPT
Fittings on the Hydraulic Cylinders need to be removed or replaced, use a liquid thread sealant.
• Flush out the Hydraulic System . Drain the Hydraulic System of the current Hydraulic Fluid,
then cycle the Lift a few times using low-viscosity flushing liquid to push out debris trapped in the
system; make sure the flushing liquid is compatible with the working fluid.