3
Troubleshooting
Most problems in fluid power circuits
result in a gradual or sudden loss of
power in the work cylinders, which may
cause them to stall or move slower than
required. This chart assumes that all
other components of the circuit such as
the pump, relief valve, control valves,
hydraulic supply, etc. have been
checked and the problem has been
isolated to the cylinder.
Properly installed and maintained
cylinders should function for millions of
cycles. Premature cylinder failures are
usually caused by system or application
problems that can be prevented. The
purpose of this chart is to aid in identifying
and correcting the most common causes
of premature cylinder failure.
Check Cylinder for
Evidence of:
Caused By:
Action Required:
Excessive wear on
piston rod.
Side load due to misalignment between cylinder
and load.
Check alignment of rod with load connection at
all points in stroke.
Pivot mount cylinder without proper stop tubing.
Follow Vickers cylinder catalog design
recommendations.
Contamination in
cylinder.
Exceptionally dirty environment.
Clean and flush the entire system, deburr
connections.
y
Worn rod wiper.
Shield piston rod area from direct contact with
contaminant.
Impact damage or
b k
t
Lack of, or improperly adjusted cushions.
Reference adjustment instructions in this manual.
g
broken parts.
Load and piston speed combination exceeds
cylinder cushion capacity.
Consult your VIckers Sales Engineer.
Lack of, or improperly adjusted speed controls.
Add or adjust flow controls to reduce piston speed.
Excessive system pressure.
Reduce pressure to minimum required to move
the load.
Permanent deformation
or damaged static
l
System pressure in excess of cylinder rating.
Follow Vickers cylinder catalog design
recommendations.
g
seals.
High pressure developed in cylinder cushion.
Consult your VIckers Sales Engineer.
Cyl. externally loaded while control valve is closed.
Reduce load magnitude or resize cylinder.
Seal damage such as
loss of elasticity, shape,
t
Excessive temperature in environment or
system.
Install replacement sealing system with proper
rating.
y,
,
etc.
Incompatible hydraulic fluid.
Refer to Vickers cylinder catalog for compatible
sealing system.
Cylinder stored in horizontal position for
extended period.
Replace seals, store vertically with rod up.
Table 1.
