Mods to hydraulic reservoir

[Dave C]

Some of you showed interest in a thread I started in September: (OT hydraulic mess I've gotten myself into - The Home Shop Machinist & Machinist's Workshop Magazine's BBS). I put the project on hold in order to come up with a better method to get the grit inside the hydraulic reservoir completely cleaned out. Meanwhile, a suction strainer was bought and will be installed in a modified port. Also, a reservoir filler breather will be added to the top of the tank. I felt it was needed since the existing breather is simply a hole drilled through the filler plug.
This is the suction strainer:

This is the filler breather:

This shows the existing vent hole in the fill plug:

The original suction port will be removed, and in its place a 4.5" dia x 5" long extension will be fabricated and welded into the tank to accommodate the 9" long suction strainer. The 4.5" hole will allow access to clean the tanks interior prior to welding the extension in. I would prefer to weld the extension to a 3/8" plate, which would then be bolted to the tank wall, but I don't have a suitable piece of plate and the local steel supply wants an arm and a leg for it.

[wierdscience]

Sounds like a plan, you have a lathe, what about a round plate with an o-ring groove and 6 or 8 #10 machine screws for a clean out plate?

[Cuttings]

The breather on the filler is good, but the suction strainer could cause you problems with the pump cavitating unless the flow capacity of the strainer is much larger than the flow rate of the pump. These things are usually always installed in the return line to the tank. You will know if it is a problem right away when starting it up with cold oil because the pump is going to yell at you.

[Tundra Twin Track]

Be sure to have your return Oil greatest distance from suction so mixing of Oil can happen.I’ve seen them to close together and overheating of Oil can happen while they remainder of Tank is ice cold.

[Dave C]

Sounds like a plan, you have a lathe, what about a round plate with an o-ring groove and 6 or 8 #10 machine screws for a clean out plate?

That would be my preference if I can find a suitable piece of material to make it from. Not having to mortgage my house for it would be a bonus.

[Dave C]

[QUOTE=Cuttings;n1978249]These things are usually always installed in the return line to the tank.

I think you have confused suction strainer with return line filter. This SUCTION strainer flows 13 GPH and is designed to be installed on the suction side feeding the pump

[deltap]

If it was built clean or cleaned after fabrication and kept clean with proper maintainence proceedures, there is no need for cleanout or suction strainer. Money better spent on your mortage. Try a little dumpster diving or repurposing to save money on your hobbies.

[Dave C]

Cut this hole with a hole saw



Didn't have a big enough hole saw, and my mill is still in refurb mode, so had to do it the hard way. After laying out the diameter of the hole, and the circle where the 50 #30 holes would be drilled, the spacing was laid out and each mark center punched. After the #30 holes were drilled, they were enlarged with a #16 bit, and the webs were removed with a cutoff wheel.


The ragged edge was cleaned up with a carbide burr and emery paper. The hole isn't perfect but it's good enough for the final op which will weld the tank extension over it.