Bearing destroyed metal in the hydraulic system

[ERF]

Jack shaft bearing was completely destroyed on a skid steer that was given to me. This is an older machine with chain drives. Removed the strainer filter and secondary filter and found metal fragments. I am in the process of disconnecting some of the pressure land return lines. My thoughts are the use air to clean the lines out by going through the return lines. I figure that reversing the direction of flow would dislodge and remove the fragments. This along with vaccuming with a small shop vac to the lines I have open. I may also tye in a drill pump and flow some hydraulic fluid through the system. What's the thought in this approach?? It also was suggested to me that I place transmission magnets in the chain drive areas to " catch " any metal that comes through the system. My only concern about the magnets is if the machine takes a hard bounce or just the normal bouncing will the magnets come loose and attach to the chain or sprockets ? Thoughts about the magnets appreciated also.

 

[Tazza]

I was given the advise to blow contaminated hydraulic lines with compressed air and small plugs of foam. Use small pieces of foam that have a tight fit in the hose and blow them through the lines, it helps scrape out bits inside. I used solvent like diesel or petrol (gas) as well.
Best get it as clean as possible, depending on how far you need to go, cylinders, pumps and motors need to come apart or at the very least, drained of all the oil you can.

 

[ERF]

I was given the advise to blow contaminated hydraulic lines with compressed air and small plugs of foam. Use small pieces of foam that have a tight fit in the hose and blow them through the lines, it helps scrape out bits inside. I used solvent like diesel or petrol (gas) as well.
Best get it as clean as possible, depending on how far you need to go, cylinders, pumps and motors need to come apart or at the very least, drained of all the oil you can.

Thank you, I took took the return lines and drained them, I made up a fitting that I used to attach the air hose to the lines and let the air run through them for a while . I did the same with the pressure side of the hydraulics but blew the lines out back toward the pump thus sending any partials in the opposite direction of flow. I followed this up with a small shop vac which I attached to the lines and ran that. It was suggested to me to place one or two " transmission " magnets in the drive compartments to catch any metal fragments I may have missed . Have to hope all this takes care of any metal

 

[Tazza]

Thank you, I took took the return lines and drained them, I made up a fitting that I used to attach the air hose to the lines and let the air run through them for a while . I did the same with the pressure side of the hydraulics but blew the lines out back toward the pump thus sending any partials in the opposite direction of flow. I followed this up with a small shop vac which I attached to the lines and ran that. It was suggested to me to place one or two " transmission " magnets in the drive compartments to catch any metal fragments I may have missed . Have to hope all this takes care of any metal

Sounds like you did everything you can without pulling everything to pieces.
Adding magnets isn't a bad idea, it was suggested to do this in a chain case to catch any metal.

 

[Hotrod1830]

Sounds like you did everything you can without pulling everything to pieces.
Adding magnets isn't a bad idea, it was suggested to do this in a chain case to catch any metal.

As long as the failure was not the hydraulic pump and the metal was isolated to the chain case, you should be fine. Filters usually do their job and prevent anything from reaching the pump. If your not getting any metal(glitter) from the hydraulic lines, you should be fine.
You can either epoxy a magnet to the floor of the chain case, or tack weld a bolt to the floor of the case, and bolt them in with a washer and nut. Usually epoxy works fine, but in severe use occasions, or if it's close to moving parts, I will bolt them in. Worth mentioning is the fact you cannot remove a magnet to clean it, if it is epoxied to the floor.