78x hydraulic issues?

[mpqualdie]

My company has a 78x Polar cutter. Before I got here the hydraulic clamp wasn't working correctly. They hired someone to come in and fix it and it is still having an issue. The repairman replaced a bunch of parts including a new cylinder, valve and I think even the pump. I will know more about that later today when I get his service paperwork.
They said it worked fine for an hour or two and then the clamp started moving real slow. I need to tear into it and fix it, but I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction. I'm having a hard time finding any information on this 78x at all. My 1st thought was air in the hydraulics, but I'm not sure how to bleed it because I can't find a service manual for it. I do have some experience with this model cutter, but have never serviced the hydraulics.
Last question, is there something else that can be causing thus besides the hydraulic system? Could something electronically be making the clamp lag?
Thank you in advance for any ideas or help.

 

[mpqualdie]

I said "brake" above and meant clamp

 

[ESPofKC.com]

My company has a 78x Polar cutter. Before I got here the hydraulic clamp wasn't working correctly. They hired someone to come in and fix it and it is still having an issue. The repairman replaced a bunch of parts including a new cylinder, valve and I think even the pump. I will know more about that later today when I get his service paperwork.
They said it worked fine for an hour or two and then the clamp started moving real slow. I need to tear into it and fix it, but I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction. I'm having a hard time finding any information on this 78x at all. My 1st thought was air in the hydraulics, but I'm not sure how to bleed it because I can't find a service manual for it. I do have some experience with this model cutter, but have never serviced the hydraulics.
Last question, is there something else that can be causing thus besides the hydraulic system? Could something electronically be making the clamp lag?
Thank you in advance for any ideas or help.

What is the original problem? Youre not describing what it was or wasnt doing for you to call the repair service. Thats a lot of things to blindly replace for a service person.

I would check the solinoid valves. 3 in the front. They have a pastic keeper with a tiny ball centered in the keeper. Those keepers wear out.

 

[mpqualdie]

What is the original problem? Youre not describing what it was or wasnt doing for you to call the repair service. Thats a lot of things to blindly replace for a service person.

I would check the solinoid valves. 3 in the front. They have a pastic keeper with a tiny ball centered in the keeper. Those keepers wear out.

I wasn't there when it initially broke down. But one of the employees said the clamp started running really slow. Said it would work a little and then start lagging. I used to be head of maintenance there, left for a couple years and now im back, and this is one of the things i inherited. So I have serviced the cutter, but have never had to address the hydraulics.
They had someone from a couple hours away come several times and throw a bunch of parts at it exceeding $12k. I'm trying to get the service paperwork in my hands so I can know exactly what was done. My initial thought was a bad (leaking) valve somewhere in the system that seats sometimes and doesn't sometimes. But I can't find any info at all on this cutter online.

 

[ESPofKC.com]

I wasn't there when it initially broke down. But one of the employees said the clamp started running really slow. Said it would work a little and then start lagging. I used to be head of maintenance there, left for a couple years and now im back, and this is one of the things i inherited. So I have serviced the cutter, but have never had to address the hydraulics.
They had someone from a couple hours away come several times and throw a bunch of parts at it exceeding $12k. I'm trying to get the service paperwork in my hands so I can know exactly what was done. My initial thought was a bad (leaking) valve somewhere in the system that seats sometimes and doesn't sometimes. But I can't find any info at all on this cutter online.

Is it going down slow with the foot pedal or when you hit the cut buttons?

 

[mpqualdie]

Is it going down slow with the foot pedal or when you hit the cut buttons?

I'm sorry for the delay. It's been a madhouse here. When I press the foot pedal, it tries to lower the clamp, but moves very slow. It whines like a car low on power steering fluid. When the pedal is pressed. But when you release the pedal the clamp goes back up fairly quickly, I'd say normal speed.

 

[mpqualdie]

Is it going down slow with the foot pedal or when you hit the cut buttons?

I'm a little perplexed by the tape on the valve also.

 

[mpqualdie]

Is it going down slow with the foot pedal or when you hit the cut buttons?

Among any other input I can get, I'm looking for bleeding instructions. Seems that it should be simple enough. But is it bled while running, or off?

 

[ESPofKC.com]

I'm sorry for the delay. It's been a madhouse here. When I press the foot pedal, it tries to lower the clamp, but moves very slow. It whines like a car low on power steering fluid. When the pedal is pressed. But when you release the pedal the clamp goes back up fairly quickly, I'd say normal speed.

This sounds like the guide wedge for the foot pedal. Its a plastic wedge shaped cam that activates the piston through the hydraulic reservoir. Look at the foot pedal assembly. Theres an arm with a coulple of plastic cams right beside the hydraulic tank. One activates a metal pin and the other ones activate cam switches. This 3 cams wear down.

 

[mpqualdie]

This sounds like the guide wedge for the foot pedal. Its a plastic wedge shaped cam that activates the piston through the hydraulic reservoir. Look at the foot pedal assembly. Theres an arm with a coulple of plastic cams right beside the hydraulic tank. One activates a metal pin and the other ones activate cam switches. This 3 cams wear down.

Thank you, I will look at that this afternoon.