What should I do if the excavator turns slowly?

First of all, it is necessary to check whether there is any leakage in the hydraulic steering system of the excavator. When the hydraulic oil loss of an excavator is significant, the system pressure will drop, causing the movement of the steering cylinder and motor to be unstable. Eventually, this will result in slow and weak steering. In severe cases, steering may even occur at all. Such a situation is regarded as a leakage fault.

The main causes of leakage faults are as follows:

When the sealing components wear out or age, the oil pipe joints fail to match, there are interface gaps, improper sealing or oil pipe rupture causing oil leakage, etc., timely maintenance should be carried out at this time.

Secondly, the quality and quantity of hydraulic oil are also key factors that directly affect the steering system. A systematic inspection of the quality and quantity of hydraulic oil should be carried out. When there is too little hydraulic oil, it will cause insufficient oil supply to the hydraulic pump, resulting in slow steering action of the equipment. Therefore, the hydraulic oil should be added to the specified liquid level. When the hydraulic oil is not clean or there are foreign objects in the oil tank, impurities entering the hydraulic system can cause damage to seals or damage to component fits, increase internal leakage, and thus lead to slow steering. For this reason, the quality of the hydraulic oil should be carefully inspected. If impurities are found in the oil, the hydraulic oil should be replaced in time and the entire hydraulic system should be cleaned.

When air enters the hydraulic system, even a small amount of air can have a significant impact on the system, causing the steering cylinder to crawl, reducing the efficiency of the hydraulic system, and thus resulting in slow steering.

The ways for air to enter the hydraulic system include: loosening at the joint of the suction pipe of the steering pump or rupture of the pipe. Poor sealing of the steering pump; The oil level in the fuel tank is too low, causing the suction pipe or return pipe to be exposed above the liquid surface. The quality of the hydraulic oil is poor. The following method can be used to check if air has entered the hydraulic system: Start the engine and turn the steering wheel to observe the oil tank. If bubbles come out of the oil tank, it indicates that air has entered the hydraulic system.

After the hydraulic system inspection is completed, the piston and cylinder barrel in the steering cylinder must be inspected again. When the cylinder seal is worn or damaged, the internal leakage will increase, causing the steering cylinder to move slowly. The method of inspection is: Remove the steering cylinder and install it on another excavator with normal steering for testing. If the steering is good after the replacement, it indicates that there is no problem with the steering cylinder. If the steering is still slow after the gear change, it indicates that the problem lies in the seal of the steering cylinder. At this point, the steering cylinder should be disassembled for inspection to check the damage condition of the piston and seals, as well as whether the cylinder barrel has been scratched, etc.

If the internal leakage of the steering pump is severe, it can also cause the equipment to turn slowly. One important cause of leakage inside the steering pump is that the gap between the side of the rotor and blades and the end face of the side plate is too large (the normal gap should be within 0.047mm, and the maximum should not exceed 0.100mm). The inspection method is as follows: When the performance of the steering cylinder, central rotary joint and steering gear is all in good condition, install a new pump for comparative tests. If the steering performance is good after the replacement, it indicates that the fault lies in the steering pump and a new pump should be replaced.

After all the above-mentioned component failure issues have been inspected and eliminated, only the final detailed inspection of the steering motor is required. When the working surfaces of the stator and rotor or the working surface of the rotary valve are severely worn, the actual amount of high-pressure oil entering the steering cylinder will decrease, resulting in a sluggish steering action. If the performance of the steering cylinder and the central rotary joint is good, the steering wheel can be turned to the extreme after the engine is turned off. If the front wheels of the machine can immediately deflected and do not feel heavy at this time, it indicates that there is a problem with the steering gear, and it should be repaired or replaced immediately.