Bucket Truck Hydraulics

[Kevin Sullivan]

I bought an old bucket truck. TEY Manufacturing of Milford, CT made it. I used it a dozen times to side my house. Only the main hydraulics worked so now I want to get the bucket hydraulics working. I checked the hydraulic fluid and it looks like iced coffee so I drained the tank and refilled it with clean fluid.

Now I need to bleed it as it doesn't work at all. I drained it at the filter and blew air when I started the PTO accidentally then closed the system back up. It is a PTO pump with lines going to main controls and outriggers. The main valve has a secondary valve next to it that allows the bucket hydraulic valve to control the main valve by activating this secondary valve. I don't know if they all work like this or if it is specific to this one as I am not familiar with any others. Bucket valve has a fluid tank next to it as well. I filled that. It was empty when I got it. Valves seem good on bucket and main valves have worked so I suspect air was my bucket control issue.

I cracked some lines to try to bleed and I got nothing. The filter is next to the hydraulic fluid tank and I can't even get that to leak out by cracking it loose.

Where should I start? Should I pull the outrigger lines and see if they will bleed or fill them manually, or start somewhere else?

I can handle the work and the system
appears simple, I just don't know where to start getting air out.

Kevin in Augusta, Maine.

 

[Kevin Sullivan]

My son thinks the pump probably went dry and is filled with air. We will start with the primary system and see if we can get hydraulic fluid to bleed through at. Obviously if the pump is just spinning air it won't work. It is dark and raining now so it will wait another day (granted, it is supposed to rain all week so we will see).

 

[Kevin Sullivan]

We got it working well. We pressurized the inlet on the hydraulic tank and forced the fluid through the pump. I took apart the bucket control on both ends and ordered new seals for it. Its an old truck, but so far works well around the house to do the siding.