Had a main pump coupling let go on the Columbia last Thursday

We were running a steady 800 cubic yards an hour when the whole rig shuddered and the pump went quiet. Found the rubber spider in the coupling had shredded into four pieces, not just cracked. Shut down, pulled the guard, and had to drive an hour to a shop in The Dalles for a new one. Anyone have a good source for those heavy duty couplings that can handle a bit more shock load?

3 comments

3 Comments

king.val22h ago

We had that exact failure on a dredge last spring.

the_thomas22h ago

Check the hydraulic line seals, that's usually the culprit.

umar497h ago

Funny how everyone jumps straight to the seals. Seen a few cases where the actual problem was a tiny bit of trash or grit stuck in the valve body itself, holding it open just enough to weep pressure. The seals looked perfect when we tore it down, but cleaning that junk out fixed it. Makes you wonder how many good seals get replaced for no reason.