Oftentimes when our team receives a call about leaking wheel drive motors, the issue leads to the same question: “Can I repair my drive motor by buying a new seal kit?” While seal kits can help repair a few issues inside your wheel loader, repairing a drive motor leak has more than one surefire solution. Let’s discuss the options you have to correct a leaking drive motor for your loader.
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Drive Motor Leaks: Internal Repairs
When faced with a leaking drive motor, our team at Loader Parts Source knows why this damage occurs. Occasionally, the drive motor will simply be too old to handle the pressure of the sealing or repair needed to operate inside the loader. In this case, replacing the drive motor may be the only option available to restore your machine.
However, this isn’t the only potential issue. If the drive motor itself appears in good condition, oil leaks could be symptoms of internal damage within the loader itself. Typically, signs of internal damage will appear if the loaders have A) worn-down seals or bearings and B) are under too much pressure during machine operations. In which case, your drive motor may need replacement seals or bearings.
Drive Motors: Damaged Bearings and Seals
Aside from damaged drive motors, leaking motors could be caused by worn and weathered seals or bearings. Since bearings allow rotary motion and power transfer within the drive motor, these parts wearing down could lead to seals blowing out on the motor, causing oil to spill out. If both the bearings and seals are damaged, then both must be replaced prior to running the machine again.
On bearing-less drive motors, worn seals are the primary cause of oil leaks. At Loader Parts Source, seals that appear to leak under pressure come in two options for drive motors:
- Shaft Seals – These seals help rotate the internal shaft, helping to keep centrifugal pressure so the oil can run throughout the loader. If you only change the shaft seal and not the loose bearings during the leak repair, your loader may only run about 30 minutes or less until the drive motor leaks again. Having loose bearings on your motor may also knock the new seal loose, wasting more time and fuel.
- Bearing Seals – For drive motors, bearing seals can help to block excess liquids or oils from contaminating other parts of the machinery. Typically, these motors don’t have an output shaft, and display bearings bolted up to the bearing carrier inside the motor. In case of a leak, replacing the bearing seal could repair the issue if you also replace the oil seal inside, as it may be damaged from excessive machine pressure. If the chain case inside the loader appears to overfill with oil from the hydraulic system, this leak indicates motor failure; in this case, replacing the drive motor may be the best call to make to restore your loader activity.
Find the Best Loader Drive Motor Parts from Loader Parts Source
Repairing your drive motor requires more than just replacing one part. For the best seal and loader operation, it’s important to replace all worn seals and bearings to secure the internal integrity of your machine. When you need quality maintenance and repair of your loader, count on the engineers at Loader Parts Source to supply the parts you need to bring your loader back to work. Interested in getting repair support for your loader? Contact our team today!
