Well Drilling & Pumping Rig Repair in Iowa — Ames Hydraulics

Water-well drilling rigs and well-pumping rigs live rough — the mast cycles constantly under load, the mud or air rotary pump runs hot, and the whole rig sees vibration and weather. Ames Hydraulics does well drilling rig repair and well-pumping rig repair in central Iowa for contractors who drill, service, and rehabilitate water wells. Cylinders, pumps, hoists, structural welds, and the hydraulic system that ties it all together. Free pickup within 60 miles of Ames.

What Actually Fails on a Well Rig

Most well drilling rig repair we see falls into a few areas. The mast cylinders that raise and hold the mast leak or wear. The mud pump or air compressor loses efficiency. The hoist — whether it’s a wireline hoist on a pumping rig or a main hoist on a drilling rig — wears its brake, cable, and drive. The rotary drive on a drilling rig loses hydraulic pressure. And the mast structural steel and the truck-mounted skid crack from years of cycling.

What We Repair

• Mast cylinders — the primary lift cylinders on drilling and pumping rigs
• Hydraulic pumps, motors, and valves on the rig hydraulics
• Mud pumps — duplex and triplex fluid ends and packing
• Hoists and wireline drums — motors, brakes, and drives
• Rotary-drive hydraulics on drilling rigs
• Structural welds on masts, skids, and truck subframes
• Cracked frame and welded reinforcement on truck-mounted rigs

Mast Cylinder Rebuilds

The mast cylinders on a well rig are the biggest and most expensive cylinders on the machine, and they see the hardest duty. Rebuilding them in-house — honing the bore, replacing seals and glands, and pressure-testing to real working pressure — is usually a fraction of the cost of new cylinders and holds indefinitely. This is exactly the kind of large-cylinder work our shop is set up for.

Mud Pumps and Fluid Ends

Mud pumps on drilling rigs take a beating from abrasive drilling mud. Fluid ends — liners, pistons, and valves — wear quickly and need routine rebuilding. Ames Hydraulics does well drilling rig repair on mud-pump fluid ends and valve packages, plus the hydraulic-side power-end drive when the rig uses hydraulic drive rather than direct mechanical drive.

Well Pumping Rigs and Service Units

Well pumping rigs and service units used for pulling and reinstalling submersible pumps have a similar failure profile: mast cylinders, hoist drums, and hydraulic drives. If your well drilling rig repair or pumping-rig work is stuck at a dealer waiting for parts, bring it here and we’ll rebuild what’s rebuildable and fabricate what isn’t available.

Iowa Water-Well Contractors

Iowa is a state of private wells, municipal wells, and irrigation wells, and the contractors who drill and service them are our customer. When your rig is down, so is the job you were going to. We prioritize rig work and turn it fast. Free pickup within 60 miles of Ames.

Get the Rig Running Again

See our full hydraulic repair, welding & fabrication, and trailer repair services. Call or text 515-292-2599 or bring the rig to 210 Freel Dr in Ames. Open Monday through Friday, 7AM to 5PM.

Off-Season Overhauls Save Real Money

The right time for major well drilling rig repair is winter, when the ground is frozen and drilling slows down. Mast cylinder rebuilds, mud-pump fluid-end overhauls, and structural welding done on a scheduled winter shutdown cost a lot less than the same work done as an emergency in July. If you can get your rig to us in December or January, we’ll queue it into a winter slot and hand it back ready for spring.

Custom Fabrication for Older Rigs

Older well rigs often have obsolete parts — the OEM is out of business, the parts channel has gone dry, or the dealer won’t quote a real delivery date. That’s where fabrication and machining come in. Ames Hydraulics makes replacement parts when they aren’t available, so well drilling rig repair on an old but sound rig is still a real option rather than a scrapyard trip.