Hydraulic Pump Refurbishment Ames Trucks and Equipment Depend On
When a pump starts whining, losing pressure, or just quits pushing fluid, most folks around here call us for hydraulic pump refurbishment Ames shops and farms have trusted for years. We’re at 210 Freel Dr, and we’ve rebuilt gear pumps out of flatbed trucks, lift equipment, and material handling gear that’s been run hard for a decade or more. A tired pump doesn’t always mean a new one — a lot of the time refurbishment gets you back to full pressure for a fraction of replacement cost.
We’ve pulled gear pumps rated at 15 GPM off flatbed hydraulic systems where the case had scored from contaminated fluid, and we’ve rebuilt pumps on lift equipment where the internal gears were chewed up from years of ATF hydraulic fluid running low. That’s the reality of hydraulic pump refurbishment Ames equipment owners bring us — it’s rarely one clean failure, it’s wear stacking up until the pump can’t hold pressure anymore.
How We Handle Hydraulic Pump Refurbishment Ames Wide
Every pump that comes through our bay gets pulled apart on the bench so we can actually see what’s worn versus what’s still good. We’re not swapping a whole unit if the housing and shaft are fine — that’s how hydraulic pump refurbishment Ames customers get charged fair prices instead of paying for a full replacement pump every time.
- Pull the pump and inspect the housing, gears, shaft, and seals for scoring or wear
- Flush the system and check for contamination that caused the failure in the first place
- Replace worn gears, bearings, and seals — often with OEM-spec parts like Sea-P orb hubs and stub shafts
- Pressure test the rebuilt pump against spec, sometimes up to 7000 PSI depending on the application
- Reinstall, refill with the correct hydraulic fluid, and run the system through full range to confirm pressure holds
If a pump’s housing is cracked or the shaft is too far gone to true up, we’ll tell you straight and quote a full pump replacement instead — we’re not going to rebuild something that’ll fail again in three months. Either way, we handle the labor, the fittings, and delivery if your equipment can’t come to us. For related work, our hydraulic cylinder rebuild cost guide covers what we charge on the cylinder side, since pumps and cylinders often get diagnosed together on the same visit.
Common Signs a Pump Needs Refurbishment
Most calls we get start with someone noticing the lift or the flatbed hydraulics just aren’t moving like they used to. Here’s what usually points us toward hydraulic pump refurbishment Ames equipment needs rather than something else in the circuit:
Whining or Growling Under Load
A pump that’s starting to cavitate or has worn internal clearances will growl or whine, especially under load. This is often the first sign gears or bearings are wearing down inside the pump body.
Slow or Weak Lift Function
If a lift or flatbed hydraulic system is moving slower than it used to, or struggling to raise a load it handled fine last year, the pump may not be building full pressure anymore. We cover this exact issue in more detail on our hydraulic pump not building pressure page.
Fluid Leaking Around the Pump Housing
Worn seals inside the pump let fluid seep out around the shaft or housing joints. This is a classic refurbishment case — the housing’s usually fine, it’s the seals and maybe the shaft bushing that need attention.
Metal Shavings in the Fluid
If you drain the reservoir and find metal flecks, that’s internal wear happening right now. We’ll flush the whole system during hydraulic pump refurbishment Ames jobs like this so the new or rebuilt pump isn’t immediately contaminated again.
If your equipment is a Blackmer-style unit or something with a similar gear-pump design, our Blackmer pump troubleshooting page walks through some of the specific failure patterns we see on those.
How Much Does Hydraulic Pump Refurbishment Cost in Ames
Pricing depends heavily on the pump size, how far gone the internals are, and whether we’re rebuilding in place or pulling it for bench work. Here’s what we typically see:
- Basic pump rebuild (seals, gears, bearings on a small to mid-size gear pump): $400–$800 in parts and labor
- Medium rebuild involving housing machining or shaft replacement: $800–$1,400
- Full pump replacement on a flatbed truck or lift system, including labor and delivery: $1,200–$2,500+ depending on GPM rating and PSI requirements
- Shop labor runs by the hour on top of parts, and mileage applies if we deliver equipment back to you outside our immediate service area
We’ll always inspect before quoting a number — a pump that sounds bad sometimes just needs seals, and one that seems fine can have internal wear that only shows up once it’s apart. That’s why hydraulic pump refurbishment Ames customers get an actual bench inspection instead of a guess over the phone.
If your equipment falls under warehouse or material handling gear rather than trucks, take a look at our material handling hydraulic repair page, since pump issues on that equipment often show up alongside cylinder or valve wear.
If your hydraulic system is losing pressure, whining, or leaking around the pump, don’t wait until it quits on the job. Call us at 515-292-2599 and we’ll get you scheduled for a real inspection and an honest quote on hydraulic pump refurbishment Ames equipment owners have relied on us for.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a hydraulic pump refurbishment take?
Most rebuilds take one to two days once the pump is on our bench, depending on parts availability. If we need to order gears, bearings, or a specific seal kit, it can take a bit longer — we’ll give you a real timeline once we’ve inspected it.
Is it cheaper to rebuild or replace a hydraulic pump?
Rebuilding is usually cheaper if the housing and shaft are still in good shape — often $400 to $1,400 versus $1,200 or more for a full replacement pump. We’ll tell you honestly which one makes sense for your equipment.
Can you refurbish a pump without pulling it off the truck?
Sometimes, but most refurbishment work needs the pump off the machine so we can inspect the internals properly on the bench. We can do on-site diagnosis first to confirm the pump is actually the problem before pulling anything.
What causes a hydraulic pump to fail in the first place?
Contaminated fluid, low fluid levels, and just years of wear on gears and seals are the most common causes we see. Running the wrong fluid type, like straight ATF without the right additives, can also speed up internal wear.
Do you work on hydraulic pumps for lift equipment and flatbed trucks?
Yes — we’ve rebuilt and replaced pumps on flatbed truck hydraulic systems, lift equipment, and material handling machinery. Give us a call at 515-292-2599 and describe what you’re running so we know what to expect.
Written by Josiah Ragsdale, Ames Hydraulics