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Suction line blew a gasket 30 miles offshore yesterday
Was pulling sand near the channel marker when the hydraulic hose gave out, sprayed oil everywhere for a solid 10 seconds before I killed the engine. Had to limp back to port on the backup pump and swap the line in the slip. Anyone else carry spare hoses for their specific model or just gamble like I did?
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jason5242mo ago
Sand dredging and suction lines are actually two different things... you probably meant the hydraulic system on a dredge pump.
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smith.ray2mo ago
Man that's a rough mix-up to deal with on site. Hope the crew got through it okay without too much headache.
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kim_patel891mo ago
Wait, has nobody here actually had a gasket blow on a suction line NOT from hydraulic failure but from the suction itself collapsing? I've seen a worn gasket get sucked INWARD, not blown out, because of a sudden vacuum spike when the intake clogged. That would explain why it sprayed oil for a full 10 seconds before you cut the engine - the pressure differential could have reversed and forced fluid backward through a compromised seal. You might want to check your intake screen for damage too, not just swap that hose. A clogged screen can create a negative pressure wave that pops gaskets from the inside out.
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