Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Manual Hydracore 2000 PDF
Manual Hydracore 2000 PDF
Table of Contents
1. Title page
2. Table of contents
3. Introduction and Warranty
4. General Description
5. General Description
6. Specifications
7. Specifications
8. Drill components list
9. Ordering parts
10. Drill Head
11. Drill Head picture
12.
13. Chuck
14. Mast, Back Legs, and sheavewheel assembly
15.
16. Cylinder
17. Power pack
18. Panel
19. Pump Diesel operated
20. Pump, Hydraulic operated
21.
22. Admiral pump
23. KL 45 pump assembly
24. KL45 pump internal parts
25.
26. Winch
27.
28. Mixer
29. Footclamp
30. Description of hydraulic circuit
31.
32.
33.
34. Hydraulic schematic
35. Hooking up hoses
36. Maintenance
40. Operating Instructions
46. Timax pop valve
2
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this manual is to provide the operator with detailed information,
instructions, and specifications pertaining to the operation of the Hydracore 2000 Drill.
Familiarization with this manual’s contents will improve the Drills performance and
provide a long trouble free service life.
It is agreed that there are no warranties, express or implied, made by Hydracore Drills
Ltd., except its following standard warranty.
Hydracore Drills Ltd. warrants each new Hydracore Drill and related parts sold by
Hydracore to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and
service for ninety days from the date of first use, but not to exceed six months from the
date of shipment.
The obligation under this warranty is limited to the replacement or repair at the
Richmond, B.C. , plant of Hydracore, or at a point designated by Hydracore, of such part
or parts as shall appear upon inspection at this point to have been defective in material or
workmanship at the time sold, provided that the part or parts claimed defective are
returned to the inspection point, transportation charges prepaid.
This warranty applies only to new and unused Hydracore Drills and parts, which, after
shipment from the Hydracore plant, have not been altered, changed, or repaired in some
manner. This does not extend to power units, pumps and other trade accessories not
manufactured by Hydracore, though sold or operated with Hydracore’s drills, same being
subject to warranties of the representative manufacturers thereof.
Hydracore is constantly striving to improve its products and , therefore reserves the right
to improve its products, specifications, and price without prior notice.
3
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
The drilling unit is equipped with two 70 inch stroke hydraulic cylinders. The cylinder
bore is 2.5” the rod size is 1.75”. The drill head has a hollow spindle 3 7/8” inside
diameter. The spindle is driven by a belt. A variable displacement bent axis motor has a
small pulley directly attached to it’s shaft. The speed of the head, can be varied by a
knob on the hydraulic panel. A hydraulic clamp is also fitted.
The drill is normally mounted on an aluminum skid. There are telescopic back legs that
allows the drill to be set at any angle from –90 to –45 degrees.
Rod pulling is accomplished by means of the hydraulic cylinders. The tower is only used
for the wireline cable. A heavy tower is therefore not required. The drill on its
aluminum skid with the winch, hoist, back legs, head and clamp is 1950 lbs. The drill
head complete with the steel hood and 160 cc motor is 590 lbs.
The Hydraulic powerpack is made so that it can be split into two pieces to make moving
it easier. The hydraulic module separates from the engine by removing only a few bolts.
The throttle also has to be disconnected. Two lifting points are provided. The one that is
centered over the engine is for when the engine is lifted on its own. The one that is closer
to the middle of the powerpack is for lifting the whole powerpack at once with a big
helicopter. The panel does not have a lifting lug. Two equal length slings should be
attached one to each side of the upper frame. A bracket is welded onto the upper frame
so that the slings cannot slip from the center of the frame. The weight of the two pieces
is sometimes stamped into each frame. The hydraulic module is 900 lbs. The John Deere
engine unit is about 1235 lbs. The Deutz engine is 1050 lbs. The Isuzu engine is 1135 lbs.
4
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
5
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
Drill Head
Hydraulic Chuck
Foot Clamp
6
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
Stroke 70”
Weight 550 lbs
Power Pack
Options
7
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
8
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
Main Hydraulic Pump Sundstrand CPA 1176 (060) (2” gear housing) on JD
Isuzu, (050) on Deutz
Auxiliary Hydraulic pumps (1) Sundstrand SNP2-14,-17 on Isuzu or
JD
Ordering parts
Because all these machines are made one at a time there are quite a few variations in
the parts that may have been used. We try to keep track of these changes, but we
don’t always succeed completely. Some problems have appeared to do with
supplying parts that it is worth being aware of.
The listing of parts shown on this drill components list is likely to be a bit more
accurate than the part numbers in the parts book pages. We can supply replacement
parts for your machine without in most cases without you having to tell us the part
numbers.
The drill head motor, most of the drills have been supplied with the Sauer Danfoss
51V160 motor. Some drills have used the 110 cc motor which will also fit onto any
of these drill head. The 110 cc motor normally uses a 32 tooth small pulley rather
than the 36 tooth one on the 160 cc motor.
Some drills have also used the Rexroth motors, either 160cc or 107cc. They are
almost a direct replacement for the Sauer. The only difference is that the Sauer has a
1” o ring case drain port, and the Rexroth uses ¾”. Also the A and B ports on the
Rexroth 160 are -20 where the Sauer uses- 16. The 107 Rexroth has -16 ports.
Usually we would supply the same motor as a replacement, but if a substitution has
to be made because of availability we would supply the fittings as well.
There are some differences on the main hydraulic gear pumps on the different drills.
Depending on the engine the drill will have either a 5 or 6 cubic inch main pump.
The 5 cubic inch pump measures about 1 ¾” on the iron part. The 6 cubic inch pump
measures 2”. The 5 cubic is used on the Deutz engine, the 6 cubic inch on the JD or
Isuzu.
The problem is that there have been a few machines that have gone out that may
have had a different size than normal on pump ports. Because of this when you order
a pump we may ask you to measure the ports on your existing pump. We can
9
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
probably supply an exact replacement, but if not we will be able to supply the
different sized fittings that you would need.
The pressure compensated Sauer 45 series pump has been supplied either with a 13
tooth by 7/8” shaft, or a 15 tooth 1” shaft. If we are not sure which kind you need
we will send the coupling as well so that it is sure to fit.
10
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
Parts List Hydracore 2000 Steel HQ head with 107cc 110cc or 160cc motor
Not shown VA 150 water excluder seal, and seal holder ring.
11
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
12
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
13
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
14
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
Parts list
Hydracore 2000 5” mast with double hollow cylinders
Top picture
Item Description Part Number Quantity
Bottom picture
Item Description Part Number Quantity
15
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
16
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
On machine #273 the cylinders are similar to above, except the piston rod is hollow.
The seal kit is the same. The part number for the hollow rod is 43707H. The part
number for the piston is 43708H. The part number for the cylinder is 43704H. On
machines #274 and up the piston is changed to a 43708H2 which also requires
different seals. The two seals 43710 are replaced by one, 18702125-375UNI.
17
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
18
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
19
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
20
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
21
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
22
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
23
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
6. Skid
7. Suction fittings
8. Outlet fittings
9. Plug
24
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
25
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
26
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
Hydracore 2000 winch, and other similar winches. We have manufactured several winches using the same
basic components. The Drum is available in three lengths, 6”, 12”, and 18”. Two different diameters have
been used for the drum, 14” and 16”. Various different hydraulic motors have been fitted to meet customer
requirements.
27
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
28
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
Mud Mixer
Item Description Part Number Quantity
1. Mounting Grommets 3
2. Propeller M037 1
3. Motor MGG200-16-BA-1A3 1
4. Housing M038 1
5. Frame M038F 1
Hoses F4210606-6-6-240” 2
Quick disconnects S40-3 1
Adapters 0103-6-6 2
Adapters 0603-8-6 2
Adapters 0353-8-8 2
29
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
Foot Clamp 3 ¼”
1. Cylinder 2
Seal kit 2
Piston rod 2
Inner gland 2
Outer gland 2
Piston 2
2. Spacer 4
3. Housing
4. Bearing (not shown) available in sizes
BQ
NQ
HQ
HW
5. Fittings
6. Hoses
7 Jaws 2
30
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
These Drills have one CP222 gear pump, One 45 series pressure compensated pump, one
SNP2 gear pump, and a Dynex 4 piston pump. The CP222 pump is the main pump, it
operates the main motor, cylinder fast feed and winch. The pressure compensated pump
runs the slow feed, clamp, chuck, mixers, and is used for bypassing oil to the main circuit
for triconing, also oil can be used from this pump for the water pump fast valve to make
the pump go fast to pump the tube. The small gear pump is used for the water pump
only. One piston from the four piston pump supplies oil to the hydraulic accumulator.
The other three pistons are used to provide the 5000 psi for rod breaking, when the head
is in reverse.
Main Pump
The main pump supplies 54 GPM on the 100 HP machines, or 62 GPM on the 115 or 137
HP machines, to the main valve bank, through a check valve. It sucks it’s oil from the
bottom of the tank, but the position of the suction hose is right below the outlet of the
main filter, so the oil is pushed into the suction to some extent. Also teed into the main
outlet line is a big ball valve. By opening this ball valve all the oil from the main pump
can be diverted back to tank. This is only done when it is necessary to slow the rotation
motor down to about 100 RPMs for tri coning.
31
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
have 4 postions with a detent only for the fourth (float position) ( some machine just have
three position valves. The main valve bank can be supplied with oil from the main pump,
but also when necessary the triconing valve can be screwed in to transfer some oil from
the pressure compenstated pump. This is normally done with the main pump bypass ball
valve open and then allows extra slow rotation that is required for Triconing.
This valve is a closed center valve, it gets its pressure from the pressure compensated
pump. It has a built in relief valve which is set at a higher pressure than the compensator
on the pump so that oil is not normally relieved by this valve. The valve has 4 detented
positions, up down, neutral and float.
Dynex Pump
This is the blue pump that is furthest from the engine. It is a very special pump. It has
four pistons operated by a swash plate. This pump gets it’s oil supply from the return
circuit rather than the tank. This is because this pump requires a pressurized suction line
in order to work at this speed. The entry of oil into and out of each piston is controlled
by check valves. This makes this pump much more resistant to the effects of
contamination that a typical piston pump. These valves also make it possible to separtate
the flow of oil from each piston. Each piston pumps about 1 GPM. On this drill the flow
from one of the pistons goes to charge the accumulator which is used for the clamping
and chucking. The accumulator charging pressure is set by a relief valve at 1700 psi.
The other three pistons provide the high pressure that is necessary to break rod joints.
The pressure in reverse is controlled by the port relief built into the B port on that valve.
This is set at the Hydracore shop at 5000 psi. This pressure does not show on the torque
gauge, and extra guage has to be installed to check this pressure.
Rotation Motor
The rotation motor is a Rexroth, or Sauer bent axis variable displacement motor.
Maximum displacement is 160cc. Minimum displacement is adjusted by means of a
screw on the underside of the motor so that the motor cannot turn faster than its
maximum rated speed. At this speed the head turns at 1500 RPMs. While drilling the
speed of the head can be adjusted by a pressure reducing valve on the panel. This valves
pressure source is the foot clamp hose. As long as the foot clamp is open there is
pressure in this hose so the pressure reducing valve will set the displacement of the main
motor. As soon as the foot clamp is closed there will be no pressure in the footclamp
hose, and therefore no pressure to the pressure reducing valve. There is also a check
32
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
valve that connects the speed control hose to the clamp hose. Because of these circuits
the drill head is automatically in slow speed whenever the footclamp is closed. This way
the drill head will always have the maximum torque available for rod breaking, when the
footclamp is closed.
It is very important that if this motor is ever replaced the case is filled with oil before the
motor is operated.
Footclamp
The hydraulic footclamp is closed by gas pressure in the accumulator that is mounted
near the winch in an aluminum pipe. The accumulator is charged with 1200 PSI of
nitrogen. The normal operating pressure of the accumulator is 2400 PSI. The
accumulator is charged to 1700 psi with oil from the single piston of the dynex pump,
this pressure is controlled by a relief valve. The oil pressure in the accumulator gets up to
a higher pressure, than this relief valve setting because of the surges of pressure due to
the opening and closing of the footclamp. Oil is prevented from going out of the
accumulator by a check valve. The 2400 PSI accumulator pressure pushes constantly on
the pistons of the footclamp. When the footclamp is opened 2500 PSI is applied to the
inner side of the two pistons. The pistons of the footclamp have a larger area on the
opening side than the closing side of the piston due to the piston rods on the outside side
being larger than the inner piston rod. Due to the larger area of the opening side of the
piston the cylinder will open even though the pressure on the two sides of the piston is
equal. Sometimes it is possible because of surges in the pump pressure or re setting of
the pump pressure that the accumulator build up more than the system pressure. If this
happens the foot clamp will not work and some oil will have to be drained from the
accumulator to restore function, by loosening one of the hose fittings.
This footclamp has some of the advantages of a spring operated footlamp (failsafe
operation, only one hose required) and some of the advantages of a hydraulic one ( large
operating range, less problem with corrosion, and compactness)
33
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
Small Winch
Most of these machines are equipped with the small winch for hoisting drill rods into
position. This winch is operated by a small 4 way 4 position valve on the left side of the
panel. This valve gets it’s oil supply from the pressure compensated pump. The valve
has a pressure relief valve screwed onto the port that is for hoisting. This way the
strength of the winch is reduced so it will not pull too hard on the hoist line. Also if the
driller forgets to put the valve in float as he should when drilling, this relief valve
prevents the winch from locking which would also break the cable. This valve has a built
in relief which normally is just screwed right in so that no oil will be relieved from the
pressure compensated circuit.
34
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
35
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
Heat Exchanger
The heat exchanger has to have water running through it most of the time while the
engine is running to keep the hydraulics cool. The water must not be under pressure.
Usually the water supply line is run through the cooler before it goes into the water tank.
Do not hook the heat exchanger to the waterswivel hose, the pressure will be too much.
Foot Clamp
There is only one hose that connects dirrectly to the foot clamp. It is a 3/8 inch hose with
a female quick disconnect fitting. It could be confused with one of the hoses for the
hydraulic chuck except that it is a lot shorter and would not reach the chuck especially if
the head was all the way up. There is also a hose that goes from the powerpack to the
accumulator, which is mounted in the aluminum pipe near the winch. This hose has a
special screw together quick disconnect that is the only one of this type on the machine.
This type of connection is used because it can be connected and disconnected under
pressure.
Drill Head
There are 6 hoses that have to be connected to the drill head. The two main rotation hoses
are 1 inch hoses one with a 5,000 PSI pressure rating. The case drain line hooks on just
below the main rotation hoses. It is a 5/8 inch hose. If this line is not installed the main
rotation motor will be damaged. There are two 3/8 inch hoses for the chuck cylinders. A
¼” hose is used on the line for the displacement control on the top of the motor. All
these hoses except the case drain and the two 1” hoses have quick disconnects. These
hoses should be grouped together and held with bungee cords so that they can move
freely when the head goes up and down.
36
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
The Cylinder
Two separate hoses ¾ inch with quick disconnects are provided for the cylinder. The
longer one should be used for the top fitting on the cylinder. Make sure they are hooked
up so that they don’t hook on anything when the cylinder goes up and down.
The Winch
Two separate hoses 5/8 inch by 10 feet long are provided for the winch. These hoses are
also used for the lifting cylinder when adjusting the angle of the mast.
Most of these machines are equipped with a small hoist for lifting the rods into position
above the drill head. This winch has three lines, two 3/8” lines with quick disconnects
and one case drain line that is directly screwed onto the winch.
37
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
Power Pack
The following maintenance intervals should be adhered to based on usage of two shifts
per day, five or seven days a week, for maximum life of the hydraulic components.
Daily
The hydraulic oil level should be checked, the level should be checked only when the
hydraulic cylinder is fully retracted (down). The level should be within the range of the
sight level guage. Only clean oil from a closed container should be added. AW 32
hydraulic oil is recommended, but any good quality mineral based hydraulic oil can be
used. If the oil goes down every day the leak should be located and fixed. The engine oil
level should be checked, with the dipstick. The coolant level can be checked visually in
the transparent reservoir. The fuel filter can be drained with the valve at the bottom to
check for water in the fuel.
Weekly
Change the engine oil and oil filter. Use the oil recommended by the engine
manufacturer.
Monthly
The hydraulic return filters and fuel filter should be changed.
Once a Year
The hydraulic pumps and the main hydraulic motor should be removed and sent to a
qualified hydraulic repair shop for overhaul. The auxiliary hydraulic pump is a cheaper
pump and it is probably cheaper to replace it than to repair it. While the pumps are off it
would be a good time to check the condition of the drive coupling on the flywheel. Seal
should be replaced in the main rams and the clamp cylinders. Also one year is the
expected life of the main bearings in the drill head.
38
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
Daily
The whole drill should be washed every day to reduce the amount of dirt accumulating on
the slides. The foot clamp should be greased as well as the winch.
As Required
If the hydraulic cylinder leaks it will have to be removed from the feed frame to replace
the seals. Keeping the cylinder clean will reduce the wear on the seals. Metal shavings
from the chuck jaws are particularly bad for the cylinder, they tend to fall out of the
chuck when pulling rods. Using the proper sized hood bushing when pulling helps to
prevent the rods dragging on the jaws.
If the saddle has more than 1/8 free play, then plastic sliders need replacing. To do this
the head will have to be removed and the saddle will have to be removed from the mast
for new sliders to be inserted.
Drill Head
Daily
The 3 grease nipples should be greased thin lithium based grease. The main head
bearings are large and should have about six shots per shift. There is a hidden grease
nipple that is only visible when the chuck is open it is on a seal ring, just under the yoke
that opens the head this should be greased a few shots each shift. Keeping this seal well
greased will prevent any water from entering the head bearings. The three grease nipples
on the bowl that are for the jaws need to be greased with the chuck open as well,
otherwise no grease can be forced in. The chuck will operate much better if this is not
overlooked. Also one of the grease nipples at the top of the bowl should be greased.
Monthly
The tension in the drive belt should be checked. The belt should be adjusted so that there
is at least 1/8” (3mm) of movement in the belt when the full force of all your fingers is
applied to the back of the belt midway between the pulleys. The tension should be
checked when the head is at operating temperature. ( On the aluminum head especially
the expansion of the head when it is hot causes the belt to tighten) Operating with the
belt very slack may damage the belt. Operating with the belt tight may break the motor
shaft.
As Required
If the belt snaps it can be replaced by removing the two covers on the front of the
head and unbolting the motor so that it can be tilted forwards. It may also help to To
remove the front pulley flange, that is screwed into the pulley. If the bearings require
39
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
replacement it is not necessary to remove the chuck. If the bearings are to be replaced on
the job the easiest way to dismantle the head may be by using the machines hydraulic
cylinder to remove the bearings.
There are several ways of doing this. These are the steps I recommend.
1. Remove the covers belt and hydraulic motor.
2. Remove the chuck hood, opener yoke and cylinders.
3. Remove the 12 bolts from the nut on the bottom end of the main shaft then
unscrew the nut, and remove the hardened washer behind it.
4. Install an HQ rod or NW casing in the footclamp with a sub to a smaller size
rod screwed in the end. Have the end of this rod or casing sticking up out of
the footclamp about 18”.
5. Install a BQ or NQ rod bushing in the lower end of the main shaft
6. This will push the main shaft out the top of the head with the chuck still
attached to the rod. The main pulley and the keys and maybe a spacer will
drop out. Be carefull not to lose the keys Then unscrew the rod from the rod
that is still in the footclamp.
7. Remove the cover plate that holds the bearings.
8. Find a sub that is just a bit bigger than the hole in the inner race of the
bearings.
9. Screw the sub onto the rod which is sticking up from the footclamp, and them
bring the head down again. The two bearings, and the inner and outer race
spacers will be pushed out.
10. Re assembly is basically the opposite of the disassembly. It may be necessary
to use the same subs as before, but with the rods turned upside down, so that
the big part of the sub can be above the head to push the bearings back in first,
and then the shaft. All the seals should be replaced along with the bearings.
If the bearings are purchased locally make sure that they are the C3 fit
bearings. These loser fit bearings have the greater axial load capacity required
in this drill head. The head bearings are fitted fairly loosely to the shaft and
are quite a loose fit in the housing. The bearings are prevented from spinning
on the shaft by being clamped by the twelve bolts on the nut on the end of the
shaft. By using many small bolts a lot of pressure is created without having to
use a lot of torque on a huge nut. The bearing is clamped in the housing also
by the pressure of the cover plate bolts. Greasing the outside and inside of the
bearings helps with assembly. The bearings should be packed about half full
of grease before installation. The hardest part of re assembly will likely be
getting the shaft to go through the upper seal in the plate without displacing
the spring on the seal. It may be easier to leave the plate loose and before the
shaft is right down into the bearing the plate can be lifted into position, the
seal checked and then the shaft pulled down the last bit into the bearings.
To re install the pulley once it is started on the shaft it can be pulled in using the nut with
the twelve bolts as pushers. Make sure the sealing ring goes behind the pulley and the
hardened washer goes between the pulley and the nut with the twelve bolts. The washer
is hardened so that the bolts will not dig into the washer. There is a total of at least
30,000 lbs of force on the twelve bolts.
40
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
The operating instructions will be split into two sections. The first section will explain
the function and location of each of the controls and gauges. The second section will
describe how the controls and gauges can be used to perform all the tasks to do with
drilling.
Control Functions
Controls
From the left to the right on the control panel these are the controls listed in order.
1. The foot clamp and hydraulic chuck valve, a small rotary handle, three
positions. Turning the handle right, opens the chuck and closes the foot
clamp. Turning the handle left, opens the foot clamp and closes the chuck.
In the center position both the clamp and chuck are closed.
41
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
2. The clamp lock valve is just below the foot clamp and chuck valve, on the
front of the panel and can be used to lock the foot clamp open or closed.
3. Water pump fast lever. This is not as shown in the photo. It actually looks
the same as valve 8. This valve should be used to make the water pump go
extra fast for pumping the tube. It should not be used when drilling, except if
just a bit more water is needed for example when drilling HQ. Using it while
drilling will cause a loss of efficiency. The valve can then be run one two or
three clicks open. Beyond that the feed pressure may be reduced.
4. The displacement control pressure reducing valve knob is above the mud
mixer valve. Turning this knob in will increase the speed of the drill head and
reduce the available torque. This valve is only functional when the foot
clamp is open. Because of this the drill head will automatically be in the
slow speed high torque mode, whenever a rod joint it being made up or
broken.
5. The main rotation lever, vertical handle sticks out of the top of the panel. Out
is forwards back is reverse. Moving the lever back slightly is slow reverse
and up to 5000 PSI is possible. When the lever is moved back more then
higher speeds are possible in reverse , but only up to the main relief pressure,
which is set at 3000 PSI. The high pressure in reverse is set by the small
relief valve that is just behind the main rotation lever. This was pre set at
5000 PSI and should not be tampered with. A separate guage is required to
set this rod breaking pressure.
6. The winch lever, is vertical, four positions. Out is down, back is up. Back
all the way is float. The lever is spring centered to neutral with a detent for
float.
7. The cylinder fast feed valve, vertical handle, four positions, Out is down ,
back is up. Back all the way is float.
8. The water pump lever a black lever on the front of the panel controls pump
speed.
9. The cylinder fine feed valve, controls the oil flow out of the cylinder in
conjunction with the slow feed lever.
10. The cylinder slow feed lever, horizontal handle, controls the slow movement
of the cylinder. It has four positions, all detented.
11. Engine throttle.
12. Engine stop
Not Shown, to the left of 3 is the small winch control lever. This has 4 positions up
down neutral and float.
42
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
Not shown, on the left side of the drill low down, two mud mixer controls, the
triconing valve, and the main pump by pass valve.
B. The Main pump pressure gauge, indicates the pressure of the main pump
which indicates the drill head output torque. The normal range for drilling is
1500 to 2800 PSI.
C. The cylinder pressure gauge, which is used to estimate bit weight. Every
1000 Lbs of cylinder off pressure is about 8000 Lbs of cylinder force. (when
both cylinders are connected)
D. Filter indicator gauge. This gauge should stay in the green area when
drilling, once the oil has warmed up. If not the filter is clogged and should be
renewed.
E. The hydraulic reservoir temperature gauge, on the right side of the tank. The
oil normally runs about 120 to 150 degrees F. The maximum allowable
temperature is 180 degrees. The heat exchanger must have water flow at all
times to keep the oil cool. If the reservior gets hotter than this maximum the
cause will have to be determined and the problem fixed. Be carefull that if
the Triconing valve is backed out all the way if it is not being used.
Drilling Tasks
These are the tasks that have to be performed to drill.
1. Positioning the drill.
2. Collaring the hole and anchoring.
3. Drilling a run.
4. Pulling the tube.
5. Pulling rods and putting them back in.
43
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
The hoses from the small winch can be connected to the lifting cylinder to set the
angle. The mast raising cylinder has a restricted fitting to slow the raising and
lowering of the mast. The drill head should be positioned at the bottom of it’s
stroke while setting the angle. Once the angle is set the legs will have to be
attached to the top of the mast with the 1” pins, and locked to the correct length
with the clamps.
3. Drilling a Run
There are several ways the controls can be used while drilling a run.
First the tube must be locked and the water pump set to run at a suitable speed. In
order to get the water pump to pump the tube really quickly the oil from the
pressure compensated pump can be added to the pump circuit by using the water
pump fast lever on the left side of the panel. The rods should be started turning
gradually by pulling the rotation lever out. To start the feed the slow feed lever
should be used in conjunction with the fine feed valve. The slow feed lever is
pushed down one notch from neutral to feed the rods in. The cylinder has an
initial surge when the slow feed lever is put into the down position. This lever
also has a float position which can be useful to find the bottom of the hole, or on
down holes where after a certain depth when there is no off pressure you can drill
with the weight of the rods. In this float position the fine feed valve still controls
the feed rate, and can still be used to hold the cylinder back. The cylinder fast
feed lever also has a float but it is not much use for anything. If while drilling it
is necessary to back up to ream the hole or to try to run over a block the machine
can be backed up using the slow feed lever and fine feed valve on down holes.
At the beginning of each run the rotation pressure with the rods off bottom turning
at full speed should be noted so that once drilling commences you will know
exactly how much torque pressure is being used at the bit. The bit torque pressure
will remain in the same range right from the beginning to the end of the hole; only
the torque to turn the rods will increase.
Also at the beginning of each run note the cylinder pressure gauge reading before
the bit is on bottom with the slow feed lever in the position you are using for
drilling which may be down or float. This way the amount of off pressure can be
44
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
noted once drilling commences, this will remain in the same range also right from
the beginning to the end of the hole.
Also every once in a while it is good to measure the penetration rate in inches per
minute so that in combination with the pressure readings the performance of the
bit can be judged.
Although the operation of the footclamp and head are not synchronized with the
cylinder rod pulling is made easy by the simple layout of the controls. The foot
clamp and chuck are both operated by the same lever, and in no lever position are
both the foot clamp and chuck open at the same time. The only time when the
rods could be dropped is when a rod joint has just been broken. If the foot clamp
is opened after the rod joint is broken but before the drill head has been moved
back forward the rods will be dropped.
For breaking rod joints the machine has up to 1800 ft-lbs of torque available in
reverse . While pulling or lowering rods it is best to leave the cylinder slow feed
lever in the float position with the fine feed valve cracked open ¼ turn. The
cylinder will work much more smoothly with the valve in this position. The
engine will not have to work as hard. Also the head will follow the rod threads as
they are screwing or unscrewing. To break rods the joint should be positioned
45
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
about 3 feet behind the foot clamp. The clamp and chuck lever should be put in
the center position so that both the clamp and chuck are closed, then the rotation
lever can be put in reverse to break the rod joint. Oil at up to 5000 psi is provided
by the Dynex pump when the rotation lever is pushed back a bit. When the lever
is pushed back further the pressure available goes down , but the speed is faster.
Caution; the drill head is screwed onto the spindle with a left hand thread which
can come undone when a rod joint is broken especially when the drill is new or
the chuck was recently overhauled. If the drill head does come unscrewed as long
as it only came undone a few threads it can be quickly screwed back on by putting
the machine in float and running the head forward fairly fast until the thread
suddenly bottoms out. It is best if this is done with a rod in the clamp and chuck
with no joint in between otherwise the rod joint will be excessively tightened. If
the chuck comes unscrewed again, then tighten it a little more by screwing it on a
little faster. The rod joint should be tightened slowly, with the fast feed lever in
float, so that it doesn’t get too tight when the joint bottoms out.
6. Triconing
Warning, using this valve can cause excessive heat, you will have to be
carefull to make sure the temperature of the hydraulic oil remains below 180
degrees F.
The drill in it’s standard drilling mode can only rotate at a minimum speed of 500
RPMs. This is too fast for Triconing, so a separate circuit is provided that can
slow the rotation right down to 100 RPMs or less required for Triconing. To use
this circuit the big ball valve on the side of the machine first has to be opened.
This will bypass all the oil from the main pump back to tank. Then the Triconing
valve, which is the small red valve on the left side of the machine will have to be
screwed in a few turns. This bypasses some of the oil from the pressure
compensated pump to the rotation circuit. This valve can only be adjusted when
the machine is turned off, other wise it will be to stiff. Screw the triconing valve
in the minimum amount that you need so that you have enough power.
You should start triconing with the head speed control turned all the way out.
Once you start Triconing the torque pressure should be between 1800 and 2500
psi. If the torque pressure is lower than 1800 PSI then it would be best if you
turned the triconing valve out a bit and then speed the head up using the speed
control to bring the torque up. This is mainly to reduce the amount of heat caused
by the triconing valve. The valve will create more heat the more oil that is being
pumped through it. If the pressure is being used it doesn’t create heat, it is only
when it is not being used. If you are not triconing, idle the engine down so less
heat is caused, and keep looking at the temperature gauge. If it gets up to 180
degrees then turn the engine off, unscrew the triconing valve, turn the engine back
on, and then the oil will quickly cool back down. Once the oil has cooled you can
start drilling again. You may even find that the oil will cool down while you are
advancing the bit and will heat up just while you are adding rods. It doesn’t
matter as long as the temperature remains below 180 degrees F.
46
Hydracore Drills Ltd. Gopher Manportable Drill
47