Machine Builders Network+ Forums Machine Builders Network Tech Resources/Skills Hydraulics Hyd. pump mount position

On hydraulic pumps, can all/most of them be mounted standing on end? --- Was asking cause I need to make a system using a vertical crank shaft engine for the power unit and wanted to run pump either belt or direct connect. --- never seen one this way so ideas???? Also drive end could be either up or down --- would that make a difference or is one way better than the other?

I don't see how it would matter the orientation. Belt or inline driven is another thing though. If you belt drive something you put side force on the outboard bearing from the belt tension. If a pump is designed to be direct driven, it won't have the right bearings to be belt driven. You can drive a jack shaft mounted on bearings with a belt then direct drive the pump from the jack shaft. That way you isolate the belt forces from the input shaft of the pump. The bearings take all the side force.

Only thing about orientation is making sure the hydraulic fluid is flowing correctly to the suction and it's not sucking air on initial startup.

Got it on the pump style --- was told a long time ago that pump must be designed for belt/chain drive and direct would have to have outboard bearing mount. One of my pumps is belt drive off of an old combine and the other had been direct front crank mount with thick flex plate to cushion it. This one would need the outboard bearing. I have one that according to specs. could run belt/chain/or direct. Just have to watch which one I use.
On the res. mount, I always put them above the pump a bit so fluid is gravity fed down to the pumps to keep air from being sucked in.
These pumps I have do have rotational arrows on them. The specs. on one is either way---just gotta hook the hoses to the right port!
Just never mounted one on end before. could run with twist belt and put pump horizontal but dont really want too.---prefer straight runs on the v-belts IF possible.

a Lot of stuff is coming with vertically mounted direct drive power plants. Sonny, if you have a pump that is bi-directional then you can direct couple it. the pump on the mini hoe is designed for direct drive But it's belt driven due to space availability on the front end of the shaft. it also allowed me to set in a slight speed reduction because it's a 11 GPM 2 stage pump. it's been in operation since 2005 and still kicking without any issues and no jackshaft. it's most likely because with the 2 stage pump it doesn't really load the belt too much once that 2nd stage drops out under load in it drops to 2.8 GPM. direct drive pumps normally have needle bearings on the drive end and they are not designed for radial thrust. I've just been lucky and also cautious to keep the belt tension at the min. required to prevent slippage. if it goes out on me I'll re design it. Got enough to fix with pivot bushings for now.