Total Hydraulics

Total Hydraulics Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Total Hydraulics, Commercial & Industrial, 11571 Eburne Way, Richmond, BC.

With over 30+ years of custom hydraulic hands-on experience, we're the experts for onsite and in-house repairs; hydraulic system design and sales of parts and accessories across the marine, forestry, construction and oil & gas sectors.

A hydraulic failure on a crane barge doesn't cost you an hour. It costs you the morning, sometimes the whole day.Swipe t...
06/02/2026

A hydraulic failure on a crane barge doesn't cost you an hour. It costs you the morning, sometimes the whole day.

Swipe through to see what a single failure actually costs, why most repairs don't stick, and what changes when you fix the cause instead of the symptom.

If your equipment is showing early signs, give us a call. Happy to talk it through.

[email protected] | 604-277-1282

When ShuttleLift SB mobile gantry cranes go up on a project like the Port of Anchorage Terminal 1 Modernization, there's...
05/28/2026

When ShuttleLift SB mobile gantry cranes go up on a project like the Port of Anchorage Terminal 1 Modernization, there's no room for improvisation. Equipment at that scale and load rating requires someone who knows the machines from the ground up, not someone trying to figure it out, working from a manual.

Our owner, Geoff, is a factory-certified technician for ShuttleLift and Marine Travelift. That certification isn't common in BC. It means when clients are working with this equipment under a tight timeline, they have someone in their corner who's been trained by the manufacturer to commission and support it.

The timeline on this project was incredibly short. Production was behind, and it was all hands on deck. That's exactly the situation where having the right credentials and the right people makes the difference.

Thanks to Kendrick Equipment for bringing us in on this one.

If you're running ShuttleLift or Marine Travelift equipment in BC, it's worth knowing we have that capability.

Most hydraulic failures aren't sudden. The system tells you first.Swipe through the 5 signs experienced operators know t...
05/26/2026

Most hydraulic failures aren't sudden. The system tells you first.

Swipe through the 5 signs experienced operators know to watch for and what each one is actually telling you about what's happening inside the system.

If you're seeing any of these, it's worth a conversation before it becomes a breakdown.

[email protected] | 604-277-1282

Over the past two posts, we’ve shared some of Geoff McCauley’s observations from marine and forestry applications, the k...
05/21/2026

Over the past two posts, we’ve shared some of Geoff McCauley’s observations from marine and forestry applications, the kinds of issues that don’t always get flagged early. For mining and oil & gas operations, Geoff sees a different pattern.

Mining & Oil/Gas Insight #3: Cold starts do more damage than people think.

In remote or northern operations, equipment often sits in cold conditions for hours, sometimes overnight. Then it starts under load. As Geoff put it, that combination is harder on hydraulic components than most people realize.

• Cold oil is thick.
• Clearances tighten.
• Full lubrication film hasn’t established yet.

If the system is immediately pushed to high load, micro-scoring can begin before temperatures stabilize. Nothing fails that day, but months later:

• Efficiency drops.
• Valves begin sticking.
• Pumps lose performance sooner than expected.

As with the other tips we've shared, nothing blows apart. There’s no single failure moment.
You just start seeing pumps and valves that don’t last as long as they should, and in many cases, it comes down to startup habits.

- A bit of warm-up time.
- Using the right viscosity for the climate.
- Not pushing full load the second the machine turns over.

In mining and oil & gas, startup protocol helps protect capital. Hydraulics don’t usually fail suddenly; they degrade predictably.

If you have any issues with your mining hydraulic equipment, contact us at [email protected].

Last week, we talked about how moisture quietly shortens the life of marine hydraulic systems.This week, we’re shifting ...
05/19/2026

Last week, we talked about how moisture quietly shortens the life of marine hydraulic systems.
This week, we’re shifting to something we see regularly in forestry equipment, and it’s rarely the first thing people check.

Forestry Insight #2: It’s not always “wear.”

When a hydraulic motor fails in a harvester or mulcher, it’s often blamed on heavy loads or tough operating conditions, but as our CEO, Geoff McCauley, pointed out, the real issue is frequently case drain pressure. Most teams are watching system pressure, but very few are measuring what’s happening on the return side.

When case drain pressure creeps above spec:
• Bearing life drops
• Shaft seals start leaking
• Internal leakage increases
• Heat builds faster than it should

Like many hydraulic issues, it doesn’t look dramatic at first. It just looks like a motor that “didn’t last as long as expected.” In many cases, it’s plumbing: undersized drain lines, restricted returns, or shared circuits that create backpressure.

If you’re running high-load forestry equipment, case drain pressure is worth measuring, rather than assuming.

Contamination causes more than 70% of hydraulic failures. Most repair invoices don't mention it.That's because contamina...
05/15/2026

Contamination causes more than 70% of hydraulic failures. Most repair invoices don't mention it.

That's because contamination isn't what the work order asks you to fix. The pump fails, you replace the pump. The cylinder leaks, you reseal it. The contamination that caused the failure stays in the system and starts working on the next component.

What contamination actually looks like in the fluid:

Dark fluid means oxidation and thermal degradation — the oil has been running hot or it's overdue for a change.

Milky fluid means water ingress. It doesn't clear up on its own. It accelerates internal corrosion and depletes additives faster than heat alone would.

Fine particles in a sample mean internal wear are already circulating through the system, which means they've reached other components beyond the one that failed.

The fix is usually not expensive. Regular oil sampling, filtration matched to system requirements, and correct fluid specification for the environment. These aren't advanced concepts. They're just consistently under-invested in across most operations we see.

If you're seeing repeat failures on the same system, the fluid is worth looking at first.

For more information on our services, click the link below.

[email protected] | 604-277-1282

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be sharing a few insights from our CEO, Geoff McCauley.These aren’t the usual “chan...
05/12/2026

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be sharing a few insights from our CEO, Geoff McCauley.These aren’t the usual “change your filters” reminders. They’re the quieter system issues we see across marine, forestry, mining, and oil & gas, the ones that tend to get missed until something starts acting up.

Marine Insight #1: Most failures don’t start with a broken part.

In marine hydraulics, they usually start with moisture. Reservoirs breathe. On the coast, that breathing pulls in humid, salt-heavy air every time temperatures shift or fluid levels change.
Nothing dramatic happens at first, but over time:

• Water ppm increases.
• Additives are consumed more quickly.
• Surfaces within pumps and motors become dull before being detected.

As Geoff put it, by the time a winch feels a bit slower or noisier under load, the clearances inside may already be moving. If you’re running marine power packs, propulsion drives, or torque motors, it’s worth paying attention to:

• Properly sized desiccant breathers
• Trending water content over time — not just checking for dirt
• Using Karl Fischer testing when you really need accuracy

Moisture doesn’t cause instant failure. It just shortens the runway, and in marine hydraulics, that runway is your uptime.

If you have a specific issue you'd like to talk to Geoff about, please reach out at [email protected]

Most hydraulic failures don’t start where you think they do.We’ve seen pumps replaced, seals swapped, even full rebuilds...
05/05/2026

Most hydraulic failures don’t start where you think they do.

We’ve seen pumps replaced, seals swapped, even full rebuilds… only for the same issue to come back weeks later.

The root cause in many cases is contamination.

Sometimes it’s moisture entering through the normal breathing system. Sometimes fine debris from internal wear.

Over time, this:
• breaks down oil quality
• increases internal wear
• shortens component life

We don’t just replace parts — we look at oil, filtration, and where contamination is entering.

Fixing the symptom is quick. Fixing the cause prevents repeat failures.

Are you seeing more contamination-related issues lately?

Most ferry or barge delays don’t start with engines.They start with hydraulics.What we’re seeing more of:• moisture cont...
04/30/2026

Most ferry or barge delays don’t start with engines.

They start with hydraulics.

What we’re seeing more of:
• moisture contamination
• slower response times
• seal degradation tied to oil condition

These issues build slowly.

Operators who stay ahead:
• test oil regularly
• act on early warning signs
• don’t wait for full failure

Downtime in the marine industry is expensive.

What’s the first sign you notice before a failure?

One of the biggest misconceptions in hydraulic repair is pricing upfront.With custom equipment, you don’t know the full ...
04/28/2026

One of the biggest misconceptions in hydraulic repair is pricing upfront.

With custom equipment, you don’t know the full scope of the issue until teardown.

We’ve seen jobs look simple on the outside but reveal major internal wear.

Our process:
1. Initial assessment
2. Full inspection
3. Accurate quote based on findings

There are always multiple solutions. The goal is choosing the right one.

Do you have an estimating model you prefer?

Address

11571 Eburne Way
Richmond, BC
V6V2M1

Opening Hours

Monday 7:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 7:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 7:30am - 5pm
Thursday 7:30am - 5pm
Friday 7:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+16048615014

Website

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