🔍 Key Concepts

• Hydraulic system contamination effects on pumps, motors, and valves • Difference between gradual wear and damage vs. immediate catastrophic failure • How solid particles in oil typically affect close-clearance moving parts

💭 Think About

• Which component in a hydraulic system has very close tolerances and would be most sensitive to abrasive dirt in the oil? • Would dirt in the sump usually cause a slow degradation over time, or a sudden, immediate failure of everything at once? • Think about real-world behavior: does contamination usually change lifting capacity directly, or damage internal components that then affect performance over time?

✅ Before You Answer

• Eliminate options that describe immediate and dramatic failures that are unlikely from normal dirt contamination. • Focus on choices that involve internal moving parts with close clearances (pump/motor) rather than external coverings or sheathing. • Ask whether the effect described would be a gradual wear problem or a sudden one-time event; contamination is usually linked to gradual wear.