We provide hydraulic testing, rebuilding, and custom machining for drilling rig components serving operators throughout Denver, the DJ Basin, and the broader Front Range.

Drilling operations depend on hydraulic systems that run under extreme pressure, heavy cyclic loading, and harsh field conditions, often far from a service center. When a rotary head, hydraulic motor, or power unit starts losing performance, the cost of downtime on an active rig far exceeds the cost of repair.

Rotary/drill heads — the hydraulic motors and gearboxes driving rotary heads on water well, geothermal, and exploration rigs see constant high-torque cycling and are among the most common rebuilds we handle. Worn bearings, scored gear sets, and seal failures from drilling fluid contamination are typical.

Top drive hydraulic systems — hydraulic motors, valves, and actuators within top drive assemblies that control rotation, hoisting, and makeup/breakout functions.

Mud pump hydraulics — hydraulic drive motors and control circuits on mud pump systems, where contamination from drilling fluid is a leading cause of premature wear.

Feed and pulldown cylinders — hydraulic cylinders responsible for applying down-pressure and controlled feed during drilling, subject to high side-load and contamination.

Hydraulic power units (HPUs) — pumps, motors, valves, and manifolds that supply the entire rig’s hydraulic circuits, often running continuously in dusty, high-vibration environments.

Winches and hoist drive motors — hydraulic motors used in wireline, casing, and auxiliary hoist systems on smaller rigs.

Diagnostic Testing

Every component that comes into our shop is tested on our hydraulic test bench before any work begins, establishing baseline flow, pressure, speed, volumetric efficiency, and case drain rate. This pinpoints whether the issue is internal wear in a gear set, motor, valve, or cylinder, and whether a rebuild will restore full performance or replacement is the smarter path. After rebuild, every unit is bench-tested again against OEM specifications before it ships back to the field.

Common Failure Modes

Drilling fluid and abrasive cuttings are the primary enemy of hydraulic components on a rig. We commonly find internal leakage from worn gear sets or piston/cylinder clearances, scored valve plates and gear faces, shaft seal failure from contamination ingress, worn bearings causing shaft play and vibration, and cylinder rod scoring or seal extrusion from side-loading. Front Range temperature swings — hot summer days followed by sub-zero nights — also stress seals and fluid viscosity, particularly on rigs that sit idle between jobs.

Custom & OEM-Spec Machining

Many drilling rig components are specialized, older, or built by manufacturers no longer in business. When parts aren’t available off the shelf, we machine new components in-house — shafts, gear sets, valve plates, housings, cylinder rods, and wear plates — manufactured to OEM tolerances. This keeps rigs running without weeks of downtime waiting on hard-to-source parts.

Our Rebuild Process

Every component receives a full teardown and inspection, cleaning and parts evaluation, machining or sourcing of replacement parts, precision reassembly with new seals, bearings, and wear components, and final bench testing to confirm performance meets or exceeds OEM specifications.