2000 Hour Service Checklist: The Big One for Heavy Plant

What the 2000 hour service is for

The 2000 hour service is the big one. It includes everything in the 250, 500 and 1000 hour services, plus the oils, filters and inspections that only come around every 2000 hours. On many machines this is when the hydraulic oil gets changed, and it is a good time to judge the long-term health of the machine.

For a machine working full time, 2000 hours is roughly a year. Treat it like a planned shutdown: book it, line up the parts, and decide in advance whether repairs found during the service will be done straight away or scheduled.

This is a general guide, not a service manual. Service items and intervals vary by make, model, attachments and working conditions. Always follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule and manual for each machine, and have servicing done by someone qualified to do it. Use this page to plan and check your work, not to replace the manual.

2000 hour service checklist

Everything from the 250, 500 and 1000

Engine oil and filter, greasing, fuel and cab filters, drivetrain oils that are due, hydraulic filters, oil samples and the inspections. See the 250, 500 and 1000 hour checklists.

Fluids

• Change the hydraulic oil and clean the suction strainer, if due at 2000 hours on your machine.
• Change final drive, swing drive, axle and transmission oils that fall due at this interval.
• Change the coolant if the manufacturer specifies it at this interval, or test it and decide.

Engine

• Check valve clearances.
• Inspect the turbocharger closely, and the intake and exhaust for leaks.
• Check the engine mounts.
• Have injectors and compression tested if oil samples, fuel use or performance suggest a problem.

Hydraulics

• Check system pressures and pump performance against the manufacturer's specifications.
• Inspect cylinders for rod damage and seal leaks.
• Inspect hoses and replace any that are worn, cracked or past their life.

Structure and undercarriage

• Inspect the boom, stick, frame and mounts for cracks, particularly around welds and pin bosses.
• Check pins and bushes for wear and play.
• On excavators, measure swing bearing play and check bolt torque.
• On tracked machines, measure undercarriage wear and plan replacement before it reaches the limit.

Oil samples

• Take a full round of samples. By now there is a trend across 500, 1000 and 1500 hours to compare against.

Planning the downtime

• Book it. Pick a time when the machine can come off the job, and let the site know.
• Order early. Line the parts up 100 hours or more ahead, including bulk oil.
• Expect findings. A 2000 hour service often turns up worn pins, tired hoses or undercarriage that needs planning. Decide who approves repairs on the day.
• Allow time. Plan for one to several days depending on the machine and what you find.

Parts to order before the machine comes in

• Everything for the 250, 500 and 1000 services
• Hydraulic oil, in the full system quantity if it is being changed
• Hydraulic filters and suction strainer gasket or seals if needed
• Drivetrain oils for every compartment that falls due
• Coolant if it is being changed
• Hoses you already know are due
• Oil sample bottles and labels

What gets missed at 2000 hours

• Treating it as a bigger 1000. The structural and hydraulic checks are where this service earns its money.
• Not budgeting time for the repairs it finds, so they get pushed back and forgotten.
• Losing the history. Two thousand hours of service records and oil samples are what tell you whether the machine is healthy and what it is worth at resale.

The 4000 hour service

After 2000 hours the cycle starts again: 2250 is a 250 hour service, 2500 is a 500, 3000 is a 1000, and so on. Some machines also have items that only fall due at 4000 hours, often longer-life fluids such as some coolants and hydraulic oils. At 4000 hours you do the 2000 hour service plus those 4000 hour items. Check the manual for what applies to your machine.

Where the 2000 fits in the cycle

• 250, 750, 1250, 1750 hours: a 250 hour service
• 500 and 1500 hours: a 500 hour service
• 1000 hours: a 1000 hour service
• 2000 hours: a 2000 hour service, which includes everything

For the full cycle, see service intervals explained.

Keeping track of it in Burgy

Burgy tracks every machine through 250, 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 hour services, with the bigger services always including the smaller ones. Each machine has its own checklist and parts kit for every level, and the kit can become a purchase order emailed to your supplier, so the parts are in before the machine comes off the job.

Anything the service turns up can become a repair job against the same machine, with parts and notes, and the full service history, including oil samples, stays with the machine for as long as you own it.