Just want to see what everyone else thinks. When in the middle of a catastrophic situation like losing all hydrulic oil what"in your opinion" should be done? say you have pumped 150 of 250 yards and all of the sudden there becomes a massive crack in your styble box. Boom and hopper are full you have a backup pump onsite WHAT WOULD YOU DO?????

Blow out boom with sponge and air..drop hopper....bring in other pump...finish job.....call a tow truck......plug into other pump to fold up. Ask for forgiveness

I wonder if there is enough air in your volume tanks to blow boom?I would say yes

Stiebel broken, take it out of gear, engine still runs, no problem with air,

Use the spare pump to suck back the ball.  Unhook your 45 that runs to your deck pipe and attach there.   Use concrete trucks water to clean hopper. 

Bisley57 , In the beginning I lost A bullet while sucking it back through the boom with some air pressure added. Dropped hopper, swung the tapered bend open an no bullet. My ear was not sharp yet, I thought the pipe was hollow but it was not. Set boom back up some an hooked air to it. 04 Mack, 32M Schwing. It took 3 tanks to get it out. Crete came like buckshot an bullet came out like A bullet. Careful where you have your gun pointed !!!  It takes air from the right tank only, Left tank runs the PTO. You dont wanna mess with that one. A new operator could do lots of damage to the PTO if he didnt know it was hooked up like this an tried what I done.

THE JOB COMPLETION ALWAYS COMES FIRST (self expainatory)

Assuming no air on board, This sequence:

1. Stop the supply of concrete.

2. Organise a replacement pump.

3. Salvage your machine in this order.

1. Cylinders
2. Valve 
3. hopper
4. elbows
5. straight pipe lengths

Ask: finisher to clear crew From slab.

Go to back end of your pump . Drop hopper- open swing 90 - Take deck pipe 90 off. loosen u-bolts to hopper reducer

Drop: hook up blow out cap use a pig or ball as you have handy.

-blow boom into slab i would use stand by pump i would not want to take pump out of PTO

HAVE STAND BYY PUMP SET UP. Clean open cyclender take spray handle off and jab in & out untill cleaned do the same w S-tube

see if pump will shift 1# more time to clean out the other cyclender 9/10 times it will.

You said massive crack in styble box cause???? gear let go or hydrulic seal from banana or charge pump blew-out filling styble box with hydrulic oil over fillng gear lube out of vent tube. Samething  i beleave. Did not happen just on that job this causes case to blow seals or crack the case . These pumps were screaming i bet . any how dont let anyone tell you what you can and cant do on there job. dont give them a chance to cost you BIG BIG MONEY. Take charge of your pump and try your best to clean it out

this statement is to help you snorinwerepourin

not to judged its what i would do and have done in the past 33 years as a operator

Great topic time to think out side of the box an art every operator needs to be able to master. With out being on site and  seeing the situation this may have worked for you or may not havve. 

Your hands are proubably full at thiss point so have some one on site call your boss an let them no your going to need some help if possible !!!

If back up pump can be set up to finish pour with out moving you thats great should be able to finish the job and keep the customer happy. If concrete is still fresh I would blow the boom with sponge and air right away then take on washing the valve,cylenders and hopper. If it"s hot concrete clean valve and cylinders then hopper then take on the boom. To swing the valve manuely on some units you can disconect the hydralic lines to the shift cylinders. This alows you to lever the valve over with a bar with less resistance. Then when the pour is complete if your back up pump is the same brand you should be able to tap into his boom pump to get folded up. Then it's just a matter of getting a tow truck in to get you back to your shop.

If back up pump can"t set up with out you moveing and there is know other placement options.

Tell the job site super to put a hold on concrete and explain the situation to him.

Have some one call your boss to explain the situation or call him your self if you have time.

If you can get the back up pump close to you. Have him line off his hopper into your deck pipe. conect your hydralics into his boom pump, if you havn't had to clean  your valve, cylenders, hopper yet do it now and the other opp can finish the pour with his pump and your boom.

There are many way's to handle this situation and would love to hear them this is how we learn.

Would like to hear how the situatoin was actaly handled.

I would always focus on cleaning the boom first. The hopper you can easy reach with spade, chipper etc.. If you wait with the boom and you can't get the ball back then you have a much bigger problem..

(From the running pump) Run a hydro line from the output of the boom filter into your main line goin into your stack valves on the downed pump. Find the return line and run it back to tank on the pump thats supplying hydro power or you will overflow the broken pumps hydro tank and run the one supplying power out of oil. Ive also tied in right at the boom pump before too. Whatevers easier 4 u I guess. The return lime part is really important tho.