Kawasaki Precision Machinery (KPM) builds several families of axial piston pump that look broadly similar but share almost no wear parts. Getting the family and the frame size right is most of the job. This guide takes you from the pump on the bench to a model code we can quote against.
Step 1: Find the nameplate
Kawasaki stamps or rivets a plate on the pump housing, usually on the flat face of the main body or on the end cover behind the regulator. On tandem excavator pumps the plate is normally on the side of the front pump body, and there is a separate serial number stamped into the casting.
Photograph the whole plate, not just the number. The serial and the design code beside it matter when a part has been superseded.
Step 2: Which Kawasaki family do you have?
Before you decode anything, place the pump in one of these groups. It is usually obvious from the shape.
K3V, K5V and K7V: excavator and earth-moving pumps
Two pumps bolted back to back on one shaft (tandem), almost always with a small gear pump on the tail end for pilot pressure, and a regulator block on top or on the side. These are high-pressure open-circuit units rated 343 bar (34.3 MPa) with a 392 bar peak. If it came off an excavator, it is nearly always one of these. Kobelco, Hyundai, Volvo, Doosan, Kato, Sumitomo, Case and JCB machines all use Kawasaki main pumps, but confirm by the code on the pump rather than the machine model.
K3VL and K3VLS: industrial, marine and mobile pumps
Single pump, one shaft, one regulator, frequently with a through drive on the back so a second pump can be stacked. K3VL runs 28 to 200 cm³/rev at 250 to 320 bar; K3VLS is the compact medium-duty version at 50 to 150 cm³/rev and 280 bar. These are what you find on power units, presses, deck equipment and marine applications.
K3VG and K7VG: heavy-duty industrial
Physically much larger. K3VG covers 63 to 280 cm³/rev as a single and reaches 560 cm³/rev in tandem builds; K7VG runs 180 to 265 cm³/rev. Both go up to 350 bar. Built for presses, injection molding and mill hydraulics, on the same design basis as the K3V mobile series.
K8V: closed circuit
A closed-loop hydrostatic pump, so it has a charge pump, high and low pressure relief valves and a cut-off valve, and usually a servo or electric displacement control. Sizes 71, 90 and 125 cm³/rev, rated 400 bar with a 450 bar peak. If there are high-pressure relief valves on both ports and no separate tank return, it is a closed-loop unit.
M2X, M5X, M7V and Staffa: motors, not pumps
Kawasaki also builds travel and swing motors (M2X, M5X, M7V, M3X) and the Staffa HMB, HMC and HMF radial piston motor ranges. If the unit has no regulator and no suction port sized for tank, you are probably holding a motor.
The whole range at a glance
| Series | Sizes, cm³/rev | Pressure | Circuit | Where you find it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K3V | 63, 112, 140, 180, 280 per section | 343 bar rated 392 bar peak |
Open, tandem | Excavator main pumps |
| K5V | 80, 140, 160, 200 per section | 343 bar rated | Open, tandem | Mid and large excavators; higher power density than K3V |
| K7V | 63 per section | 350 bar rated | Open, tandem | Compact machine installations, shortened length |
| K3VL | 28, 45, 60, 80, 112, 140, 200 (1.71 to 12.20 in³/rev) |
250 to 320 bar | Open, single | Industrial and marine; power units, presses, deck gear |
| K3VLS | 50, 65, 85, 105, 125, 150 | 280 bar rated | Open, single | Compact medium-duty mobile and industrial power units |
| K3VG | 63, 112, 180, 280 single 360 to 560 tandem |
up to 350 bar | Open | Presses, injection molding, mill hydraulics |
| K7VG | 180, 265 | up to 350 bar | Open | Heavy-duty industrial |
| K8V | 71, 90, 125 | 400 bar rated 450 bar peak |
Closed loop | Hydrostatic drives; pairs with M7V motors |
| M2X, M5X, M7V, M3X | Varies | Varies | Motors | Travel and swing motors |
| Staffa HMB, HMC, HMF | Varies | Varies | Radial piston motors | Low-speed high-torque drives |
Step 3: Decode the model code
K3V and K5V excavator pumps
| Position | Meaning | Values |
|---|---|---|
| K3V | Series | K3V or K5V |
| 280 | Displacement per pump section, cm³/rev | 63, 112, 140, 180, 280 |
| DT | Pump configuration | DT double pump, tandem • DP double pump, parallel • S single pump |
| H | Design code | blank standard • H with centrifugal pump • P with PTO |
| 100 | Regulator design code | Varies by build |
| R | Direction of rotation, viewed from the shaft end | R clockwise • L counterclockwise |
| 2N / 01 | Regulator code and design series | Varies by build |
So a K3V112DT is a 112 cm³/rev tandem pump, the single most common excavator main pump in the 20-ton class.
K3VL industrial pumps
| Field | Meaning | Values |
|---|---|---|
| K3VL | Series | K3VL |
| 80 | Maximum displacement | 28 (1.71 in³/rev), 45 (2.75), 60 (3.66), 80 (4.88), 112 (6.83), 140 (8.54), 200 (12.20) |
| /B | Design series | B K3VL45-200 • C K3VL28 only |
| 1 | Circuit type | 1 open circuit |
| 0 | Through drive and porting | O none, CW only • A/B/BB/C/C4/CC/CC4/D/E SAE through drive, side ported • R single pump, rear ported • N single, steel cover, side ported • S no coupling, prepared for through drive |
| R | Direction of rotation | R clockwise • L counterclockwise |
| S | Porting threads | M metric • S UNC |
| S | Mounting flange and shaft | K SAE key & mount • M ISO key & mount • S SAE spline & mount, plus R/C/X/Y/W (K3VL112/140), F (K3VL200), T (K3VL45/60) |
| L0 | Regulator option | Load sensing, pressure cut-off, torque limiting variants |
| H1 | Fluid type, this one sets your seal kit | – mineral oil (nitrile seals, Viton shaft seal) • V Viton throughout • W water glycol (nitrile including shaft seal) |
K3VLS pumps
| Field | Meaning | Values |
|---|---|---|
| K3VLS | Series: variable displacement, axial piston, open loop | K3VLS |
| 105 | Pump size, cm³/rev | 50, 65, 85, 105, 125, 150 |
| – | O-ring material | – NBR (nitrile) o-rings; oil seal is fluororubber only |
| 1 | Series type code | 1 standard type |
| BB | Through drive and porting | 0 none, side ported • A/B/BB/C/CC/D SAE through drive • N through drive shaft, no coupling, steel cover • R no through drive, rear ported |
| R | Direction of rotation | R clockwise • L counterclockwise |
| CC | Mounting flange and shaft | B, BB, C, CC, D. Availability depends on frame size |
| S | Flange fixing thread | S SAE 4-bolt, UNC • H SAE 4-bolt, metric |
K3VG industrial pumps
| Field | Meaning | Values |
|---|---|---|
| K3VG | Series: variable displacement, axial piston, open loop | K3VG |
| 180DT | Maximum displacement | Single: 63, 112, 180, 280 cm³/rev • Tandem: 180DT = 360, 280DT = 560 cm³/rev |
| – | Hydraulic fluid type, sets your seal material | – mineral oil • W water glycol • Z phosphate ester |
| 1 | Circuit type | 1 open loop |
| A | Attached gear pump | 0 none • 1 10 cm³/rev with relief • 2 15 cm³/rev with relief • 3 none, with pilot port • 4-D with mounting provisions |
| N | Mounting bracket / port flanges | N no bracket, no flange (ordered separately) |
| R | Direction of rotation, viewed from shaft end | R clockwise • L counterclockwise (tandem only) |
| S | Design series / mounting orientation | blank or S design series • – standard horizontal • V vertical mounting |
The field that decides your seal kit
On a K3VL the last block of the code is the fluid type, and it changes the seal material, not just the paperwork. A pump ordered as mineral oil takes nitrile seals with a Viton shaft seal; a V pump is Viton throughout; a W pump is on water glycol and takes nitrile including the shaft seal. K3VG adds a Z option for phosphate ester. Fit the wrong material and it will leak again quickly.
If you cannot read that part of the code, tell us what fluid the machine runs and we will match it.
No tag, or a tag you cannot read
This is common on machines that have been steam cleaned or repainted. Send us the following and we can almost always place the pump:
- Photographs of the whole pump from both sides, plus the regulator and the end cover
- The machine make, model and year it came off
- Whether it is a single pump or two pumps on one shaft, and whether there is a small gear pump on the tail
- Shaft type and count: splined or keyed, and the number of teeth
- Port sizes and whether the main ports are on the side or the rear
- Any numbers cast or stamped into the housing, even partial ones
Frame size can usually be confirmed from the mounting flange and the port centers, so a tape measure across the flange bolts is worth including.
Frequently asked questions
What does DT mean on a Kawasaki pump?
DT is a double pump in tandem: two pumping sections in line on one input shaft. DP is a double pump in parallel, and S is a single pump. Tandem is the normal arrangement on excavator main pumps.
What is the difference between K3V and K3VL?
They are different families despite the similar name. K3V is the high-pressure tandem excavator pump rated 343 bar. K3VL is a single industrial and marine pump rated 250 to 320 bar with a through-drive option. They do not share parts.
Where is the model number on a Kawasaki pump?
On a plate on the pump body, usually the flat face of the main housing or the end cover behind the regulator. On tandem pumps look on the side of the front section. There is also a serial number stamped into the casting itself, which survives when the plate does not.
Is Kawasaki the same as KPM?
Yes. KPM is Kawasaki Precision Machinery, the Kawasaki Heavy Industries division that builds the hydraulic pumps, motors and valves. Parts listed as Kawasaki, KPM or Kawasaki Precision Machinery are the same equipment.
Can you supply parts for a pump that is no longer cataloged?
Often, yes. We hold new old stock, we rebuild, and we cross reference by dimension and function. Send the model code and serial number and we will tell you what is available.
Where to go next
- Kawasaki hydraulic pump parts, the brand hub
- Kawasaki piston pump parts by model, pick your series
- Kawasaki seal kits, rebuild kits by series
- Kawasaki parts in stock
- Request a quote, send us your model code
- All brands we cover
Have a code to check? Email info@restopower.com or call (810) 882-1171. We confirm availability and ship from Michigan.