Abstract: A variable displacement hydraulic axial piston machine includes (a) a housing having an outlet opening; (b) a barrel mounted in the housing for rotation about a rotation axis; (c) a plurality of pistons movable in respective bores in the barrel; (d) a valve plate coupled to the barrel and having a fluid passage therein that ends at an outlet opening; and (e) a flow tube connecting the outlet opening in the valve plate to the outlet opening in the housing. The barrel and the valve plate are pivotally movable together about a pivot axis transverse the rotation axis for varying the displacement of the pistons in the bores. An end of the flow tube connects to the valve plate while allowing for axial movement of the flow tube relative to the valve plate in a direction parallel to the rotational axis of the barrel.