$650 to flush and replace hydraulic fluid on New Holland 3930? Worth it?

[Tangoddess]

Hello,

How is everyone doing? It has been long since I posted here, you know, the hurricane happened and then in laws etc. We sent the New Holland 3930 to the local New Holland/Kubota dealer because we could not find a good independent dealer.

The dealer of course wanted to put a new alternator because they one I bought (new) supposedly was not the perfect fit, then the dealer said there was a small leak in the radiator, so we agreed to get a new radiator installed

The third issue is that the fluid in the tractor seems milky, we had just replaced the fluid a few months ago, but the tractor has not been used during the fall/winter and of course we had hurricane Harvey. 42

The dealer is asking for $650 to change out the fluids, I get empty the hoses of the fluids and then fill in new fluids. The dealer told me the parts (I guess fluids) cost $200 and then the $450 for labor.

Is this fluid cleanup and refill worth $650 or is it pretty straight forward to do for amateurs like us?

Additionally, does anyone know where one can get a detailed manual for the New Holland 3930 so we can try to learn minor repairs etc. on our own? Do we get this from the dealer?

Thank you

 

[Jerry/MT]

Hello,

How is everyone doing? It has been long since I posted here, you know, the hurricane happened and then in laws etc. We sent the New Holland 3930 to the local New Holland/Kubota dealer because we could not find a good independent dealer.

The dealer of course wanted to put a new alternator because they one I bought (new) supposedly was not the perfect fit, then the dealer said there was a small leak in the radiator, so we agreed to get a new radiator installed

The third issue is that the fluid in the tractor seems milky, we had just replaced the fluid a few months ago, but the tractor has not been used during the fall/winter and of course we had hurricane Harvey. 42

The dealer is asking for $650 to change out the fluids, I get empty the hoses of the fluids and then fill in new fluids. The dealer told me the parts (I guess fluids) cost $200 and then the $450 for labor.

Is this fluid cleanup and refill worth $650 or is it pretty straight forward to do for amateurs like us?

Additionally, does anyone know where one can get a detailed manual for the New Holland 3930 so we can try to learn minor repairs etc. on our own? Do we get this from the dealer?

Thank you

Draining the transhydraulic fluid can be done by anyone who can find a couple of 5 gallon buckets and an adjustable wrench. A bucket pump can be used to refill with fresh fluid. Look on ebay for a factory owners manual. You can also find the owners manual and the shop manuals at a New Holland dealer. There not cheap but then again, the first time you do it yourself , it will pay for itself. It will also help you decide whether you can service your tractor or if you should hire it out. There are some jobs that rewuire special tools so the dealer should do those.

Good luck!

 

[Texasmark]

Frightening bid. Being a do-it-yourselfer, "No way Jose" as the saying goes.

 

[ericm979]

Premium tractor fluid is $40-90 per 5 gallon pail. A bucket pump is $40 on Amazon: Amazon.com: Lumax LX-13 Black Lever-Action Bucket Pump for 5 Gallon Pails: Automotive

You'll need to read the manual to find the spec for the tractor fluid. It's not plain hydraulic fluid, there are additives in tractor fluid to make wet brakes work correctly. Chances are the Tractor Supply Premium fluid ($40) will work.

Changing the fluid is easier than changing the engine oil on a car. Don't forget the filter. You should get that from the dealer.

 

[3930dave]

Not hard to change, but be prepared for a lot more oil than a car engine sump.

I used THF1000 on mine.

Chevron 1 THF | Chevron Industrial Lubricants

The fluid was changed not that long ago ? Strange that it would be milky already ? If parked outside, also check the boots on the shifters and dipsticks for the hydraulics, to make sure rain can't get in. Tarp those areas if you can, or at least invert an empty 5 gal bucket over the shifter area.

With milky fluid, I'd be sure to change the hydraulic filter again, even if it was done in the Fall.

Rgds, D.

 

[woodlandfarms]

As dave said, you should find the source of water.

Second, IMO and take it for just that, you should probably flush. In my tractor world we start with the cheapest fluid we can find. Drain the tank, put new stuff in, run the hydraulics, and then check. If the second batch comes in milky do it again with cheap stuff. Once you get a pretty clear return on your fluid, then put in the expensive stuff.

 

[LouNY]

Seems to be a tad bit over priced, especially the $450 for labor unless you have a loader on it and they are disconnecting the hydraulic cylinders and collapsing them and flushing thru the hoses which would purge most of the old contaminated fluid out of the system.

 

[flingwing1969]

Frightening bid. Being a do-it-yourselfer, "No way Jose" as the saying goes.

What Texasmark said! In spades!

 

[def38]

I changed the milky fluid in my M-F 231S about a year ago. I needed to capture about 9 gallons of used oil. Also, once drained, I removed and inspected the filter. Mine is serviceable and was not replaced. Refilled with hydraulic tractor oil from Wal-Mart that met M-F specs. In all, it cost me less than $85.00.

I drained the old fluid into a large utility tub which I had lined with a plastic trash bag (eases cleanup of the tub). Once the trans was filled with the new fluid, I moved the old fluid into the now empty 5 gallon containers and brought it to Wal-Mart for disposal. You may wish to purchase a big funnel for filling the trans/hydraulic reservoir. It helped me considerably when hefting the 5 gallon pails of tractor oil. Here's the one I use. It comes with a nice mesh screen in the throat of the funnel so you don't get debris as you pour.

Amazon.com: Hopkins 15 FloTool Giant QuickFill Funnel: Automotive

 

[JB13502]

Amazon.com: Lumax LX-13 Black Lever-Action Bucket Pump for 5 Gallon Pails: Automotive[/url

Delivers 1 quart per 12 lever pumps? Yikes!!! My MX5200 takes 11 gallons of hydro fluid. That's 44 quarts at 12 pumps per. So, at least 500 pumps. I'd be there all day

I just pour the big pail into a smaller pail, always good to have big funnels.