Bypassing the hydraulic radiator

Richard · Sep 4, 2003

The need for this post is now a moot point, but it had me very curious.

Scenario: Brutus (JCB industrial loader/backhoe) evidently has repeating pin hole leaks in the hydraulic radiator. This is located with the water & transmission coolers in the nose of the machine. As this leaks, the fan pulls hydraulic fluid through the others...then as I get into dirt/dust it get's all gunked up /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif. Really makes for an unnecessary mess.

Had this darn thing out 3 times now and "fixed". Seems it's just too old.

Called dealer year ago, he said about $350 to replace, so I had it taken to the shop. While at the shop, they fixed it, but told me I could have a custom one made out of heavier copper/brass for approximately $500.

What to do.. ok.. fast forward to 6 months ago, I'm back at the dealer "oh, by the way... how much was that cooler...?"

he looks it up, and finally calls JCB in Savannaha Georgia..

$1,250.00

yikes /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I left without ordering it. Today, the radiator is dripping again. Not blowing it out, but a 12 inch "wet" spot on the ground from the seeping. I'm now considering a custom radiator for roughly $500 rather than $1,250...then it hit me...

I'm a home user. I don't use Brutus as much nor as hard as a construction site would. What would happen if I just took the radiator OUT and bypassed it totally?

It holds something like 15 gallons of fluid, summer is over (cooler temps), the resivoir is next to fan (get some air movement on it) and I spend more time driving the darn thing to where I'm going, than I do "working" at the location.

There is the question for the thread... what (if anything) would happen, and what are the risks if someone did that?

The rest of the story:
The reason that it's now moot, I realized that a custom cooler should NOT cost LESS than a new one (of "cheaper" design as per radiator shop), so I called dealer back.

Seems the guy in Savannaha messed up 6 months ago, he verified it today with his regular contact, it's $350.00 (whew), so I ordered it on the spot. It should be here within a week and I'll swap them out.

No more Mr. Drip

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

JerryG · Sep 5, 2003

Richard,
Did he have the courtesy to ask you to sit down before he told you the $1250 or did they have to help you up?
I'm glad that they found the right price for you, I was about to suggest surpluscenter.com .

s1120 · Sep 5, 2003

I know it does not matter now, but I would not bypass the cooler. Eaven for lite use, the hydro fluid still gets REAL hot. If it was designed for it, it needs it. I know just with my little Ingersolls, when the cooler starts getting pluged up with grass, and stuff, you burn yourself just bumping agenst a hose. And thats just with mowing.

Taylortractornut · Sep 5, 2003

Welcomed to the world of yellow iron . Id just wait till the parts came in. THe oil cooler on the hydraulics is the life of a newer machine. I think the JCB uses a variable displacement pump and also has a charge pump that is a gear pump. I had a friend here that removed the oild cooleroff his TD9-62 series skid loader and it cause the fluid t o over pressure a line and it swquirted the manifold and self insinerated.
A side note on machinery and money from my former employer. The laywer and money man at the mobile home company that we ran the landfill for was complaining about the cost of hyraulic filter costs on the scraper a while trying to reclaim the fill for the EPA. 5th gear shelled out a year ago and we were changingig the filters every 3 weeks to make it last till we got done. He sent word that the ycut off our parts account at NAPA. 25 dollars filter' stopped up with parts of 5th gear and sucked the filter together. It cavitated the transmission and burnt the clutches out. Now that 200 he saved the company will run a bill from 10 to 20 000 dollars. Plus we rented Another scraper at 50 and hour for 3 weeks.

Richard · Sep 5, 2003

ouch!!!

kind of harkens back to "you can pay me now, or you can pay me later"

(I'll pay now thank you)

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

bgott · Sep 6, 2003

You need the heat exchanger even if you are just sitting there idling. The hydraulic pump is positive displacement so when you're not calling on the flow to do work it's being run through the pressure relief valve. That builds more heat than working the hydraulics.

Soundguy · Sep 8, 2003

I know it is a moot point now.. but I think I would have tried to retrofit a tranny cooler in there. You can get them ala- carte at many parts places and farm stores.. small aux coolers.. I've seen for less than a c-note. Plumb that in and go.. before i would bypass it altogether.

Course you did the right think by replacing it with 'like' equipment'.

Soundguy