Can you get an oil analysis done for hydraulic fluid? Where and how?

[dfkrug]

Can I have an analysis done on my hydraulic fluid to see if the HST fluid really
needs to be changed out?

I would love to hear about the results of a HYDRAULIC oil analysis. I have never seen any CUT owner
on TBN in 13 y publish such results.

Engine oil analysis is common....my bro does it pretty often for his Freightliner. But 4.5 qts of 15W40 and
an $8 filter for your tractor's engine oil change every 100hr? Analysis does not make economical sense.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I would love to hear about the results of a HYDRAULIC oil analysis. I have never seen any CUT owner
on TBN in 13 y publish such results.

Engine oil analysis is common....my bro does it pretty often for his Freightliner. But 4.5 qts of 15W40 and
an $8 filter for your tractor's engine oil change every 100hr? Analysis does not make economical sense.

I agree. Just change it. If it were commercially used say 10 hours a day then that's a different story.

Chris

 

[Piston]

Engine oil analysis is common....my bro does it pretty often for his Freightliner. But 4.5 qts of 15W40 and
an $8 filter for your tractor's engine oil change every 100hr? Analysis does not make economical sense.

That's a good point. I was thinking mostly about the hydraulic fluid regarding the analysis and getting more life out of it. I think that would make financial sense.

Ill be sure to post results if and when I get an analysis.

 

[QueBota]

The Post Office worker may ask you about the content's of the "jar" you're sending back to Blackstone.

Tell them it's a food sample. I made the mistake of telling them it was a used oil sample for analysis.
You would have thought I said "Plutonium" when I said used engine oil.

Pretty sure it was just the individual PO worker that had a problem with the oil.
All the same, my standard reply is now "Food sample".

Dave

Thanks guys,
I filled out the sample kit request form with Blackstone Labs. I'll also check with my dealer to see if they do them. I will try to get two samples, one for my HST fluid and one for engine oil, although, I just recently changed my engine oil so I may hold off for a bit on that one.

 

[dfkrug]

That's a good point. I was thinking mostly about the hydraulic fluid regarding the
analysis and getting more life out of it. I think that would make financial sense.

Ill be sure to post results if and when I get an analysis.

Yes, indeed. As I creep up on 450hrs, I wonder if it makes sense to change just my 2 filters and not
the 9 gallons of THF. (My first oil change was at 50hr, and that was to get rid of crappy original
fluid, along with manufacturing debris.)

The reason I say that is I have lost and replaced at least 4-5 gallons in the past several years of
leaks and spills. And I expect to lose more in the future.

The big questions on hyd oil analysis: are the additives depleted (worn out)? What contaminants, if any, do I have?

 

[RichardM]

Hope this helps. I have done thousands of hydraulic oil samples. There are some simple things you can do. Fill about 3/4 of a clear, clean glass container with your oil. Set it on a window sill (or use a backlight) It should look clear and brignt with no particles. If it's cloudy, its probably water, if its discolored and not translucent, it has dirt or metal. Let it sit in a warm place for a few days and see what settles out, if there is sediment in the bottom, change it. To check for water put a couple drops on a hot (250-300 deg) surface like a pan or iron. If it spits and sputters, that's water.
You can check for metal with a magnet, though most of the metal will be in the filter or in the tank. Cut the filter apart and look for dirt and metal, it should be relatively clean.
A gaget available at a body shop supply shop used to check the vis of paint can be used to check the viscosity of the oil or you can use a clean marked can with a 5-10mm hole at the bottom. Use a stopwatch and time how long it takes a 4 ounce sample of new oil to empty the container, then compare that time with 4 OZ of your oil. There should be less than a 8 percent difference.
The biggest problem with hyd oil is contamination. If your oil is clear and bright it's OK.
Most major brand oil distributors will process an oil sample for you. It normally costs $10-15 dollars. The report will give you the info you need to evaluate the oil.

 

[cetrac29]

There is a channel on YouTube called Redneck Ed and he has two videos on this topic. The first is titled "Tractor Hydraulic Fluid Lab Test Comparisons" which is all about virgin samples for a baseline. The next is titled "Change hydraulic fluid annually or ever 250 hours?" which is after a small amount of run time on Permatran 821XL. He used Blackstone labs in his testing.