first time changing hydraulic fluid

[rScotty]

"ericm979:
With a good drain pan I don't spill. I originally was going to use 5 gallon buckets but they would not fit under the tractor so I had to get the pan. I didn't think about raising the tractor on boards. I'm glad I got the drain pan because swapping heavy 5 gallon buckets while 10 gallons of oil is pouring out would guarantee a mess.

This is the one I got:

FloTool 42008MI Hopkins 42008 Crude Control Oil Drain Pan - 58 Quart"

 

[DonaldP]

I just completed a 400 hour service that included changing out the hydraulic fluid and front axel fluid, and both hydraulic filters. That was about 13 gallons of UD2.
I had 3 - 3 gallons drain pans. They worked flawlessly. Although I had to empty several into a 55 gallon oil drum in the process.
I loss no oil onto the floor other than the front axel due to my moving the cardboard from the lower axel drain outlet near the wheel. After completing it, it was straight forward and very clean. I was dreading this but found it to be quite easy considering.
I still need to change the engine oil/filter and the fuel filter. Probably have about 15 more hours to go on that oil.

 

[tmeric7]

Good day. I just wanted to close the loop on my end. I did this job about a month ago... Ida delayed me a bit. Everything went fine. I could just barely get a 5 gal bucket under the drain plug (was afraid I'd drop the plug into the bucket or fumble a bucket switch), so I drove the tractor up on blocks and started out with a shorter bucket. Very minimal spill to switch buckets (I could plug the hole with my thumb), a non-issue with cardboard down. I did do one drain at a time, as recommended, which was great advice... slows it down!

I had my dad around (just changed his oil and rotated tires) so he could hold the funnel for me to fill, and I could hold the 5 gal buckets of new oil fine.

Mt only hiccup (a misunderstanding really) was when I went on to replace the front axle and final reduction gearbox oil (at the front wheels). I thought the final reduction gearboxes had their own fill port doubling as a steering stop. (My operator's manual talks about the steering stop in the instructions for this procedure in a way that makes me think it's involved when it's not.) So for a few minutes I was trying to pump oil into the hole of a removed stop bolt that doesn't go anywhere! Internet search and another TBN thread taught me that the oil from the front axle works its way into the gearboxes (slowly) so I needed to keep an eye on that level for a bit.

Also, my local auto repair shop gladly accepted the old hydraulic oil for their waste oil furnace. They said it burns engine, gear, hydraulic oil (almost anything). Not brake fluid he said!

 

[PILOON]

What I did for a drain pan was to slice one side off of a military jerry cam (about 5 gals) and fashioned a spout to drain it into a container which I then take to a recycle depot.
I usually use the container that the new oil came in.
While always a messy job I keep a dedicated pair of HD rubber gloves just 4 that chore.

 

[DonaldP]

The first thing you do is roll your tractor up on four short 4x4 or 4x6 cribbing to get a little height for your catch buckets.

Then you get out your 30mm socket (or whatever size your drain plug is) and you tweek off the drain plug for the hydro-transmission right above your buckets. Then for every gallon of fluid that comes out, you count like the auctioneer song,"35, 45, 65, $80 or more...."

That was the most fun I've had listening to a song in about 25 years!!!

Thank you so much!!!!

 

[Texasmark]

My Branson has a 12 gallon sump and a filter and 4 low spot drain plugs. Its normally a PIA to change fluid. A couple of days ago I changed the fluid again and decided to do something different.

I got a plastic container, roughly 10x15x6" and slid it under the filter. Loosened the filter to the point where fluid came out and filled the pan to a suitable level, screwed the filter back in with my hand till the oil stopped flowing, got up, pulled the pan out, pored it into old 5 gallon buckets for transport to my storage containers and repeated the process till it quit draining.

Then went around picking up the miniscule drippings from each low point drain plug and wiped off the paste on the drain plugs with integral magnets on the end. That done, installed the new filter and refilled the sump.

Really worked out well vs trying to get a drain plug restarted with oil gushing out, on your back under the tractor with the pan (that is low enough to fit under the tractor but can't contain but a couple of gallons of fluid) covering the hole where you have to work around it to get the plug back in before the container fills with oil and starts spilling out.

Dipsticks lie to you. Pull the dipstick and the oil looks clear. Drain the sump and no telling what your hyd fluid looks like and if engine oil it is probably black to your surprise including tiny chips of metal and metallic paste that collects on the bottom of the sump....aka sludge.

I have 55 gallon drums that collect my oil,fluid, and antifreeze. There are processors that will come out to the farm and drain the tanks for me. For small amounts wally world collects oil...presumably if you bought it from them, as do other places for small quantities.

 

[mikester]

My county has free hazardous waste drop off events several times a year. I buy oil in 5 gallon pails and save the old ones. I transfer waste oil from my 50 gallon drum to the 5 gallon pails and take them in.

They also accept oil filters, batteries, paint, chemicals,...

 

[DonaldP]

My Branson has a 12 gallon sump and a filter and 4 low spot drain plugs. Its normally a PIA to change fluid. A couple of days ago I changed the fluid again and decided to do something different.

I got a plastic container, roughly 10x15x6" and slid it under the filter. Loosened the filter to the point where fluid came out and filled the pan to a suitable level, screwed the filter back in with my hand till the oil stopped flowing, got up, pulled the pan out, pored it into old 5 gallon buckets for transport to my storage containers and repeated the process till it quit draining.

Then went around picking up the miniscule drippings from each low point drain plug and wiped off the paste on the drain plugs with integral magnets on the end. That done, installed the new filter and refilled the sump.

Really worked out well vs trying to get a drain plug restarted with oil gushing out, on your back under the tractor with the pan (that is low enough to fit under the tractor but can't contain but a couple of gallons of fluid) covering the hole where you have to work around it to get the plug back in before the container fills with oil and starts spilling out.

Dipsticks lie to you. Pull the dipstick and the oil looks clear. Drain the sump and no telling what your hyd fluid looks like and if engine oil it is probably black to your surprise including tiny chips of metal and metallic paste that collects on the bottom of the sump....aka sludge.

I have 55 gallon drums that collect my oil,fluid, and antifreeze. There are processors that will come out to the farm and drain the tanks for me. For small amounts wally world collects oil...presumably if you bought it from them, as do other places for small quantities.

I agree with you, there is a bit of difference between what sits in the bottom and the moving fluid.