alpha
Bronze Member
I get alot of foam in my hydraulics. this I associate with air getting in the system. I think my back hoe is what's doing this.how could I find out for sure without using 2 more gal of fluid?
foaming hydraulic fluid
- Thread starter alpha
- Start date
- Views: 35091
JerryG
Super Member
The first thing that you need to do it make sure that it is indeed air and not water. Take some out and put it in a glass jar, then wait a couple of days to see if water settles out.
This may be a dum question but are you using hyd.fluid or 10 or 20 wt., strait wt. oil will foam in hyd. system, it must be hyd oil diesigned for high pressure use,witch has an anti-foam angent,any oil specifficly for hyd.sys. will have it,but stait oil is avalable and yor loacal vip auto store guy may not know the diffrence.
Soundguy
Old Timer
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2002
- Messages
- 51,575
- Location
- Central florida
- Tractor
- RK 55HC,ym1700, NH7610S, Ford 8N, 2N, NAA, 660, 850 x2, 541, 950, 941D, 951, 2000, 3000, 4000, 4600, 5000, 740, IH 'C' 'H', CUB, John Deere 'B', allis 'G', case VAC
That oil from walmart is labeled as a universal transdraulic oil... compatible with many specs.. like NH m2c134d.. etc..
I'd look for a pinhole on a suction line.. ( that or water as someone else mentioned. Easy to tell the difference.. air will clarify when setting.
Soundguy
I'd look for a pinhole on a suction line.. ( that or water as someone else mentioned. Easy to tell the difference.. air will clarify when setting.
Soundguy
SPIKER
Elite Member
I agree with soundguy:
if the system is full of foam it usually can only get in there on the suction side as a leak on the pressure side will spray fluid out at high velocities!... this means that more than likely the HYD intake filter, intake line or the fitting at the pump will be the biggest culprits. You start it up fluid is low add more fluid and soon it dumps out as the fluid becomes full of air and displaces the actual fluid. one way to help stop this is to always keep the fluid full. (sometimes the fluid will get low enough to suck a bit of air, which foams and the foam fills the system and over flows and next time it is worse.) eventually the pump will cavitate and burn out/seize up. if you have loader & back hoe raise them up high and let set for a day or so, (keep kids & pets away) and let the system settle out for several days, fill it up compleatly anddrop the FEL & hoe down quickly but don't break anything.
take some brake cleaner and spray around the hyd lines making sure to clean them up and keep an eye out for any little leaks then. the brake cleaner will let the HYD fluid loosen up and wipe it all down. then take tissue paper (paper towel) and wrap it around all the fittings drying them up darn good. let it set a day or two longer and use the paper towels to look for wet spots of hyd fluid. this will tell you where to watch for leaks or where they are.
anyhow if after setting a few days and filling the hyd system up it still foams then start looking for the intake screen in the hyd resivior to be loose or off and racked lines ... remember it may take several days for the air to raise up and pop the bubbles... and any air that is in the system will drop the tank level fast as it makes it's way back to the hyd tank. every cylinder line and valve will ahve air in it. these will need to be bleeded out very slowly with engine RPM at idle. if you run it too fast the air will get sucked back into the pump & lines and you will have to start over. if it foams really bad right away then check the lines o-rings ect.
mark M /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
if the system is full of foam it usually can only get in there on the suction side as a leak on the pressure side will spray fluid out at high velocities!... this means that more than likely the HYD intake filter, intake line or the fitting at the pump will be the biggest culprits. You start it up fluid is low add more fluid and soon it dumps out as the fluid becomes full of air and displaces the actual fluid. one way to help stop this is to always keep the fluid full. (sometimes the fluid will get low enough to suck a bit of air, which foams and the foam fills the system and over flows and next time it is worse.) eventually the pump will cavitate and burn out/seize up. if you have loader & back hoe raise them up high and let set for a day or so, (keep kids & pets away) and let the system settle out for several days, fill it up compleatly anddrop the FEL & hoe down quickly but don't break anything.
take some brake cleaner and spray around the hyd lines making sure to clean them up and keep an eye out for any little leaks then. the brake cleaner will let the HYD fluid loosen up and wipe it all down. then take tissue paper (paper towel) and wrap it around all the fittings drying them up darn good. let it set a day or two longer and use the paper towels to look for wet spots of hyd fluid. this will tell you where to watch for leaks or where they are.
anyhow if after setting a few days and filling the hyd system up it still foams then start looking for the intake screen in the hyd resivior to be loose or off and racked lines ... remember it may take several days for the air to raise up and pop the bubbles... and any air that is in the system will drop the tank level fast as it makes it's way back to the hyd tank. every cylinder line and valve will ahve air in it. these will need to be bleeded out very slowly with engine RPM at idle. if you run it too fast the air will get sucked back into the pump & lines and you will have to start over. if it foams really bad right away then check the lines o-rings ect.
mark M /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif