Hydraulic fluid looks like caramel - water contamination?

[zanfirico]

Long time reader-first time poster. i searched a little but couldnt find a real answer to my fluid conundrum. Yesterday I was changing filters, and when I went to change the hydro filter on my Woods 7500 backhoe, and the fluid coming out (I didn't drain first, that's a different problem :0 ) was brownish yellow, opaque, and wholly terrible looking. After searching a bit, I am assuming the fluid is contaminated with water, but I can figure out where the water is coming from. It's a pto driven pump system with its own reservoir, and the only opening I know of is the dipstick/filler cap which protrudes upward at about a 45deg. Angle and has a cap with a foam filter covering it. The hoe had been in use the last week and had been working fine, but when I replace the oil today, I'd like to protect it going forward.
Any ideas? Also, will the remainder oil I the cylinders and lines be a serious problem once its diluted down with several gal.s of new fluid?

Thanks ahead of time.

 

[murphy1244]

Yea that's water alright. You store this outside uncovered?

 

[Gary Fowler]

Likely the water is from condensation in the tank. It may be water tight but it isn't air tight. Storage outside accelerates the condensation from nightly cooling where it will suck in warm moist air that condenses the water vapor. This is the main reason for oil changes in hydraulics in that the oil rarely "wears out" but does get contaminated. Just change it all out on a regular basis as per mfg. directions and you should be good. Inside storage would prolong the time between changes to some extent. Sampling the oil to check for water contamination would be a good thing to do if you have access point large enough to do this.

 

[J_J]

If you can't find the leak, cover the tank with tarp or something.

QD's or cyl might ingest water when hyd circuit cools down because there is a vacuum created and will either suck in air or water.

 

[zanfirico]

I do indeed keep it outside, and though I realize condensation can form, I guess I didn't realize how much of an effect it would have on the oil. Would anyone recommend some sort of desiccant filter on the fill hole, in place of the cap?

I will also try the tarp idea, just in case. What's one more tarp in the backyard? I think I even have one that's NH blue