Hydraulics Work and then Quit

[AZTreeHugger]

Hi. This has happened 3 times in a row.

I finally get it started (took some tricks in the cold), and the hydraulics work, yay, moving some snow around.

Then they just quit for no apparent reason.

The oil is milky. My friend thought it maybe had a chunk of ice getting caught in the pump?

It will work for about 20 minutes to a half hour, then quit.

Help!!! I was going to make snow moving a fun Christmas present for neighbors tomorrow.

TH

 

[J_J]

You have water in the fluid. If it gets cold enough it is going to freeze.

You probably need filters and screen cleaning.

You need a complete flush and new fluid.

Check fluid levels.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

My thinking is that you have a serious suction leak some where. The milky oil is that way from all of the air in it. The longer the fluid gets pumped , the more air is mixed with the oil. After awhile when the hydraulics quite working is when you are actually pumping more air than oil. Just a theroy. :confused3: Sure sounds like you're getting air in there though.
When you check the fluid when the hydraulics quite working, is it at a higher level than before it becomes milky?

Good luck

 

[MtnViewRanch]

You have water in the fluid. If it gets cold enough it is going to freeze.

You probably need filters and screen cleaning.

You need a complete flush and new fluid.

Check fluid levels.

Not saying that what you have said is not true, but if the hydraulics work when cold and then don't as they warm up, how is freezing got anything to do with his problem?

 

[murphy1244]

:welcome:

 

[J_J]

Drain some of the hyd fluid and let it set.

If it is air en-trained fluid, it will dissipate with time.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Drain some of the hyd fluid and let it set.

If it is air en-trained fluid, it will dissipate with time.

Correct, this is why I think that the system works at first and then quites. :confused3: Don't really know, just guessing.

 

[J_J]

Install a hyd gage to the IN port of the FEL valve and use it to monitor and trouble shoot the hyd system.

Air will cause erratic pressure readings.

 

[V1Rotate]

Just a question. If you took a small sample of the milky fluid and put it in a glass jar and let it sit for a while, could you tell if the contamination was air or water? If it was water, would you see it settle to the bottom?

 

[Soundguy]

Just a question. If you took a small sample of the milky fluid and put it in a glass jar and let it sit for a while, could you tell if the contamination was air or water? If it was water, would you see it settle to the bottom?

if it's air entrainment, it will settle out.. most utf oils anti-foam quickly upon setting.

if it is water emulsion.. it may settle to water and oil.. it may not.. depends on the addatives, emulsifiers..e tc. some emulsions can be stable..

air will settle out though...