JD 4440 water in hydraulic fluid

   / JD 4440 water in hydraulic fluid #1  

albertarancher

New member
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Jun 17, 2020
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12
Tractor
1996 JD 7410, 2001 JD 7210, JD 4440
A while back I hooked up to my cultivator. Turned out one of the vertical mounted cylinders had a seal fail, and taken on water. When I cycled the cylinders I contaminated the tractor hydraulic fluid with water.

I initially drained the fluid and refilled with new fluid. I drove the tractor for 20 min, and drained and refilled again. Fluid looked good at that point.

I used the tractor to cut hay, noticed the fluid had gone cloudy again, but less cloudy then the initial contamination. I drained and refilled with new fluid again.

Used the tractor to cultivate and the fluid is now cloudy like the time before.

A couple of questions. Do I just need to change the fluid a time or two more? Is it possible there could be coolant getting into the hydraulic fluid through a cooler or something?

I have also been flushing contaminated fluid out of implements before I use them
 
   / JD 4440 water in hydraulic fluid #2  
Sounds like more water getting into the hyd fluid than could have just from a failed cylinder seal. Good luck finding the cause of where else it is coming from.
 
   / JD 4440 water in hydraulic fluid #3  
Hyd oil cooler isn't connected to engine cooling system. I suggest to be sure hyd oil filler cap breather isn't clogged. Does tractor set in a shed or barn when not being used? Water contaminated oil is difficult to drain 90% of the contaminated oil. Which type trans? If QR trans are you removing drain plug on clutch housing??
 
   / JD 4440 water in hydraulic fluid
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Hyd oil cooler isn't connected to engine cooling system. I suggest to be sure hyd oil filler cap breather isn't clogged. Does tractor set in a shed or barn when not being used? Water contaminated oil is difficult to drain 90% of the contaminated oil. Which type trans? If QR trans are you removing drain plug on clutch housing??
It's a quad range transmission and I have been draining the clutch housing.

Tractor does sit in a shelter when not being used.

How can I check the filler cap breather?
 
   / JD 4440 water in hydraulic fluid #5  
IIRC rubber washer can be pried out of cap in order to clean out any accumulated dirt to be sure breather hole isn't clogged.
 
   / JD 4440 water in hydraulic fluid #6  
Are you sure it is water in the oil and not just air from running the tractor for a period of time. The oil is also lubricating all the gears in the transmission which can introduce a little air from the gears splashing - turning in the oil. If it sits for a few minutes does the oil start to clear up? If possible catch a sample of oil in mason jar and let sit. Any water will eventually settle out. Air will dissipate and oil will return to normal color.
 
   / JD 4440 water in hydraulic fluid
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Are you sure it is water in the oil and not just air from running the tractor for a period of time. The oil is also lubricating all the gears in the transmission which can introduce a little air from the gears splashing - turning in the oil. If it sits for a few minutes does the oil start to clear up? If possible catch a sample of oil in mason jar and let sit. Any water will eventually settle out. Air will dissipate and oil will return to normal color.
I had wondered the same thing, so I sent out a oil sample to be tested. Came back showing water present.

When the oil sits in a clear jar it looks slightly milky no matter how long it sits. From the research I've done, apparently water won't separate out due to the additives in modern oil.
 
   / JD 4440 water in hydraulic fluid
  • Thread Starter
#8  
My main concern was that somehow coolant was entering the hydraulic system, but it sounds like that's not possible. I know the tractor hasn't been out in the rain so it can't be coming in that way.

I was getting a transmission light before the last time I changed the oil. Since then it has gone away so I think I'm going in the right direction. I'll change the oil again, and clean the vented cap and hopefully that clears things up.
 
   / JD 4440 water in hydraulic fluid #9  
Dang at the money spent on oil. Do you pour it up in something and let the water settle and pour the oil back off of it? Me, I'd just run it, if it gets hot, water boils off. We have six tractors. Oldest is 1981 newest is 1994. We just run it and it clears up. We do change the skid steer every now and then. But the hydraulic oil also lubricates the drives. And when we clean out 4 - 600' chicken houses with a year of manure over a foot deep, it gets worked. Two weeks straight, no mercy. I'm about to do a clean out on 4 more layer houses in October. Just got a call about it. The spreader truck has a bad spinner motor I need to fix and owner wants a huge bucket for his skid steer. Which I already knew, but we haven't talked in a week or so. In fact, he has 3 tractors down there. No change the hydraulic oil because I would be the one that done it. I've been around there 20 years.
 
   / JD 4440 water in hydraulic fluid #10  
I had wondered the same thing, so I sent out a oil sample to be tested. Came back showing water present.

When the oil sits in a clear jar it looks slightly milky no matter how long it sits. From the research I've done, apparently water won't separate out due to the additives in modern oil.
Sure does sound like water. No clue on how or if anti-freeze could get in hydraulic system. Most common would be oil to water heat exchanger but per above post your tractor does not have that style of heat exchanger - radiator.

Do you use this for field work or more of chore tractor? If chore tractor is it possible that you are just getting it warm enough to create condensation but not hot enough to cook it out?
 
 
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