Overfilled Hydro fluid "bad"??

[Richard]

Working on my JCB 1550-B, needed its radiator fixed. That of course, meant I needed to first remove the hydraulic cooler and then the transmission cooler...

Be all those headaches as they may, I finally got the parts back together over the weekend.

Knowing (or thinking I knew) that I was already low on hydraulic oil, I put some in to replace that which was lost from the cooler AND the darn hoses draining (all over my lap I might add )

This backhoe/loader has a sight window to see the fluid levels and it was clearly empty. I added more hydraulic fluid...still empty. Yikes, I'm glad I didn't run the machine yet as I didn't think it was THAT low.

Finally, I dump an entire 5-gallon bucket of oil in... sight glass STILL empty....or so I thought

Seems the new, pristine hydraulic oil is just about impossible to see in this sight glass as it appears....well....clear!!

Now, the oil is essentially to the rim of the resivoir, instead of being let's say at 75% (which for arguments sake, is where the sight window is)

I ran the machine and after the hoe had been extended/retracted, maybe a bit more runnings.... I killed the engine. I then heard a soft "pffffffffff" and some oil coming out of the fill tube for hydraulic fluid

I loosened the cap a bit and indeed, burped maybe 1/2 cup out of the tube.

The big question I have is... is too much oil in the resivoir a 'bad' thing as in, will it blow a hose or something like that, or is it more of an annoyance?

Should I stop before doing anything else and siphon some of the extra out, putting it back into the bucket?

Should I just leave well enough alone?

 

[3RRL]

Although you should always have the recommended amount of fluid in there, since that is the prescribed amount, I don't think it will hurt your system. As long as there is enough room for the fluid to get into the reservoir and it is being drawn out at that same rate, and you have your vent clear enough to work properly, you should be alright. I presume if it was super full it will spill out or get forced out through the vent and make a mess. That is the downside.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Pretty much what Rob said. It is not a sealed system, so as it warms up, you may notice it burp a little fluid here and there. It will seek the level it's happy with. Don't lose any sleep over it.