Water in Fluid

[texasjohn]

My plan, exactly, is to use my next tractor fluid drain to replace the fluid in the dump trailer.... the tractor fluid is always almost pristine looking.... will be a good place to reuse it.

 

[Tgunn]

I haven't had a chance to do all of the above yet. I have removed the tank & cleaned it. Not knowing much about this, is there some reason this wouldn't work?: Can I refill with new fluid but not connect the return line. Putting the return line into a 5 gal bucket to catch oil returning to the tank. Therefore not re-contaminating the system. I realize I would have to be careful to not run it out of oil as I worked all the cylinders to expel the old contaminated fluid.
There may be an obvious reason I shouldn't do this but as I look at it, it makes me say hhhmmm. Seems like I could get rid of the bad oil without contaminating the new. Maybe only having to replace the oil once.
Suggestions? Comment? Tell me I'm stupid?

 

[kennyd]

Tgunn, Your idea will work for the most part, but the fluid will come out of that return line very fast and under pressure. YOU MUST BE EXTREMELY CARFULL! High pressure fluid can pierce the skin and cause extreme tissue damage requiring amputation.

 

[Reg]

It takes surprisingly LITTLE water in oil to turn it milky, and only a little more to turn it creamy.
If you don't know the history, it is at least POSSIBLE that accumulated snow could have somehow melted into the tank.
Forget this comment if you are in the sun belt, I'm not.

I would just do a single straight fluid & filter change, then keep doing them at the recommended intervals.

 

[KYErik]

I had the same fluid issue when I bought my used Case 530 hoe. If you plan things properly, you can get most of the milky fluid out the first time by forcing it out of the full end of the cylinders.

The goal is to put the hoe in a position so that gravity will help you push the rest of the contaminated fluid out of the cylinders after you drain the tank.

1. put the machine in the appropriate position (stabilizers down, boom and dipper up and out, bucket extended) and shut it off

2. drain the hydraulic tank and leave the drain plug out

3. one at a time, have a helper hold each control lever so it can "vent" and then manually move each part to force most of the old oil out of the cylinders (the other end of the cylinder will fill with air). This needs to be planned carefully.

You have 5 sets of cylinders- stabilizers, swing, boom, dipper and bucket.

I'd start with the dipper let it- come in halfway (by gravity). Next let the bucket curl (use a come along to force it all teh way in. Manually swing the boom from side to side (it should still be off the ground). Use a come along to fully retract the dipper. Allow each stabilizer to retract and use a come along or farm jack to push it all teh way up to its transport position. Finally, let the boom down until it touched the ground. The only contaminated oil you have now is what is left in the boom cyclinder (unless you dropped it into a deep hole and it pushed everything out) and a little in the hoses.

Be very careful if you choose to do this and definitely have a helper to work the levers. It won't get all of the water out but it may save you one flush- I know it did for me.

 

[sandman2234]

Due to the rust factor, I would get that water out as soon as possible! It can't be good for the system.
David from jax

 

[tom_k]

As said, retract all the cylinders, drain the tank, and refill with cheap hydraulic fluid. Add a couple bottles of HEET or similar gas line antifreeze stuff you'll find in the autoparts section. It's basically pure alcohol, which is both water soluble and petrochemical soluble, so it'll kind of dissolve all the water into the hydraulic fluid. Operate the controls a bit to get all the old stuff out, then retract and drain and refill again. That should get most of it at once.

Have you actually done this? And you never observed any bad effects from the alchohol on rubber components (seals etc) in the hydraulic system?

Are you just adding the Heet to a load of fluid, then draining immediately?
Or do you operate the tractor so the stuff is moving through the system under pressure? In that case, how long do you leave it in?

When I get the time, it'd be interesting to mix up a little Iso-Heet with my NH 134 transmission oil, drop a couple of O-rings in a glass full, and see what happens after a few days. I'm guessing nothing, but would not want to guess with a nearly new tractor.