Oil & Fuel Water in hydraulic fluid???

[kjacob]

Hi Folks,

I'm a beginner. Please be gentle.

I have a TC-30, purchased at about 450 hours about a year ago. It's great.

A guest who grew up on a farm was checking the hydraulic fluid level and noticed that the hydraulic fluid was "milky", an indication, he said, that there was water in the fluid, and that was bad for the seals and with cold weather closeby (we live in CT) would be really bad.

I plan to replace the fluid but have a question for you folks. How would water have gotten in the fluid in the first place? The tractor is stored outdoors under a waterproof tarp. I do of course occasionally use it in the rain.

Any thoughts would be most appreciated.

Ken

 

[Soundguy]

condensation will let water in a sump.. all depneds on how milky it is.

another thing to look at is that air intrainment will make a white froth that can be mistaken for water emulsion.

neither is good though.

if it is water emulsion, dump in a can of transtune seafoam and run her around till warm.. and then..if it was me.. I'd dump in a quart of diesel, run one more lap, then drain warm, then refill with a clean UTF that met ford/NH M2C134D specs ( walmart, tractor supply,, etc.. ) then work her... as there will still be some water int he system in oil you can't get out. working her till good and hot will help some / most of that leftover water evaporate out.

soundguy

 

[kjacob]

Thank you very much soundguy.

Is there a way to tell definitively if it's air "entrainment" (not familiar with that term) or water?

Can condensation alone account for the contamination?

Ken

 

[Soundguy]

yes.. heavy condensation can, over time, account for alot of water.. especially on equipment that is not used alot, or not broight up to full temp for long enough to evap the water out.

air entrainment

(entrain2
vb (tr)
1. (Chemistry) (of a liquid or gas) to carry along (drops of liquid, bubbles, etc.), as in certain distillations
2. (Engineering / Civil Engineering) to disperse (air bubbles) through concrete in order to increase its resistance to frost)

frothy air entrainment will settle out.

water/oil emulsion ( milkshake) generally won't completely settle out.. requires something to help it.

thus you can wipe the dipstick and check it a few times and see what it does.

if it stays milky white.. it's water. if after a day it's back to oil.. it could be air.

 

[jinman]

Ken, New Holland recommends changing the hydraulic fluid every 300 hours in the compact tractors. If you don't have full maintenance records, there is no way of knowing the total number of hours on your fluid. Many cycles of warming and cooling can definitely cause condensation in a reservoir. For the best results on draining the oil, you want to run your tractor until the reservoir oil is warm, not just the engine warmed up. If you can work the tractor some and get the transmission warm then drain immediately, that would be best. I will caution you that if your tractor is HST, you should buy oil only that is rated as "transmisson" fluid. Some of the cheaper fluids meet the specs for gear transmission and hydraulics, but they aren't rated for HST transmissions. The premium transmission fluids are not much more expensive than the straight "hydraulic fluids," so you won't spend much more money to make sure you have the right fluid. Of course, New Holland Ambra Multi-G 134 is okay no matter what kind of transmission you have.

 

[dex3361]

Thank you very much soundguy.

Is there a way to tell definitively if it's air "entrainment" (not familiar with that term) or water?

Can condensation alone account for the contamination?

Ken

You can easily do a crackle test to check for the presence of water in the oil. Here is a link to Machinery lubrication Online Magizene that explains how to do it. Crackle Test:thumbsup:

 

[kjacob]

Hi Folks,

Many thanks for these very helpful replies.

I've called the local New Holland dealer, from whom the machine was originally purchased, and will pick up a hydraulic oil filter and oil (the machine is manual transmission.

The owner's manual is at the cabin so I can't consult it to see if it has directions on how to change the hydraulic oil (I assume it does). The original owner was very meticulous about service so I assume the oil was changed according to recommendations (the service records are at the cabin too).

Secondhand, I'm told the process is easy. I'll take the advice here and work the tractor during the day tomorrow (I am building a wood bridge from trees on the property) and I'll be able to exercise the front loader for that.

If there are any tricks to draining (once warm) and refilling, or in replacing the filter, I'd be most grateful for knowledge of those from this generous community.

With best regards,

Ken

 

[kjacob]

I just read the Crackle Test. It's funny, as an avid cook, I recognize this test immediately. If you have any moisture in a pan that you then add oil to and heat, you hear, see (and sometimes feel) the crackling and spitting caused by the moisture boiling off through the oil.

If I do this test, I'll have to fake the temperature on my cookstove. Fortunately, 350F corresponds to a common cooking temperature, used for pan frying.

Ken

 

[jinman]

Ken, I'm not sure where your drain plugs are on the TC30, but I'd suggest you have two 5-gal containers to catch the oil. I find old 5-gal buckets (metal or plastic) are great for this. Just line the buckets with tall kitchen trash bags (double bags for insurance) and drain the oil. When you get finished you can pour off the oil and then just pull out the trash bags and throw them into the trash. Cleanup done!

 

[Fixemall]

Hi Folks,


Secondhand, I'm told the process is easy. I'll take the advice here and work the tractor during the day tomorrow (I am building a wood bridge from trees on the property) and I'll be able to exercise the front loader for that.

If there are any tricks to draining (once warm) and refilling, or in replacing the filter, I'd be most grateful for knowledge of those from this generous community.

With best regards,

Ken

After you purchase your new filter, get the correct socket type filter tool by matching it up, since this won't be the last time you use it, it is worth having. Also pick up a proper tool for the drain plug removal, anything else tends to round em off. Get a couple of welding magnets and stick them to the old filter and drain plug when you are using it prior to draining the fluid.
Gather up some cardboard for your shop floor and cover an area bigger than you think will be necessary, get a few buckets that are cut down enough to slide under the drain plug easily and hold enough total volume that they all don't have to be topped off. Drain the filter and screen first, then the drain plug, this helps flush things out. A barrel pump helps with putting the new fluid in and they are cheap.