hyd oil
8x56mn
Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 167 Watkins Glen NY |
2010-03-19 169354
I have a B2150 gear shift tranny. Last night I was routinely checking fluids and I noticed the hyd. Level was full, but looked a little dark and had a very slight odor, not burned just an odor. The tractor has 1900 hours and to be honest I don’t remember when the fluid was changed last, perhaps five years ago when I had a FEL installed. I plan on calling the local dealer to come and pick it up and do a complete fluid and filter change. Should I be concerned with the discoloration of the oil?
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hyd oil
earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan Pics |
2010-03-19 169355
It depends on the smell--I mean is it an oil smell mixed with...antifreeze, or motor oil, or rubber, or?
My Dodge Ram Technical Bulletin I saw said the Dextron 4 it uses (only 4 quarts!) Says the trans fluid will have an off odor and change to dark. But it's not a concern. I just found this out after 7 years of ownership. ....
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hyd oil
8x56mn
Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 167 Watkins Glen NY |
2010-03-19 169356
The smell I can't determine, kind of like dirty oil, but not strong. The color is not dark as I can still see through it, kinda of like lite maple syrupe if you will. ....
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hyd oil
auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 2168 West of Toronto Pics |
2010-03-19 169357
If it's any consolation, I change my hydraulic-transmission fluid every five years. ....
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hyd oil
hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3583 iowa |
2010-03-19 169358
Yes, I'd change it but I don't think it is a real concern.
There probably are tractors built thirty years ago that heve never had the fluid changed, I'm not saying that's right but just the way it sometimes is. ....
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hyd oil
8x56mn
Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 167 Watkins Glen NY |
2010-03-19 169360
Thanks for the reply and advice. Let me add another piece of information. This winter while back blading snow in reverse mostly, I started to hear a kind of groaning noise coming from the rear of the tractor and I kept smelling hydraulic fluid. I looked for leaks and found nothing. I’m thinking now the two might be related. Could I be smelling fumes coming from the filler cap under the seat that could be caused from gears heating up? I have been using a spring tooth harrow type drag the last couple of days going forward only of course, but experienced no odor.Could this account for the discolered oil? Am I being paranoid? ....
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hyd oil
kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon Pics |
2010-03-19 169364
My 20 year old chipper doesn't give a change interval at all for the 30 gallons of 30 weight it uses, but it does say to change the filter every xxx hours (don't remember). The oil may never have been changed and I don't feel like dealing with disposal of 30 gallons of the stuff. ....
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hyd oil
auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 2168 West of Toronto Pics |
2010-03-19 169369
For disposing of used hyd fluid, you can spray it under vehicles as an undercoat. Or a garage might accept it. Some get used oil picked up for free or even for payment. ....
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hyd oil
8x56mn
Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 167 Watkins Glen NY |
2010-03-19 169370
Ok, let me ask you guys another question, can I put STP in the hyd oil or will this mess it up. I'm thinking this may be a bearing problem or gears. ....
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hyd oil
hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3583 iowa |
2010-03-19 169374
I think you're getting far too worried about too many things. The groaning noise in the winter may be just pump whine from cold oil, the oil smell may be that you were in just the right place to catch the air coming from the transmission vent. I think putting STP in would be a bad move, it will just clog up the filters and screens to the pump making things worse. Try the simple things first. Change the fluid and filters, if your tractor has a screen in the sump pull it out and check for metal chips, etc, a few small flakes are normal and not a real cause for concern. For reasons unknown to me it is normal to have a fluid smell for a while after a new change of fluids. Frank. ....
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hyd oil
hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3583 iowa |
2010-03-19 169375
KW;
I know of a couple local dealerships that burn waste oil as a supplement heat source, ask around, they likely would be glad to have it. ....
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hyd oil
kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 5275 South Carolina Pics |
2010-03-19 169381
KW, I find a lot of uses for used oil. A 5 gallon bucket is great to place tools such as shovel or hoe to protect them from rusting. Found the best way to keep a sprayer pump from going bad was to use quick connections and when through spraying drop in a 5 gallon bucket of used oil. That oil is also great to spray or brush on to such as disk blades or scrape blades. And of course it is really good to help fuel a fire such as burning brush, stumps or such. Oh it will also help prevent wood from rotten when used for floors in trailers or such. ....
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hyd oil
8x56mn
Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 167 Watkins Glen NY |
2010-03-22 169427
Thanks, I will call the dealer today and have him come to pick her up, change flueds and clean everything and also check for metal flakes. I hope your right and I'm just being paronoid. The wife and I went looking at tractors yesterday, the dealer only had new ones and I'm still suffering from sticker shock;) ....
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hyd oil
Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada Pics |
2010-03-22 169429
Based on your description of the oil smell & colour, and the noise in reverse, I'd say the whole thing was sticky brakes.
If a tractor sits without being used pivot joints get sticky, more so in the winter where moisture forms ice and rust from (possibly salty) melted snow can further aggravate the problem.
I suspect your brakes were hanging just slightly.
Lube up all the exposed linkage as best you can and get it free and working smoothly.
Best of luck. ....
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hyd oil
8x56mn
Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 167 Watkins Glen NY |
2010-03-25 169497
Update, they came and picked up my tractor yesterday. Mechanic called me to report that he drained hyd. oil and pulled the filter cartridge and found some powdered metal caught by the magnet in the filter. The oil was not burned. He drove it around before draining the oil and the noise I was hearing he thinks is coming form the metal tube covering the front drive shaft, but was planning to pull the cover where it connects to the front and check it, but wanted my permission to do that. He did not think that there was anything to worry about. I asked him to replace all fluids while he had her there. Hopefully get her back today. I had lined up two used tractors to check on Saturday, got the bank approval to purchase, but looks like I won't need to worry about that for now and hopefully have a long time before I will. I'm 62 so hope my tractor out lives me:)
Thanks to everyone for the feedback.
....
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