Water in trans/Hydraulic reservoir

[trapgrade]

I have a New Holand TC33 Hydro ,I'm getting a LOT of water in the reservoir !!! has anyone else had this problem????
The machine sits outside, I even keep a tarp over the rear end /seat area , But still getting a lot of water , can't find any area that doesn't look sealed on the top side.
i did a FULL service 8 months ago and the oil looked like heavy milk when it was dained over the week end

Thanks for any help i can get!!
Chuck

 

[mcfarmall]

Welcome to the forum!

Probably condensation from ambient humidity. When you put the tractor away warm and it cools down, humid air is likely drawn through the reservoir vent. This humid air condenses into liquid water and then collects in the reservoir. For critical applications, we use dessicant breathers on our hydraulic systems to prevent condensation.

 

[MiserableOldFart]

My TC 26DA has been outdoors 95% of the time since I bought it in 2006. Knock on wood, I've never seen anything like that. Perhaps there is some kind of a vent or something blocked? I have that problem with my Bush Hog RFM, and I have to change the gear oil every year, using a vacuum hose because there is no provision for draining. But hydro oil gets HOT underway, and I would think you would be driving any trace of moisture out of it.

It would appear something isn't right, but I have no idea what it might be. There must be a breather not doing its job or such. If you have a dealer, I'd certainly run it by their service guy. It's a very bad situation. I assume it's condensation, but could it possibly be something else? If you have a loader or backhoe, is it possible that there is some kind of negative pressure on a fitting from time to time that water - or maybe just humid air - is getting sucked in, but oil is too viscous to leak when under pressure? Just a wild guess there.

 

[LouNY]

Some times a lightly loaded, lightly worked piece of equipment doesn't get warm enough to evaporate the moisture out of a system. If your tractor has a hydraulic cooler on it block it off and get your hydraulics up to 160-170 degrees and the moisture will go away if it is just condensation.

 

[Jerry/MT]

Some times a lightly loaded, lightly worked piece of equipment doesn't get warm enough to evaporate the moisture out of a system. If your tractor has a hydraulic cooler on it block it off and get your hydraulics up to 160-170 degrees and the moisture will go away if it is just condensation.

+1 There is nothing wrong with your tractor. This is a normal situation and is especially bad in humid climates and with tractors that have low usage.

After the tractor has been sitting for awhile( this lets the water settle to the bottom), open the drain plug enough to let out the water and then top off with fresh fluid.

 

[trapgrade]

Thanks to everyone who replied !!!
I fun this tractor 2+ hours weekly mowing with a 84 in. rear finishing mower all spring thru late fall , I don't think its condensation!!, the oil has a lot of water in it!!!
I bought the tractor new and this problem started about 3 years ago !! I've done the required mantainence on it per owners manual ,since it was new using all NH oil & filters . its driving me crazy trying to figure out where the water is coming from..... Btw I do have a factory loader on it as well
Thank you all !!
Chuck

 

[Jerry/MT]

Thanks to everyone who replied !!!
I fun this tractor 2+ hours weekly mowing with a 84 in. rear finishing mower all spring thru late fall , I don't think its condensation!!, the oil has a lot of water in it!!!
I bought the tractor new and this problem started about 3 years ago !! I've done the required mantainence on it per owners manual ,since it was new using all NH oil & filters . its driving me crazy trying to figure out where the water is coming from..... Btw I do have a factory loader on it as well
Thank you all !!
Chuck

It sounds like you only use it during the summer months. The rest of the time it's ' collecting water vapor to condense in the transhydraulic oil!

 

[fishheadbob]

I don't know what's causing the problem, I don't like the sound of it. I have an old NH that sits for long periods then goes and makes short work of a few jobs; the fluid looks like the day it went in.
Oil is heavier than water. I used to do the following on marine outdrives to check for leaks. Remove the bottom drain plug when the tractor is cold and the oil and water have separated as much as they're going to, have a catch pan obviously, and see how much water comes out before fluid starts coming. Then see how fast you can get the plug back in. This will give you a good idea about how much water you're dealing with. An ounce or two might be OK, more than that you must find the problem.
With an outdrive any water signified a big problem.

 

[MiserableOldFart]

Before I moved here, I wasn't here in winter, and my little tractor sat for several months, and still never had anything like that happen. Every hydro fluid change, the stuff looked the same coming out as going in. It's plenty humid here in the summer, and we get below zero anywhere from 5 to 30 times in the winter, and though I've had all kinds of problem with condensation in the fuel, never anything with the hydro fluid, knock on wood.
Do these systems have a breather valve? Without some of breather, it would seem no matter how hot you got the fluid, the water would stay there. My RFM has a breather, and though it gets pretty warm in use - I doubt anything like as hot as hydro fluid - the water never goes away unless I suck it out.

 

[rayikeo2]

A long time ago on my 1700 I had a water in the transmission problem when the tractor was outside all the time. I looked everywhere and finally found 1 boot on my shifters was cracked at the very top. When it rained, water would run don the shifter and then into the transmission. I bought a new boot and the problem went away.