Changing hyd fluid--what about the fluid in the FEL?

[RobJ]

Is there an option like on automotive transmissions on cars where you can disconnect the return hydraulic line that (in the case of cars) goes back to the radiator and then add new fluid back in as the old fluid gets pumped out? I was astonished to note the amount of truly black and disgusting fluid that came out of my power steering system when I went this same route.

I do this on my Ford 250, but I don't think it'll work here. The hydraulic pumps works in a bypass mode most of the time (unless you are actually moving a lever).

Good thinking, I thought of the same idea while reading the thread.

 

[AndyMA]

I doubt my FEL has gallons in it. Maybe?
Bob
PS I chnaged 13 gallons of hydro fluid on my TN70A. Dilution is the solution!

Bob Isn't the change interval on a TN 1200 hours?

Andy

 

[Doc_Bob]

I
It's too much money to risk 1000$ hydro pumps and 700$ spool packs and 700$ qd/relief setups for 80$ of oil.. etc.

Soundguy

Good points, and the answer is NO, not worth the risk.
Bob

 

[Soundguy]

Deffinately not.

I'd rather change the oil ever year ( more often than rated spec ). Even if I'm using a slightly cheaper oil.. like walmart or TSC UTF.. it should still make it a couple hundred hours.. and then i can dump it, and get contaminates and extra water out of my hyds.... I don't know of anything that was ever hurt by too much new oil.. etc.

Soundguy

 

[Doc_Bob]

Bob Isn't the change interval on a TN 1200 hours?

Andy

Yes, 1200 hours or 2 years. My machine only had 190 hours but 3 years. So I did the fluids.
Bob

 

[Dirthog]

I would not worry about how much oil you have left in any attachment have spent the last 33 years working on construction equipment both large and small also have two excavators a backhoe,dozer and other small pieces of my one and with the exception of three times have never changed the whole system and that was because of a blow up in the system where the pump went bad and the customer continued to run machine. Almost all tractors use gear pumps which are more forgiving than construction equipment which now use piston pumps. Keep the filters clean and be careful when you are adding oil 90% of the dirt in a system comes from dirty cans or funnels when filling or adding oil!