3038e filter gasket blew out..............twice. Cold weather

[AKfish]

I agree that the situation is unusual. My first winter with a HST tractor @ 20F the system was a no-go! Engine running but no F or R, no loader function or steering.

Filters were fine but the oil was too thick. Switched from regular Hy-Gard to the Lo-vis and everything is fine down to minus 10F or so. But, I installed a transmission heater as well. So, I plug everything in when it's gonna be less than +20F.

That said, I could imagine a "snug but not tight" filter gasket leaking upon startup when it's around zero degrees. Metal surfaces, especially aluminum will contract significantly at cold temps.

 

[darrellbarnes]

AKfish, I had the thick oil thing going on. I would say that the regular Hy-Gard (for me) at least is going to need changed out in the fall. Talking with a fellow from Willow yesterday, we discussed draining and storing the "summer oil" in a 5 gallon bucket and swapping out seasonally. And, as you pointed out, the (possibly different) metal contraction rate of the filter and base may require a little extra tightening.

 

[AKfish]

AKfish, I had the thick oil thing going on. I would say that the regular Hy-Gard (for me) at least is going to need changed out in the fall. Talking with a fellow from Willow yesterday, we discussed draining and storing the "summer oil" in a 5 gallon bucket and swapping out seasonally. And, as you pointed out, the (possibly different) metal contraction rate of the filter and base may require a little extra tightening.

I had an extended conversation with the shop foreman/lead mechanic at the local JD dealership on this subject and he told me that they would mix the regular viscosity Hy-Gard 50-50 with the Lo-Vis Hy-Gard on their rental equipment.

I asked him if there was any compatibility issues with the mixture and brake surfaces, wet clutches, hydro transmissions, etc. He maintained that they did not experience any problems with early failures, etc.

I haven't done that with my tractors, yet. I am considering doing that with my 5075M as the Lo-Vis will seep/leak past the metal connections easier than the regular viscosity Hy-Gard. I use heated pads on the trans-axle housing on the 75M and with a little thicker fluid, I'll just leave it plugged in a bit longer...

 

[darrellbarnes]

Update on this........I put a new filter on yesterday and ran it for an hour at 30 °F with no issues. The John Deere service manager's response was a resounding shoulder shrug. Gotta love these guys. He did offer however that if it was his, he would run Lo-Vis all year in our climate. He also suggested that the bypass may could be stuck. I opted for the run it and try it approach as my bet is on the near-honey consistency hydraulic fluid when it was down in the single digit temps. Hopefully, this is the last on this.