Flush hydraulics with diesel fuel?

[Billy Bee]

I have a NH TC 33 gear with fel, just changed hydraulic oil and filter last weekend. I did not flush the system, and now I am reading on some posts that if you suspect water, you should flush the system. The hydraulics are doing the same thing as before, noisy and jerky and they would not work at all in really cold weather, 3pt or fel. I think I should flush the system and replace oil and filter. Can you flush with diesel, or should it be kerosene? How long can you work/run the hydraulics with this flushing solution in the system? I used TSC Extreme hydraulic fluid, it says it is NH 134 compatible.
Thanks, Bill

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

If the oil is milky or any tint of white to it you have water contamination. If there's no white, there's no water. Personally, I've never heard of flushing a system with anything other than the intended fluid for that particular system.

 

[puckgrinder85]

I personally wouldn't be running diesel in the system to clean it out, you're putting the potential for damage there.

 

[BeezFun]

I'd flush with a slightly lower viscosity of the specified fluid, especially if you're doing this in cold weather. If you put something other than hydraulic fluid in the system, you'll never get it all out. If you think you have water do a crackle test.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Flush with diesel to get out the water? What do you flush the diesel out with because you sure don't want a bunch of it contaminating your oil. I flushed my old Vietnam rebuild Yanmar with hydraulic oil a couple of times to get out the water and crud. I just put in a couple of gallons rather than fill it completely. Then I used the FEL to raise and lower the tractor to rock the oil back and forth in the reservoir to stir up the crude. The filters then caught a lot of it and the I quickly drained it and changed the filters and cleaned the intake screen. It was a lot of trouble but I finally got it to work more than a day without stopping up all the screens and filters with slimy crude.

I wouldn't use diesel to flush with at all. FIRST< I think the water would not be held in suspension with it and Second<The diesel needs to be flushed also.

 

[puckgrinder85]

And I think what beez means is drop some of your suspected contaminated oil on a hot exhaust manifold and see if it boils or just smokes, that will give you an indication of water anywhere.

 

[Billy Bee]

Ok. I won't be doing that with diesel or kero. The only reason I asked is because I read several posts referring to cold weather hydraulics not working, and some flushed the system with kero or diesel. When I drained the system it was in the mid 40s and even though I ran the tractor for 45 min. the hydraulic oil was still very cold when I drained it. I wasn't too crazy about putting diesel or kero in the system for reasons you guys mentioned. That's why I thought I better ask. I think I will do what Gary Fowler did, and try again.
Thanks for your help, Bill

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

There are ways to find out if there is water in the system without having to drain it again. Just because it doesn't work well when cold doesn't mean that water in the oil is the cause. Try what I said or puckgrinder....if there is no water you need to look for another cause of the issues.

 

[Tx Jim]

Better way to determine if hyd oil has water in it than applying some to hot exhaust system is put a teaspoon of hyd oil in your wife's skillet and apply heat. If the liquid crackles in contains water.

 

[J_J]

How about this.

Solvent/Detergent Flush Fluid — Various solvents and detergents have been used with different degrees of success, including mineral spirits, diesel fuel, motor oils and detergent/dispersant packages.

Alcohol has also been used to help absorb the water.

A lower viscosity than is current used can be used to flush.

This flush mix has been used by many people over time and seems to work.

From Soundguy:

about.. 1 quart atf ( type f or dex/merc 3 ) to 1g diesel, to 1 pint 90-91% rubbing alcohol. I'll put that into a sump as a rinse. if it needs more fluid for some pickup.. I'll add in some cheap utf or more diesel rinse mix.

Some additional info.

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