Flushing out old hydraulic implements?

[IndyIan]

I'm getting my first tractor soon and a buddy has an old 3 pt log splitter that he doesn't use. Any tricks to get the old fluid out of the spitter? I know its sat for atleast 5 years unused and the tractor it was last used with wasn't in the best shape...
I guess I could just take the hoses off each side of the cylinder and try to drain it that way? I assume cycling it by hand isn't going to happen.
Or is there a valve to put in the quick connects that you can release the old hyd fluid in a controlled manner using the tractors hydraulic pressure? Or just a quick connect with a cut off hose into a bucket? With no resistance there should be no pressure right? If I just tickle the remote valve can I release a controlled amount of fluid with the tractor at its lowest idle?
Or am I worried about nothing? I guess I don't want to introduce water and therefore probably rust into my new shiney tractor hydraulics if I can avoid it.

 

[aczlan]

Take the quick connects off of the hose, put the valve into extend position and move the cylinder by hand.
If that doesn't work and the cylinder is fully retracted, you can remove the line from the rod end of the cylinder, then use the hydraulics to pressurize the other end and force the fluid out of the rod end.

Aaron Z

 

[dfkrug]

You are right to be concerned about mixing some old, unknown, nasty
fluid with the hyd oil in your tractor. I like to get rid of hyd oil in
backhoes before connecting them, too. Even on new equipment.

At least your splitter has QD fittings, which seal out water/dirt. The
implements with the dirtiest oil are ones with their own pump/res. They
often sit outside and get water and dirt in the system, thru the breather
cap on the tank. I have seen that a bunch of times.

The last splitter I rebulit had cyls that were almost 5" in diam, and I could
not move them manually, even with the hoses removed. I used
compressed air, applied with a rubber-tipped gun. I also used some
scrap hose to collect the oil. If you use your tractor's hyd system (with
one hose disconnected), you will waste a bunch of good oil.

 

[Soundguy]

on a da cyl, just route the dump line to bucket in each direction, and power with new oil.. then run it lock to lock a few times to get rid of air, all the while topping the resv in use off.

soundguy