How long to warm up tranny fluid in cold weather?

[3RRL]

There was a thread a while ago about what rpm do you start your tractor. The answers varied from brand to brand and across the country. But one thing ALL of them did was let them warm up before using. In really cold weather, it would make sense to let it warm up a little longer than in warm weather.

One thing a lot of guys do is their pre-check routine while warming up the tractor. Walk around it and check for obvious loose nuts and bolts or wires. Maybe something snagged from the previous use and now would be a good time to find it and fix it. Some guys lube their loader during the warm up period. This allows you to move it to different positions thus exercising the hydraulics gently and makes the 5 or 10 minutes fly by. Consider adding a heater of some kind that helps in cold weather starting. Some cold areas it is a must. Use the decompression lever and glow plugs if your tractor has them.

The key is to let her warm up adequately, so you don't shock it into heavy work right away. Then go out and have fun.

 

[whitetiger]

runnig the oil out through a hose and back into the valve will have very little effect on the oil temp. the oil is already being pumped through the valve and then back to the transmission sump. the only time doing this would help is if it was on a JD or the like with closed centre hydraulics. unless you open a valve on these then the oil doesnt move at all.

Adding the hose runs your hyd oil through the couplers and adds a little restriction thus creating heat. We use this method to warm hyd oil for testing almost every day. It is such a popular method of warming oil in the winter around here that almost all local dealer keep a few made up and at the parts counter. Also on a hydrostate tractor, after it has run a few minutes put the range transmisson in Nutreal and depress the hydro pedal a little.

 

[Botabill]

My owners manual says warm up for 5 minutes in the summer and 10 minutes when the weather is cold. That's what works for me but sometime in the dead of our Canadian winter I may go longer than the 10 minutes warmup. Makes sense to do some gentle curls with your hydraulics to allow the real cold stuff to move gently into the system. Redneck Bob...I don't have that kind of squeal with my tractor. You might want to start a thread and ask what othres think about it. Doesn't sound normal from my experience but with some tractors it may be.

 

[Doc_Bob]

I have partially blocked my engine radiator. I watch the coolant temp gauge and saw no ill effects such as overheating. I assume it allowed me to warm up my engine a little faster and kept it warmer in idle situations.

So, it brings me to the hydro radiator. How about doing the same thing? Block part of it to keep the hydraulic fluid warmer in very cold temps? I know the engine coolant has a thermostat, does the hydraulic fuid have a thermostat? The radiator form my hydraulic fluid is in front of the engine coolant radiator and is pretty large. What do you think?
Bob

 

[ozzie tractor]

Adding the hose runs your hyd oil through the couplers and adds a little restriction thus creating heat. We use this method to warm hyd oil for testing almost every day. It is such a popular method of warming oil in the winter around here that almost all local dealer keep a few made up and at the parts counter. Also on a hydrostate tractor, after it has run a few minutes put the range transmisson in Nutreal and depress the hydro pedal a little.

im with you on they hydo point. still not shure about the heat created through the hose but. i will take your word on it as i have less experience on warming things up then i do on keeping them cool.

 

[whitetiger]

I have partially blocked my engine radiator. I watch the coolant temp gauge and saw no ill effects such as overheating. I assume it allowed me to warm up my engine a little faster and kept it warmer in idle situations.

So, it brings me to the hydro radiator. How about doing the same thing? Block part of it to keep the hydraulic fluid warmer in very cold temps? I know the engine coolant has a thermostat, does the hydraulic fuid have a thermostat? The radiator form my hydraulic fluid is in front of the engine coolant radiator and is pretty large. What do you think?
Bob

Blocking the oil cooler will help some, but when the oil is cold and thick, most tractors have a cooler bypass valve that opens and your oil does not get to the cooler. The oil has to thin out enough to flow thru the cooler to drop the pressure so the valve can close. After that point covering the cooler will help.
Another popular option is to use NH F-200 trans-draulic oil at your next change. It does not get near as thick in cold weather. It does cost more. It is the factory fill oil in a TV145 tractor which is hydrostate also.

 

[RobJ]

straight from my L2500 owners manual. I don't say I do this....

Under.... Warm-up transmission oil in low temperature range
above 32....at least 10 minutes
14-32... 10-20 minutes
14 to -4 20-30 minutes
below -4 more than 30 miunutes.

funny, doesn't have a low temp range for the engine oil...just says 5 minutes.

 

[Doc_Bob]

straight from my L2500 owners manual. I don't say I do this....

Under.... Warm-up transmission oil in low temperature range
above 32....at least 10 minutes
14-32... 10-20 minutes
14 to -4 20-30 minutes
below -4 more than 30 miunutes.

Boy, it sure sounds like a great place for magnetic fluid warmer??? Who makes a magnetic fluid warmer that might work on a PTO/Tranny hydraulic fluid reservoir???
Bob

 

[john_bud]

Okay, I know cold weather is "bad" on fluids. I have heard that HST tranny's can "rupture" filters, etc if operated when that hydraulic fluid is not yet warmed up.

Now, I drive a New Holland TN 70A with a power shuttle and 8X8 gear tranny. I have a common sump for all hydraulic fluid that is shared with the FEL, 3 ph, power steering, etc. My question is do I worry abbout the fluid being to cold? And how do I warm it up and how to I know it has warmed up?
Bob

Bob,

Your power shuttle won't be as sensitive to cold weather as an HST. The HST has a pre-charge pump that runs pressurized fluid thru the filter. Pressure is in the 200-400 psi range. ALL of the fluid goes thru the filter while under pressure. Cold fluid does not want to go thru, and that can cause the filter housing to flex and leak or the seal to burst and leak.

I don't think your tractor has this going on (could be wrong, but...). The deal with power shifts transmissions is that the hydraulic fluid, when real cold, won't want to circulate and the shifting won't occur or will be very slow. Usually 5-10 minutes in real cold weather is all that is needed.

One poster suggested using a dead end line on a remote to cause the pressure relief to open and the oil to warm. I would shy away from that approach. If it is real cold (like we get it here in Packer Land) and the fluid is extra thick you could cause permanent damage to the pump. The relief may not allow sufficent fluid to pass quickly enough. Your tractor and your money - you make the call.


Most magnetic heaters don't thermally couple very well and are a waste of money and effort. Toss an old blanket over the tractor and direct a heat lamp up at the transmission if you want it to heat up . Personally, I wouldn't worry about it on the power shuttle transmission. Especially if you use a multiviscosity fluid like SUDT or the NH equivalent.

jb

 

[whitetiger]

One poster suggested using a dead end line on a remote to cause the pressure relief to open and the oil to warm. I would shy away from that approach. If it is real cold (like we get it here in Packer Land) and the fluid is extra thick you could cause permanent damage to the pump. The relief may not allow sufficent fluid to pass quickly enough. Your tractor and your money - you make the call

jb[/quote]

Not a dead line but a loop line, coupler on each end, both plugged into tractor.