Oil & Fuel Oil Change Interval

[Motorcop]

Hi guys,
I'm new to this forum so this post may be in the wrong place, but, I just bought this used NH TN55 with 206 hours on it. I haven't had time to pick up the owner/operators manual as it didn't come with one. Anyone know what the oil and filter change interval should be for this machine? It will be used in NE Texas primarily for bush hogging twenty acres and other odd chores around my weekend get away place.

Any help with this little issue and any other information that you guys think might be useful would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[neucam]

Normal for a tractor would be change oil every 50 hours. Or if you use it less than that, then once a year.

 

[Ken45101]

FWIW, Kubota is every 100 hours. It's probably a good idea to go ahead and change the oil if you don't know when it was last done.

You can probably call the service dept at your local dealership and they can tell you what's recommended for your unit.

Ken

 

[Hematite]

Yes, call the local NH service dept. and they can give you the exact information. There are a bunch of NH operators manuals available on Ebay all the time; about $20.

 

[ToadHill]

Just a piece of advice, Oil filters are cheap, change it every time you change the oil, not every other time like the factory recommends.

 

[tatra805]

Toadhill,

on risk of starting a endless discussion...

filters work better and better as they clog up with dirt particles.

Therefore to filter out the smaller dirt in the engine (which gets flushed and cleaned off by the new detergents in the new oil) will be better catched using an the "old" filter.

Filter changing interval is defined by flow restriction, when the flow becomes too much restricted it could starve an engine. but that is way out of the 100 or 200 hours zone.

BTW, lots of transport trucks are now past the 1 million km mark on 1 filter and no oil change. The base princip of these being a many times bigger filter surface and the increased quality of todays available oils.

Why you dont see this advertised? ask schell and BP...

My 1953 tatra has a mesh filter with a scraper mechanism that would engage everytime you press the clutch. (like a worm ratched drive pusching a scraper over the mesh)
In the service manual no oil changes are mentioned. Once a year you take off the sump and clean it out (the crud from the scraper is pushed there way below the pump pickup
So what about oil? add 1 liter every 500km.
(engine has so big tolerances that it simply burns that much oil and you "refresh" 20% every 500km.

We are spoiled and brainwashed on oilchanges I guess. The non tolerant low spec old engines needed a change every 5000km. The close tolerance high efficient and power squeezed new ones every 30 000km.
evolution.

 

[Botabill]

Just a piece of advice, Oil filters are cheap, change it every time you change the oil, not every other time like the factory recommends.

I heard that the efficiency of oil filters improves with use up to a point. That's why they suggest every second change. Anyone else heard that from a reliable source?

 

[Highbeam]

Efficiency is a funny way to look at it. The filter becomes more restricted which is bad, but since it is more restricted it can catch smaller particles which is good. The "efficiency" of filter then must be better defined. You don't want a filter that efficiently traps 99% of the particles if it overly obstructs flow.

A plugged up filter will usually open a bypass mechanism where the unfiltered oil will pass through and lube the engine. The dirty oil is better than no oil. I change my oil and filter each 100 hours.

 

[deere755]

I change every 100 hours or once a year if less then a 100 hours are put on oil and filter.

 

[Ken]

Just checked for sure and the John Deere 4520 book says every 200 hours.Oil and filter.
This is using the J.D. Plus 50 oil. also mentions once a year if less than 200 hours.
ken

 

[banjodunn]

G'day Tatra what you say is correct to a point a filter will remove smaller particles as it clogs up but as the average engine filter removes down to 15 - 18 microns by the time it starts to clog up it is not long before it goes into bypass, it may only do this at cold start and high revs for a start but as soon as you start pushing unfiltered oil around the engine you are causing wear. I have always maintained that 30 bucks worth of oil and filter is alot cheaper than $3000 + of engine rebuild. As far as 1 million + ks on 1 filter and no oil change NO chance, i have been in the heavy repair industry working on everything from chainsaws to D10s for the last 23 years and have personally seen what happens when oil is not changed for 60,000 kms i could pick up heaped handfulls out of the sump this was in a 4wd with 90,000k on the clock. Some of the euro manufactures are talking 70,000 km service intervals but only on full synthetics and premium filter packages. I also count my kawasaki road bike as running fairly good tolerances ( it does spin up to 14000 rpm ) there is no way that it goes past 5000k without an oil and filterchange my other bike a '44 indian chief not quite the same tolerances but still gets its oil changed every 2000 mile neither uses enough between changes to top up (kwaka 37,415 since rebuild and approx 12,000 a year indian approx17,500 miles since rebuild ) if your tatra is using a litre every 500km it is due a rebuild. I'm no expert but i know what I've seen



Jon

 

[tatra805]

jon,

i could not find back the original system, if you insist i have to find back a land rover owner magazine where these guys were advertising a couple of years ago. Anyway i saw the system running on trucks (lorries) with the 1M km as a fact.

It was a similar system as this Filtakleen UK leader design supply installation maintenance automated centralised lubrication systems but the filters were way bigger.

Regarding your Tatra remark, i'll say it differently: the manual states: add 1l of oil every 500km.

in the service manual they state under the yearly engine revision: remove the sump and remove dirt and sludge found in the lower part. (this is a revision, not a rebuild manual)

Rest assured, the engine does not need a rebuild (it has had one, but that has nothing to do with this topic) . It was "designed" that way.

FYI you are talking about the military spec version of the 2.5L aircooled V8 as found in the T603 passenger car.

 

[Motorcop]

Thanks guys. Didn't mean to stir up a hornet's nest, but all good info to know. I think I will probably stick with the 50-100 hour or annual oil and filter change. It will probably end up being annually since I don't know that I will get that many hours on it in a year just mowing the pasture and little odd chores.

The next question would be what brand oil and what weight for NE Texas. I have used Rotella 15w40 (non-synthetic) in my '97 F-350/ PSD for the last 11years, but I'm guessing that is probably the wrong weight for a tractor application. And anyone know what oil filter crosses with the NH brand for fit. I'm scared to price one at the NH Dealer. I asked about an air filter when I was there picking up seals for the lower implement lift support arms. My local dealer quoted $39.00 for an air filter. I came home and cleaned it out with the air compressor and put it back in.

 

[NewToy]

I also subscribe to the 100 hr or once a year change interval. The initial 50 hr service calls for an oil change but after that my manual has a 200hr interval. That seems a bit much and oil is fairly cheap so 100 works out just right for me.

John

 

[NewToy]

Thanks guys. Didn't mean to stir up a hornet's nest, but all good info to know. I think I will probably stick with the 50-100 hour or annual oil and filter change. It will probably end up being annually since I don't know that I will get that many hours on it in a year just mowing the pasture and little odd chores.

The next question would be what brand oil and what weight for NE Texas. I have used Rotella 15w40 (non-synthetic) in my '97 F-350/ PSD for the last 11years, but I'm guessing that is probably the wrong weight for a tractor application. And anyone know what oil filter crosses with the NH brand for fit. I'm scared to price one at the NH Dealer. I asked about an air filter when I was there picking up seals for the lower implement lift support arms. My local dealer quoted $39.00 for an air filter. I came home and cleaned it out with the air compressor and put it back in.

Synthetics are good especially for extreme applications, (real hot or real cold). I put Amsoil HD Diesel in mine and it works well, as far as I know I was initially pointed to synthetics when I tried to pour conventional Rotella out of the jug in below freezing temps. The stuff is like thick honey when real cold. The synthetic Amsoil flows well at freezing temps so I figured I'd have much better lubrication during a cold start. This probably isn't an issue in Texas but the syns supposedly hold up alot better in extreme heat. Win, win situation?

John

 

[RobertN]

Mine is changed every spring. I never meet the hour requirement.

My little motor only hold 3qts of oil. And gets run hard(PTO speed) when mowing. And, with all the gunk that goes with diesel, figure it does not hurt. to change it. So, it has fresh oil right before starting to mow.

 

[Motorcop]

Picked up an oil filter yesterday and asked the dealer what weight oil should be used. He said to use 15w40 wt, so I guess I will stick to the same Rotella that I use in my truck and the wife's diesel beetle. The oil that came out was some nasty stuff. Don't know when it was changed last, so I may only run the new oil a shorter period of time and change it again (20 or 30 hours).

 

[cjk]

Has anyone sent in a sample for analysis?

I plan on doing this to see if annual changes are needed and to see what is going on in the engine. I know people who do this and have extended their change interval accordingly.

 

[bjr]

I also do 100 hr or 1 yr change on JM 354 Jinma. I change the oil in the fuel pump then also. I'm a little less vigilant on the transmission and differential probably will go three year on that stuff. The hydraulics seem to spring enough leaks that it gets change 1 a year by itself. bjr