Super clean your hydraulic oil.

[J_J]

I posted something relating to this in an earlier post. After talking to a hydraulics technician, he agreed the idea is feasible.

All that is needed is a small oil pump connected to a 1 micron filter, and two lines going to the PT hyd tank. This could be a 115v AC pump, or a DC driven pump. The oil is sucked out of the hydraulic tank, and pushed through the 1 micron filter, and then back to the tank. Depending on your pump, It could be done in a couple of hours or over night, or once a week.


A small pump at .025 gpm times 720 min [12 hr]=18 gal

A larger pump at .25 gpm times 120 min [2 hr]=30 gal

Keep in mind that you are filtering some oil that has been filtered plus the unfiltered oil, so extra time should be allowed.

This should improve the cleanliness of the oil by quite a bit, and you will thank yourself for doing this.

 

[BobRip]

You could run the pump most of the time when the PT is not being used. In a few days you would have cleaned the oil many times, while not wearing out your other pumps.

I wonder if you could just connect it to the PTO and recirculate through that, or maybe the quick attach. I am not comfortable modfying the hydraulics ( we call it chicken where I come from). Tapping in to a disconnect would be a piece of cake. The PTO return line is open to the tank. I don't know if you could pull flow through the pump, although I doubt it.

I cannot find a circuit for the quick attach cylinder.

It would be good if you could pull from one side and return to the other to minimize recirculation of the same fluid.
Any way I am looking for an easy way to do this.
Ideas?

Bob Rip

 

[KentT]

How about pulling it out through the return line for the PTO, then pumping it back in through the oil fill cap opening?

Where does that return line enter the tank? I'd think it would be down low, to help prevent foaming, but I really don't know...

 

[BobRip]

The return line is very low by my my schematic and by looking at the hoses.
I think you idea would work, but I feel that every time you open the cap you risk getting dirt in the system. That's the exact opposite of what you are trying to do.
I am looking at the schematic now, and you could tee into the PTO pump inlet.
I guess the best thing to do would be to install an electric pump permanently and when you park the PT you just plug it into the wall.
Hopefully someone will have additional suggestions. There are probably lots of good options. Keep them coming.

Bob Rip

 

[FOURTEEN]

/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
<font color="red"> Why bother??!! Isn't that the purpose of the hydraulic oil filter?? Sounds like 'belt and suspenders'!!

Isn't all the oil in the tank and various circuits continuously being circulated and filtered??
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</font>

 

[J_J]

Apparently you don't realize that it is the particles smaller than 10 microns that get in between the wear plates and sliding components that cause the most damage. It acts like a rubbing compound and slowly eats up the metal.

The tram pump is being filtered directly at 10 microns, and the rest of the system will be filtered eventually.

 

[MossRoad]

Well, hand-man /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif... we're taking about the stuff the PT stock 10 micron filter doesn't get. While it may be worthwhile to ocassionally deep clean the hydraulic oil down to 1 micron, how could we get it all... Unless the reservoir is sloped to a corner where all particles could settle, I don't see how we could clean it all. Even if the 1 micron stuff is suspended in the oil the return flow will set up eddies and currents(however so small) in the reservoir that there will be areas of the reservoir that will never get circulated to the sump or hose where we are sucking it from. I wonder how efficient it would be?

After thinking about it for a while, I suppose that the operation of the tractor would stir it up enough to get the small stuff suspended. Then a night on the little circulator through a 1 micron filter would get most. Depending on the hours of operation, I supose it could work pretty well. Say after X hours of operation, run the thing overnight.

How much $ would it cost to run a tiny pump like that on A/C overnight any way? A few pennies.

Project couldn't hurt. The pain would be tapping into a line to make it permanent. I could just see me using the filler cap for the return, having the hose slip out overnight and all the oil on the garage floor overnight! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[SnowRidge]

A few days ago I was surfing some hydraulic sites, and I found at least one kit for just the same sort of thing that J.J. is talking about. It was quite expensive, but then it was for really big equipment.

 

[SnowRidge]

<font color="blue"> Isn't all the oil in the tank and various circuits continuously being circulated and filtered?? </font>

No. Only the oil going to the tram pump is continuously filtered. The rest of the circuits have to 'hope' that the tram circuit filters out the crud that just got in the tank before it goes through one of the other circuits. The chance that it will be is probably well under 50%.

There is a risk of getting crud into the tank every time the PTO or aux quick disconnects are used, every time the tank cap is removed, and all the time if you don't have a filter/breather on the tank. I know I don't have one of those. Newer models may have one.

 

[J_J]

What we are really talking about here, is do you want to really clean the oil, or just let the 10 micron filter do the job. Have you ever taken an engine apart, any engine, and put your finger on the bottom of the crankcase? You would feel some fine particles coating the sides and bottom of the engine. This is metal and carbon blow by, and all sorts of stuff. Just plain crud. I told you about that Kohler engine that looked almost new. It had both filters on it, and I believe that Dixie Chopper still does this.

On my 1445, right side bottom, there is a plug to the hydraulic tank. I figure this would be a good place for me to suck out the fluid, and put it back in the tank through a modified oil cap, and direct the return oil to the far side of the tank. Money wise, I am talking about $100. to $150 for oil pump filter, and a few hoses. fact is, it will work. It is written in stone.

Will it take care of everything? No, but most all of the floating stuff, and any stuff that is stirred up by using the PT. I would suggest starting your filtering as soon as you finish up with a good workout with the machine, while the particles are still suspended in the oil. For those of you that are skilled enough to mount an external DC driven oil pump through the 1 micron filter and plumb it in correctly, You would have peace of mind knowing that you may be extended the life of the machine, or parts, such as pumps etc.

My PT-1445 is probably 10 years old, I have replaced a steering pump, and ready to replace the PTO pump. I am sure the tank needs to be cleaned out, but I am a little bit apprehensive about cleaning it out squeaky clean. I plan to change out all the oil, and start fresh. That should get rid of almost all of the floating particles. I am still unsure about synethetics. Power-Trac hasn't seen fit to install synthetic oil in the hydraulics, although everyone else thinks that synthetics are better. I am thinking the cost is about double or triple over the motor oil. My tank holds 20 gal. If anyone knows the cost of the different synthetics, please add your inputs. If I am going to change over, now is the time to do it.