[AT] stiff tractor day

[Mike Sloane]

ROBBRUT at aol.com wrote:
> Mike-
> 
> You probably already know that commercial hydraulic fluids contain
> additives.
> 
> Some are emulsifiers specifically designed to permit water vapor
> which has condensed and gotten into the fluid to stay in suspension
> and not  readily settle out (to the bottom of whatever it is in),
> then freeze/expand and  break whatever it is in.
> 
> The petroleum engineers I have talked to say that the theory is that
>  although ice still forms, the crystals are small and diffused so
> that they are surrounded by a "cushion" of oil and can expand without
> damage.
Well, all that sounds very reasonable, but I need you to explain that to 
my Farmall 560 when I can't turn the steering wheel until the tractor 
has run for 20 minutes in very cold (below 20F) weather. :-)

I did change the hydraulic fluid this summer, and it came out looking
pretty bad - probably 1/4 water and the rest ugly oil. It hasn't been
cold enough yet this winter to see if that fixed the problem. I was told 
that the tractor spent most of its previous existence inside a dairy 
barn and was mostly used daily to run the manure spreader out to the 
fields. My 706 had the same problem, but appeared to have been an 
"outside" tractor. Unfortunately, I don't have any place to store the 
560 indoors, so it has to sit out in the weather with only a Blue 
Plastic Tarp for a cover.
> 
> I have not tried it yet, but the consensus was that the same trick
> (adding some alcohol) which acts as "Drygas" would permit the oil,
> water and alcohol to combine, and not remain separated but suspended,
> as the emulsifiers do.
> 
> By the way, since the oil lasts much longer than the additive's 
> emulsification ability does, it's also possible to add some
> emulsifier to gain  back the protection the new stuff had.
It would be interesting to find out where one can get some of these 
"emulsifiers" - I have never seen anything like that at any of the 
outlets I have frequented.
> 
> -Bruce Thompson 
> 
> 

-- 
Mike Sloane
Allamuchy NJ
mikesloane at verizon.net
Images: <www.fotki.com/mikesloane>

A faith that cannot survive collision with the truth is not worth many
regrets. -Arthur C Clarke, science fiction writer (1917- )


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