[AT] And Now For Something Different - A Tractor Problem

[Gene Dotson]

    Ralph;
    I am sure the dry climate works in your favor in preventing 
condensation. There are many mornings here in Ohio when I can go out to the 
barn and have water dripping from the roof trusses. I can look at the 
tractors and see which ones have fluid in the tires and how much. Actually 
works better than draining some out the valve stem to check that.

                    Gene



> Charlie, can't say that I have any ideas for this problem as it is one 
> that I have never had much trouble with. I do recall a hydraulic screen 
> plugging and collapsing from suction in the hydraulic system in the 
> Cockshutt 50 many years ago. That was just poor maintenance as we should 
> have changed oil more frequently to eliminate the condensation. With such 
> a small hydraulic reservoir it was not a big expense compared to the newer 
> tractors that take nearly a barrel of oil to change the hyd and trans.
> I did get caught with ice in the old (non running) DC4 Case last winter. 
> Noticed a leaking valve stem on it (chloride) so I thought I'd just jack 
> it up, rotate the wheel so the stem was at the top. Surprisingly I could 
> not turn the wheel over at all. Finally realized that there must have been 
> enough condensation in the bottom of the housing that the final drives 
> were frozen in place. (oil drain and change on the list for when the 
> weather warms up) :-)
> Today was "warmer" at +2F but still too cold for that kind of work.
> Sure glad we're not getting the 8 feet of snow that New York is getting.
>
> Ralph in Sask.