[AT] Need help with newer compact tractor

Mike M meulenms at gmx.com
Sat May 21 16:03:30 PDT 2016


Thanks Cecil, I think we're getting to the bottom of this, as soon as my 
tractor gets home, I'm dropping the fluid and re-filling with Gulf or 
other higher quality equivalent. What seems expensive now will be cheap 
once the tractor is out of warranty.

Mike M

On 5/21/2016 5:45 PM, Cecil Bearden wrote:
> Mike:
> That TSC oil states it is a multi grace or multi Vis.  I found somewhere
> it was a 10W30 or 40, If so, and the viscosity improvers are working
> correctly or maybe a little more concentrated, then the viscosity could
> be too thick at the higher heat.  That 400 SUS is at 100F, while the
> others are specified at 100C, another 112 deg F higher......   I had
> this same problem with the hydrostat trans in my old JD2750 Swather.  I
> found out later that the transmission is no longer available nor
> repairable.  I had to buy a used one.   The "yellow Bucket" THF I bought
> for $19.99 was too thick for the system.  This I was told by the company
> rep who used to overhaul these transmissions made by Vickers.  I bought
> John Deere  Hytran that replaces the original 303 fluid.  It surely does
> sound like your oil is overheating.  You may have a good civil case
> against TSC, but chances of getting any results within our lifetime are
> slim and none.
>
>    I had an 1155 V-8 Massey that was a good 130hp tractor, but we had
> some leaks in the rear lift cylinders.   My Dad topped off the lift oil
> with a barrel of Lathe and Milling machine Way oil I had bought surplus
> from a retired machinist for $250.   That oil was over $35/gal in a drum
> at the time.  It had an extra stickiness. The entire hydraulic system
> turned to crap and it would barely move anything.  It started leaking at
> every seal.   My retired father was just too busy to drive 10 miles to
> buy a $25 bucket of the cheap stuff that would have worked fine..  It
> was my fault according to him because I did not hide the barrel from
> him!!!! It was marked in 4 inch letters WAY OIL  !    We ended up
> selling the tractor for $2000 to the Mexican market.
>
> I use that yellow bucket stuff in my old dozers and trackhoe.  I have
> noticed that if you open the bucket the additives are concentrated at
> the bottom.   I try to turn the bucket over for an hour before I pour it
> into the tank....
>
> Cecil in OKla
>
>
>
> On 5/21/2016 12:42 PM, Mike M wrote:
>> Cecil, I think you and Steve might be on to something with the
>> viscosity. I wish the Traveller brand oil would give me the Centistokes
>> value at 100C and I suspect I could call on Monday and find out. Because
>> I've noticed a lack in hydraulic power the service guy adjusted the
>> pressure to 2900 lbs, which is over the 2700 Mahindra calls for. He's
>> not concerned with that as long as the bypass isn't being tripped. I
>> think a change in oil may be in order. If the pump is hunting for oil it
>> could be introducing air into the system.  I managed to find the Gulf
>> product at a local Autozone store of all places.
>>
>> Mike M
>>
>>
>> On 5/21/2016 1:07 PM, Cecil Bearden wrote:
>>> I looked up some viscosity sites, and 20w motor oil is 68 centistokes
>>> and 30w is 100 centistokes.   57.5 would be closer to 10W motor oil
>>> which is what my old Ingersoll compressor calls for or Dexron ATF or
>>> type A transmission fluid. So, I would be thinking that the oil is too
>>> thick and the pump is scavenging and giving you a mixture of oil and air
>>> which can do weird things to rubber components at high pressure.    We
>>> also do not know  if this tractor works at 3000 psi or 1500
>>>
>>> Cecil in OKla
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 5/21/2016 7:26 AM, Stephen Offiler wrote:
>>>> Hi Mike:
>>>>
>>>> When fluids are REALLY different, they can certainly eat up seals.  But the
>>>> magnitude of difference I am talking about is like the difference between
>>>> brake fluid and petroleum-based oils.   For example:    DOT 3, 4, and 5.1
>>>> require EPDM rubber for seals.  But if EPDM sees petroleum, it softens and
>>>> swells... like 25% or more.  Like a frost heave, this swelling is
>>>> impossible to contain.  It extrudes itself right out the glands.
>>>>
>>>> For this to be the case, what came out of that TSC pail would have to be
>>>> pretty wrong, is my gut feel.  But someone could have really screwed up at
>>>> the factory I suppose... in that case you would not be the only one with
>>>> problems!
>>>>
>>>> Is this the fluid you put in?
>>>> http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/traveller-universal-tractor-trans-hydraulic-fluid-5-gal
>>>>
>>>> One thing to note here is the viscosity.  TSC fluid specs 400 Saybolt
>>>> Universal Seconds (SUS or SSU) at 100F (38C).  An online calculator tells
>>>> me 400 SUS is 86.2 Centistokes.  They SHOULD, but fail, to say anything
>>>> about viscosity index and viscosity at elevated temperature 100C.  I then
>>>> looked up the Gulf fluid you mentioned, one that Mahindra specifically
>>>> calls for, and find it is 57.5 CentiStokes at 40C.  Whoa.  57.5 is pretty
>>>> different from 86.2.
>>>>
>>>> Not sure what to make of all this and nothing I'm saying here is real
>>>> definitive, just trying to shed some more light on the situation.
>>>>
>>>> SO
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, May 20, 2016 at 2:11 PM, Mike M <meulenms at gmx.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> So about a year ago I bought a Mahindra 4035 40 HP diesel tractor. I
>>>>> starts, runs and works fine, but I've had some problems with leaks
>>>>> lately. At the 100 hour mark Mahindra wanted me to change the hydraulic
>>>>> filter, which sits on the side of the rear housing. I talked to the
>>>>> service guy at the dealership and he said I'd lose about 2 gallons of
>>>>> fluid when I did that, even with the one rear tire up on a block. It
>>>>> holds 10 gallons overall, and TSC had their premium universal
>>>>> hydraulic/transmission fluid on sale (which states it meets or exceed
>>>>> Mahindra specs)  for $35 for 5 gallons. For me it seemed like a no
>>>>> brainer to just dump the fluid and replace it rather that trying to
>>>>> guess how much I'd lose.
>>>>>
>>>>> Everything went fine, I had to remove a side cover as well as the filter
>>>>> to get to a screen they wanted to have cleaned on the first service
>>>>> only. After that the tractor performed as it should but after about 50
>>>>> hours I've started to develop leaks in the hydraulic system. They fixed
>>>>> one by a large square diverter valve under the tractor and today they
>>>>> are fixing another leak from the power steering block up by the steering
>>>>> wheel.  I called today and talked to the service guy and he says they
>>>>> are puzzled because the leaking o-rings they are looking at today appear
>>>>> burned, as if exposed to excessive heat. Another concern that I brought
>>>>> up to them is that the loader doesn't seem to have quite the lifting
>>>>> capacity as when it was new.
>>>>>
>>>>> My question is, can fluid cause these type of problems? In the manual
>>>>> they call our for Mahindra fluid, Gulf Universal Tractor Transmission
>>>>> fluid, Mobil 424, Shell Donax and a few others, all of which are nearly
>>>>> impossible to find.  Can a fluid be SO wrong that it would cause
>>>>> problems? Right now they are looking at anything that might be causing a
>>>>> continual "deadheading" situation, but with that little 3 cylinder
>>>>> diesel I think I would notice that.
>>>>>
>>>>> Any and all thoughts greatly appreciated.
>>>>>
>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>
>>>>> Mike M
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
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