Hydraulic oil changeout backhoe attachment

[Anthony K]

Anyone have any handy suggestions on how to change out hydraulic oil on a backhoe attachment. My particular backhoe attach is Bradco 511. I have considered the possibility of disconnecting backhoe return line hose and removing flat faced fitting then dumping the fluid into a bucket,do not know if that idea would work without positive back pressure or system pressure on the return line?, Whaddya think fellow tinkerers,Thanks, Anthony

 

[frogfarmer]

You will only get what oil is in the lines and valve body with that method. The bulk of the oil will be in the cylinders. If you know its contaminated you need to open all the lines and stroke the cylinders manually. If the machine just doesnt have your brand of oil in it I would use it and change the power units fluid. I have used numerous rental attachments with who knows what in the lines and never had a problem.

 

[Anthony K]

You will only get what oil is in the lines and valve body with that method. The bulk of the oil will be in the cylinders. If you know its contaminated you need to open all the lines and stroke the cylinders manually. If the machine just doesnt have your brand of oil in it I would use it and change the power units fluid. I have used numerous rental attachments with who knows what in the lines and never had a problem.

Mr. Frogfarmer; I was thinking of exercising the cylinders of the backhoe attachment powered by the skid steer and drawing hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic tank but detaching the return line from the backhoe attachment with flat faced connector removed and draining into a bucket. Do you have any thoughts if this method would work? Anthony

 

[frogfarmer]

Mr. Frogfarmer; I was thinking of exercising the cylinders of the backhoe attachment powered by the skid steer and drawing hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic tank but detaching the return line from the backhoe attachment with flat faced connector removed and draining into a bucket. Do you have any thoughts if this method would work? Anthony

That hoe will have an open center valve and will empty your reservoir before you can cycle one cylinder. It would take several gallons of oil to flush everything with your method. It could be done I would not risk my pumps in the process. Your idea is sound but for the trouble and risk I would just change the oil in the power unit after the fact. If you know it has debris in the hoe I wouldnt hook it to anything I would disassemble and start cleaning each circuit.

 

[Tazza]

That hoe will have an open center valve and will empty your reservoir before you can cycle one cylinder. It would take several gallons of oil to flush everything with your method. It could be done I would not risk my pumps in the process. Your idea is sound but for the trouble and risk I would just change the oil in the power unit after the fact. If you know it has debris in the hoe I wouldnt hook it to anything I would disassemble and start cleaning each circuit.

My thoughts exactly. The oil moves pretty fast through the lines and back to the machine. Its a good idea to remove the cylinder hoses and bottom the cylinders out, this way you know you got all the old oil out.
Depending on the machine, it will move 12-16gpm, even with the throttle right down low, you won't get all the functions stroked before the tank is drained.
If you removed the lines and stroked then as frogfarmer said, you can also use compressed air to push oil out of the lines, then you know its totally clean.

 

[Anthony K]

My thoughts exactly. The oil moves pretty fast through the lines and back to the machine. Its a good idea to remove the cylinder hoses and bottom the cylinders out, this way you know you got all the old oil out.
Depending on the machine, it will move 12-16gpm, even with the throttle right down low, you won't get all the functions stroked before the tank is drained.
If you removed the lines and stroked then as frogfarmer said, you can also use compressed air to push oil out of the lines, then you know its totally clean.

Thanks to each of you for the insights. I just changed out the hydraulic oil on the skid steer and thought it would be a idea to change out the hoe oil as well,Thanks again, Anthony

 

[frogfarmer]

Thanks to each of you for the insights. I just changed out the hydraulic oil on the skid steer and thought it would be a idea to change out the hoe oil as well,Thanks again, Anthony

If your just doing routine maintenance and there isnt any problems I wouldnt worry about the oil in the hoe. Your filters will catch anything big. Water is the only concern but I wouldnt leave contaminated oil in my hoe for more than a day or so.

 

[Anthony K]

If your just doing routine maintenance and there isnt any problems I wouldnt worry about the oil in the hoe. Your filters will catch anything big. Water is the only concern but I wouldnt leave contaminated oil in my hoe for more than a day or so.

I walk out into the yard and looked at the hoe and all the fittings necessary to do a drain and thought there must be a better way,scratched my head and headed for the house. Now sitting in the barko-lounger, I am thinking maybe using a vacuum pump! Has anyone had any experience using a vacuum pump for this application of draining hydraulic fluid from the skid steer hoe attachment and of any cautions that may be necessary? Thanks,Anthony

 

[Tazza]

I walk out into the yard and looked at the hoe and all the fittings necessary to do a drain and thought there must be a better way,scratched my head and headed for the house. Now sitting in the barko-lounger, I am thinking maybe using a vacuum pump! Has anyone had any experience using a vacuum pump for this application of draining hydraulic fluid from the skid steer hoe attachment and of any cautions that may be necessary? Thanks,Anthony

If anything, i'd have used compressed air, but it can make the rams move at high speed. Air rams with large loads can fly around pretty fast when they get moving....
Just be careful.
I can't see a vacuum working too well, as you will still need to crack the fittings.... If at all possible, crack all the fittings and stroke the rams, it will be messy, but its the best you will get.

 

[under the bus]

Thanks to each of you for the insights. I just changed out the hydraulic oil on the skid steer and thought it would be a idea to change out the hoe oil as well,Thanks again, Anthony

If you suspect that the oil in the hoe is contaminated ..... I would under no circumstances let that oil get back to your machine. at least in my machine the return oil doesn't 100% go through the filter on the way back. This is why I have 2 high pressure filters that are connected to ANY rental attachment that is connected to my machine. consider the oil in your machine like the blood in your veins lol dont mix them!