I apologize for the "ALL CAPS"! Thanks to all who have chimed in. I have recently bought this machine & found this condition to be a tad alarming. I know that this backhoe was a rental machine when it was bought new. It now shows over 5000 hours on it & has a bent rod in the left rear stabilizer / outrigger cylinder. I have seen the white-ish colored hyd. fluid come past the wiper seal. I have very little insight into the previous owner. I strongly doubt that there was very much. reply #1 = The machine is in fact made by JCB, I believe it is around a 1995 to 1998. reply # 2 = I did not understand the "heat exchanger" idea / theory reply. can you eloaborate / explain? I can tell you that there are no other hydraulic leaks besides the rear stabilizer cylinder. I do think that since the hydraulic fluid leaks out, then rain water might be able to get in there as the cylinder does stay in the vertical position as it is stored. They reason this cylinder has not been repaired, or replaced, is because the rod itself is BENT. I suppose that this may very well be the point of entry into the hydraulic system. I was trying to sell the machine with this issue & therefore make things a tad easier for me. reply # 3 = This machine does have a separate hydraulic fluid tank that mounts below the cab on the left side of the machine. I will check the transmission fluid to be sure that it has not also been contaminated, but I do not remember there being any other water intrusion / contamination issues anywhere else on the machine. reply # 4 = The light weight # 32 fluid does make some good sense, I like to use the # 46 weight as it seems to be the best all-season fluid for where I am. reply # 5 = The only real problem with disconnecting all cylinders is how heavy they are & how long they reach. It is normally just myself working on this sort of stuff. I will try to devise a plan with a come-a-long that may assist me in doing the extending & retracting of each. But I can definitely see how doing this would expedite the process. A very, very good idea!!