MILKY HYDRAULIC FLUID

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mmsllc

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Dec 29, 2015
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715
I HAVE A VERY OLD BACKHOE (I KNOW IT IS NOT A SKID STEER = SORRY!!) THAT HAS MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF WATER IN THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM. THE ENTIRE SYSTEM SEEMS TO WORK GREAT FOR NOW, BUT I NEED TO FIND A WAY TO RID THIS MACHINE OF ALL OF THE WATER IN THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM. I HAVE ALREADY DRAINED THE HYDRAULIC TANK & FILLED IT BACK UP WITH FRESH FLUID (3) TIMES. WHILE IT DID HELP SOME, THAT WAS OVER $300 IN WASTED FLUID & MONEY. DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A SIMPLER SOLUTION TO THIS (BESIDES THE VERY OBVIOUS OF REPACKING ALL OF THE HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS THAT ARE ON THE MACHINE)? ANY HELP WILL BE SERIOS APPRECIATED. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!
 

Bobcatdan

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May 3, 2012
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First thing is where is the water getting in? That needs to be solved. Since backhoe doesn't tell me much, I am guess open cab and the boot on the shifter is torn. That was a common entery point on many tractors. You can take the hoses off each cylinder and work them back and forth to empty them. Other then that drain, fill, run, repeat.
 

jerry

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May 3, 2007
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First thing is where is the water getting in? That needs to be solved. Since backhoe doesn't tell me much, I am guess open cab and the boot on the shifter is torn. That was a common entery point on many tractors. You can take the hoses off each cylinder and work them back and forth to empty them. Other then that drain, fill, run, repeat.
Using all caps when writing is seen as shouting on forums.
 

Hotrod1830

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Sep 14, 2010
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Using all caps when writing is seen as shouting on forums.
If you seldom use the machine, it could be condensation. How often do you get the fluid up to operating temp? Easiest solution is operate the machine and get the fluid HOT. It will evaporate the moisture out on its own. If you think there is a leak, put a tarp on it when not using it.
 

Tazza

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Dec 7, 2004
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If you seldom use the machine, it could be condensation. How often do you get the fluid up to operating temp? Easiest solution is operate the machine and get the fluid HOT. It will evaporate the moisture out on its own. If you think there is a leak, put a tarp on it when not using it.
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As for the oil, the only thing you can do short of pulling all the hoses, cylinders and drive motors to drain the oil is to drain all the oil you can, drain the hydraulic filter and put in some cheap oil, run dump, repeat. I have done this on a machine before, took 3-4 changes till it was good.
I don't think you need to FILL the reserve tank though, give it a bottle or two, run then dump.
 

walio123

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Dec 9, 2013
Messages
348
In some old diggers / and the new JCB / 've seen heat exchanger. This is a thick tube with thinner tubes inside it. In the thick pipe run engine coolant and hydraulic oil in small pipes.Check if you have something like it.There you can enter water in the hydraulic system. Another place is the hydraulic tank. In the cylinders is almost impossible to enter the water, you need to lose a lot of oil from them.Another reason may be too light oil / grade 32 / and high temperature of the hydraulic system.
 
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mmsllc

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Joined
Dec 29, 2015
Messages
715
In some old diggers / and the new JCB / 've seen heat exchanger. This is a thick tube with thinner tubes inside it. In the thick pipe run engine coolant and hydraulic oil in small pipes.Check if you have something like it.There you can enter water in the hydraulic system. Another place is the hydraulic tank. In the cylinders is almost impossible to enter the water, you need to lose a lot of oil from them.Another reason may be too light oil / grade 32 / and high temperature of the hydraulic system.
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!!
 

walio123

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Dec 9, 2013
Messages
348
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!!
The idea of a heat exchanger to heat / cool the hydraulic fluid.The water moves in a large tube and heating/ cooling oil which moves in the thin pipes, mounted inside the largest. English is not my strong language and perhaps there is another name for it that I do not know.Backhoes having a heat exchanger usually have a small radiator for hydraulic fluid. If your backhoe is JCB surely have transmission oil heat exchanger, and perhaps the hydraulic.Once you have bented rod of the cylinder - most likely damaged seals on the cap - from there enter water.Too light oil causes cavitation and sometimes bypassed and causes heating and due to high temperature changes its color.
 

farmshop

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Joined
Mar 27, 2014
Messages
698
The idea of a heat exchanger to heat / cool the hydraulic fluid.The water moves in a large tube and heating/ cooling oil which moves in the thin pipes, mounted inside the largest. English is not my strong language and perhaps there is another name for it that I do not know.Backhoes having a heat exchanger usually have a small radiator for hydraulic fluid. If your backhoe is JCB surely have transmission oil heat exchanger, and perhaps the hydraulic.Once you have bented rod of the cylinder - most likely damaged seals on the cap - from there enter water.Too light oil causes cavitation and sometimes bypassed and causes heating and due to high temperature changes its color.
We bought an old case backhoe and it had the same issue. Ours was a result of improper vents on the reservoir and some bad seals. We had to change oil and filters 3 times.
 

Bobcatdan

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Joined
May 3, 2012
Messages
1,684
We bought an old case backhoe and it had the same issue. Ours was a result of improper vents on the reservoir and some bad seals. We had to change oil and filters 3 times.
My new guess is at some point the hydraulic cap got left off in a rainstorm. Rentals can be very hit and miss. It all depends how good the rental company takes care of a unit. They can stay in great shape or get really beat up.
 

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