Do your hydraulic cylinders leak over the winter?

[Geo-TH,In]

Both my terramites are not house broken.
I park them on cardboard just in case they develop a leak. . Yesterday I needed to use both of them.
One cylinder on the front bucket left me this mess.

A different terramite decided to leave me this mess.

I haven't used either since fall.

It may be just me, but both terramites develop leaks sitting over the winter.

I hope my Kubota doesn't pick up their bad habits of peeing on the floor.

Reminds me of the space shuttle that blew up because of cold and O-ring failure.

Is it me or do you have cylinders develop leaks just sitting over the winter?

When it warms up I guess I have cylinders to repair or more cardboard.

 

[Steve@Advance]

Yes, rubber (neoprene) seals wear, harden with age, and cold makes them even harder, so they sometimes do leak worse in cold weather.

Might try some seal conditioner, like Lucas transmission stop leak. It softens and slightly swells aging rubber.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Steve,
I can't ask terramite about using stop leak. They went out of business.
I will say, in bold print it says do not use hydraulic fluid,
Use 10w30 or 10w40 and change it every 300 hours.
I'm not a rocket scientist. What is in hydraulic fluid that is not in motor oil? Or is there something in motor oil that is not in hydraulic fluid?

 

[chcase]

As Steve stated below as the seals age they will leak.The conditioners will fix the leak as long as the seals are not riped or cracked.

 

[wp6529]

(quoted from post at 10:43:57 02/09/23) Steve,
I can't ask terramite about using stop leak. They went out of business.
I will say, in bold print it says do not use hydraulic fluid,
Use 10w30 or 10w40 and change it every 300 hours.
I'm not a rocket scientist. What is in hydraulic fluid that is not in motor oil? Or is there something in motor oil that is not in hydraulic fluid?

It may be in bold more to keep people from inadvertently mixing the two which could cause issues with incompatibility between the two. My 2004 backhoe also calls for 10W30 for it's hydraulics, not entirely sure why perhaps so it's the same as the engine.

 

[DRussell]

Most multi-grade engine oil today has detergents in it. I'm guessing your machines are looking for a non-detergent oil.

This post was edited by DRussell on 02/09/2023 at 07:40 am.

 

[kencombs]

I have a Case garden tractor (actually more than one) that also specs multi-weight motor oil, 20w40 but that's not readily available. So most of us use 15w40 or 50. And, they will not work well with hyd fluid. I think there are two things behind that, the light weight is needed for cold startups, otherwise the hydraulics are really slow. The other is the type of hydraulic motor (gerotor) used in mine that needs the thicker body to work well, especially when it gets hot and working heavily. The other thing I suspect, but can't verify, is that motor oil has more anti-foaming additive, due to the crankshaft agitating the oil as it drains back down in an engine. Foaming in a hyd system would be really bad. And the Case uses a fairly small reservoir and the rapid recycling would tend to cause that.

I've bought some of those with normal hyd fluid in them. I got them cheap because the drive was very weak, won't spin tires etc. Fluid change fixes them most times.

 

[Steve@Advance]

I don't really know either, other than there are so many different hydraulic oils, they just want to be on the safe side and recommend motor oil instead of listing all the hyd oils that are or are not compatible.

One thing that comes to mind are EP and AW additives that are supposedly not compatible with yellow metals, but I have never actually seen any real life damage caused by them.

As for foaming, a properly designed hydraulic system, run at the proper oil level should not be prone to foaming.

 

[wp6529]

(quoted from post at 11:33:48 02/09/23) Most multi-grade engine oil today has detergents in it. I'm guessing your machines are looking for a non-detergent oil.

This post was edited by DRussell on 02/09/2023 at 07:40 am.

I'm pretty sure a 2004 machine will not be looking for non-detergent oil when it specifies 10W30.

 

[DRussell]

Were George's Terramite machines made in 2004?

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

(quoted from post at 07:43:57 02/09/23) Steve,
I can't ask terramite about using stop leak. They went out of business.
I will say, in bold print it says do not use hydraulic fluid,
Use 10w30 or 10w40 and change it every 300 hours.
I'm not a rocket scientist. What is in hydraulic fluid that is not in motor oil? Or is there something in motor oil that is not in hydraulic fluid?

Terramite would never in a million years endorse, authorize, or recommend the use of "stop leak."

Most of what is in, or isn't in, one or the other has to do with various minerals, chemicals, and proprietary additives. So, "It's a secret." "If we told ya, we'd have to kill ya."

 

[wp6529]

(quoted from post at 12:39:18 02/09/23) Were George's Terramite machines made in 2004?

No, but my Komatsu backhoe that also calls for 10W30 for hydraulics was.

 

[moresmoke]

Its normal for older machines to leak a bit more when temps drop. The seals shrink with the cold. Seal conditioner can help, but is not always the answer. The seal conditioner causes the plastic seals to soften and swell up. Hydraulic transmission type oils typically contain seal conditioners as part of the additives.

 

[DRussell]

The post is about George's terramite. My response about non-detergent oil
was to George about his manual indicating to use 10w30 or 10w40 oil, not
about your backhoe.

 

[JMOR]

Not a problem, as my leakers are parked in a shed with well oil soaked dirt floor. Any new/old leaks can't be seen.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

One is a 2000 the other is a 2004.

 

[caterpillar guy]

If you let the pads down to the floor so they don't have pressure of holding them up or chain them so they come loose on the cylinder will slow it down some may not stop it. with them down the shaft should be higher than the seal basically so no leak if you have room.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I use a chain to keep my pads up. Cylinders won't leak that way.

My biggest leaker a cylinder on the front bucket and the other is on the boom.

When it gets warmer, I'll rebuild them.
Both terramites were once rented at a DIY place.
So a lot of abuse and neglect.

I don't use them that much anymore, but nice to have when I need them.

 

[old-9]

George, such a mess you should just get rid of them. Put them up for sale, Let me know how much you need. Joe email open

 

[r.w.b.]

my equipment only leak when parked on concrete.
think this over. older seals sorta dry out from none use dring off season. might try starting em up every now n then n cycle hydraulics a few times.
kinda like sealed bearings. after parking machines from work for season few days later turn the bearings,like let round baler turn a minute or 2 for example