Does water and hydraulic fluid seperate after setting awhile

chuckinnc

Member
I have a old Ford 4500 tbl that had water in the
hyd fluid. The 4500 has been setting for over a year I was thinking of pulling the bottom hyd drain plug and letting some of the water drain out before I
crank it again. Does this idea make sense?
 
Absolutely. My 4500 was full of water. I had to do work on the hydraulic tank so I drained the whole system into 5 gal buckets. After about a month (better 2) the water settled to the bottom and I was able to pour the "clean" oil off the top. Better if it's winter and the water will freeze into a block at the bottom, then it is easier.

Jim
 
Let it sit for a while- at least a week or more. Then, take a wrench and crack the drain plug. Put a pan under it and SLOWLY open the drain plug a little at a time. Any water that has seperated out of the oil will be in the bottom, and will drain before the oil does. When you start to see oil seepage, tighten the plug and check your level and see what the oil looks like. If it's still milky, repeat the process a few weeks later.
 
Some do and some don't. I had one that sat for 2 month's and was still as milky as when parked. No water came out the drain just milky oil.
 
Some oil such as what oliver used has demulsifiers it will in time separate, some oil such as hytran has emulsifiers it may but will take longer than you have to do so
 
(quoted from post at 01:24:03 04/17/13) I have a old Ford 4500 tbl that had water in the
hyd fluid. The 4500 has been setting for over a year I was thinking of pulling the bottom hyd drain plug and letting some of the water drain out before I
crank it again. Does this idea make sense?

Not all oils shed water. You can saturate an oil and once you have reached that point the only thing that will settle is what would be free standing. In other words, not all of the water will settle out.
 
Thanks Jim, my plug is on the bottom of the loader
support rail, I plan to remove it till the water stops and hope I can re install it when oil starts to show, I guess I will have a bucket handy if the plug is difficult to re install.
 
If there is any water in the bottom it will come out before you take the plug all the way out unless it is frozen. It takes a little longer to drain but is easier to shut off if the plug is not completely removed.
Bryce
 
I've tried reclaiming hyd oil with water in it, the milky stuff. I've tried letting it sit for months, freezing it and heating it. Never had any luck at all.
 
The only thing you can do with TDH is boil the water of it. Usually when it freezes it just freezes as one big brown lump. Sometimes straight hydraulic oil will separate...

Rod
 
What would cost to replace the hydraulic components if you didn't get all the water out? I'd drain it all and put new oil back in. Why take a chance.
 
Think you'll have to change a couple times. We drained an IH4421 forklift a couple days, drained all lines and filters, then refilled removed return line and operated lift and steering until return showed clean oil, then reinstalled return line and filters, filled reservoir (rear end/trans) and operated, now we have slightly milky oil so time to do it again :x
 

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