Tnansmission/Hydraulic fluid for 2N

allenlane

Member
Unfortunately found out today that my 2N had water in the trans. Fluid looked like mustard. Drained it all out, then flushed it the best I could with some diesel in a garden sprayer and blew it out with compressed air.

Been looking through all my manuals trying to find the correct fluid to go back with and more confusion! The tech article in YT doesn't really clear it up. Apparently New Holland is recommending Ford M2C134D, but not definitively. What do you N guys recommend?
 
I use the Universal Tractor Fluid from Tractor Supply. It claims to meet Ford?s specs. Someone had posted a while back to remove a bolt from
the inspection cover, and add fluid until it comes out of the bolt hole, and this advice seems to work perfectly.

Jerry
 
(quoted from post at 20:45:35 12/10/17) Unfortunately found out today that my 2N had water in the trans. Fluid looked like mustard. Drained it all out, then flushed it the best I could with some diesel in a garden sprayer and blew it out with compressed air.

Been looking through all my manuals trying to find the correct fluid to go back with and more confusion! The tech article in YT doesn't really clear it up. Apparently New Holland is recommending Ford M2C134D, but not definitively. What do you N guys recommend?

Go to Napa and get a 5 gallon bucket of 90 wt. Mineral oil
 
In addition to the good advice Nashranch gave you, ensure the oil meats API Service GL-1. Or has label wording to the effect of "yellow metal safe"

Tractor Supply may be closer or cheaper and I have no complaints with their Traveller brand transmission/hydraulic fluid.



mvphoto7497.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 23:45:35 12/10/17) Unfortunately found out today that my 2N had water in the trans. Fluid looked like mustard. Drained it all out, then flushed it the best I could with some diesel in a garden sprayer and blew it out with compressed air.

Been looking through all my manuals trying to find the correct fluid to go back with and more confusion! The tech article in YT doesn't really clear it up. Apparently New Holland is recommending Ford M2C134D, but not definitively. What do you N guys recommend?

This has been beat to death yet people continue to assert Ford recommended plain mineral oil. Look in the Ford 8N Owners manual - the original recommendation was:

1) Ford M-4864B - mild EP gear oil - grade SAE 90 above 32F
2) Ford M-4864A - mild EP gear oil - grade SAE 80 at or below 32F

That would have been a mono-grade GL-3 or GL-4 service class oil which isn't readily available today. A modern SAE 80W90 GL-4/GL-5 gear oil would be a very close equivalent as would any quality Universal Tractor Transmission fluid. Virtually all modern GL-5 formulations are yellow metal safe in the context of an N-series transmission/final/drive/hydraulic system.

Personally I prefer a good quakity UTF - better cold weather performance and considerably less expensive.

TOH
 
Yep, one only has to do an archive search here to find numerous discussions on the hydraulic oil. Also note that Case/New Holland (CNH) no longer makes/sells the Ford MC-134D spec'd oil any more. They sell a universal synthetic oil blended for all the new NH Boomer Models. Hope you at least did a system test to see if the cylinder leaks. System must withhold a load up for days, weeks, months if good, and cleaned out the valve chambers and installed a new safety relief valve. Often pumps are cracked too as fellas get water in the system, it freezes in winter, and they go and try to use the hydraulics and end up cracking the pump.

Tim Daley(MI)
 
Curious as to winter and hydraulics. Should one start their tractor with the PTO off and let it warm up or should the PTO be engaged (but the position control down, because that's how you left it)?
 
PTO on or off does not matter as much as pushing the clutch in does. (tip # 29)

Position control doesn't matter either. But it sounds like you are confusing the position control lever (tip # 58) with the touch control lever that raises and lowers the lift arms.

If you have an implement on the tractor, lower it to the ground when you turn the tractor off. That's not a winter thing; it's a safety issue.
75 Tips
 
(quoted from post at 08:04:30 12/11/17) PTO on or off does not matter as much as pushing the clutch in does. (tip # 29)

Position control doesn't matter either. But it sounds like you are confusing the position control lever (tip # 58) with the touch control lever that raises and lowers the lift arms.

If you have an implement on the tractor, lower it to the ground when you turn the tractor off. That's not a winter thing; it's a safety issue.
75 Tips


Right, I always lower the implement and yes touch control is what I meant. Mine starts no problem so far. I just figured with all this talk of thick tranny oil and cold, does it warm up just because the tractor is running or does the PTO need to be engaged for the oil to move around/warm up a little before actually using the lift?
 
(quoted from post at 11:37:20 12/11/17)
(quoted from post at 08:04:30 12/11/17) PTO on or off does not matter as much as pushing the clutch in does. (tip # 29)

Position control doesn't matter either. But it sounds like you are confusing the position control lever (tip # 58) with the touch control lever that raises and lowers the lift arms.

If you have an implement on the tractor, lower it to the ground when you turn the tractor off. That's not a winter thing; it's a safety issue.
75 Tips


Right, I always lower the implement and yes touch control is what I meant. Mine starts no problem so far. I just figured with all this talk of thick tranny oil and cold, does it warm up just because the tractor is running or does the PTO need to be engaged for the oil to move around/warm up a little before actually using the lift?

In a normal tractor hydraulic system the oil is constantly circulating through the pump and as a result warms up rather quickly. In an N-series the oil is only being circulated/pumped when they lift is actually moving upwards so it warms up very slowly as the container (tractor itself) warms up.

As Bruce says - clutch down when starting to disengage all of the drive line, PTO, and hydraulics.

TOH
 

I gotcha, sounds to me like it doesn't matter. Unless I'm constantly running the lift up and down, that oil isn't really getting warm. I'm only really asking because it's slow to rise, but I also just replaced the lift cylinder, piston (NAA style) and used 80-90 oil. It's slower than it was but stays up. I was just wondering if the slowness is due to the weather (along with my oil of course).
 
The N's all use the same sump for hydraulic lift and transmission systems. It will get warm as tractor runs. Your lift issue is not related to oil temperature. Did you replace the safety relief valve and clean out the chambers?

Tim Daley(MI)
 
Sorry if I wasn't clear. The thing works fine. I actually used your write up along with Zane's jig. I don't know what oil it had previous to my repairs. Is slow rising a bad thing? It's not like it takes 5 minutes, just slower than it was a month ago when it was warmer and bad parts.

I was just wondering if I should be doing anything special when letting it warm up before getting to work.
 
(quoted from post at 09:29:54 12/12/17) Sorry if I wasn't clear. The thing works fine. I actually used your write up along with Zane's jig. I don't know what oil it had previous to my repairs. Is slow rising a bad thing? It's not like it takes 5 minutes, just slower than it was a month ago when it was warmer and bad parts.

I was just wondering if I should be doing anything special when letting it warm up before getting to work.

My time proven solution to getting hydraulic oil up to temperature as fast as possible - 300K BTU kerosene torpedo heater aimed directly at side of sump and placed 36" from surface. Closer works a little faster but look out for damage to paint and rubber parts ;-)

TOH
 

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