8n hydrulic fluid temp

Hello, 49 8n. Rebuilt hydrulics this summer. Works well. Now in Michigan it's 0 degrees. 3 inches of snow last night. Wanted to plow with rear blade. Warmed up tractor for 30 minutes but lift is struggling.

Question: how dofolks heat up their hydrulic fluid? The only internal friction to heat it up is the pump but not heating it up enough. I could use a torpedo heater and try like we used to pre heat aircraft engine.

Or, maybe put a 110v pan heater on like some do to preheat car oil.

Ideas appriciated.

Thanks

In arctic conditions, your n would benefit from:

Lower hose heater

Bat trickle charger

pan mag warmer on engine

Mag warmer on Hyde

Put these on a timer an hour or two depending on temps, and
have them come on before needed.

In no sheet tarp it to hold in some heat

If inside, some hang a trouble light near the manifold too

This should yield easier starts, faster Hyde, easier shifting with
less oil drag up front.

PS, UTf luid in the sump vs 90 w. Etc

Believe the OM also stated you can add kerosene to
trans fluid to thin it for cold weather operation.

My JD B manual sure says to do that.


Cold weather Utf would be the better answer however..

Good advice! If you want to use your tractor in Wisc. you use most if not all of your suggestions. the lower hose heater and battery maintainer are probably my most important things.

Hot battery and warm engine never hurt.

Warmed hydro oil is a bonus too.

Heck, heating blanket on top of a towel on the pan sear might prevent your keister from freezing to it as well!

mtt, i "m in mich also. i let my 8n warm up 15 yesterday before heading out to cut firewood. didn"t have any problems lifting big logs and hauling back to the house. i do have a heater hose i plug in an hour before starting.

Kerosene, man o man that scares me.

Years ago I bought an old ford car engine, it ran
like a top, but in all my wisdom I decided to clean
it out good before I installed it in my car.

Filled it with kerosene and ran it for five minutes,
drain and flushed it twice with new oil.

Kerosene must have cleaned out the sludge in the
motor, because in short order the motor started
burning oil and smoking like an old freight train.

I might change the transmission oil to a
motor oil like 10w40, some do
that and say it work ok.

(quoted from post at 23:38:56 01/10/15) Kerosene, man o man that scares me.

Years ago I bought an old ford car engine, it ran
like a top, but in all my wisdom I decided to clean
it out good before I installed it in my car.

Filled it with kerosene and ran it for five minutes,
drain and flushed it twice with new oil.

Kerosene must have cleaned out the sludge in the
motor, because in short order the motor started
burning oil and smoking like an old freight train.

I might change the transmission oil to a
motor oil like 10w40, some do
that and say it work ok.

Click to expand...

Your tractor, you can use anything you like, but I sure as heck would not put 10w40 in the transmission/hyd system. Use UTF like soundgay is saying!

(quoted from post at 10:48:13 01/10/15)

(quoted from post at 23:38:56 01/10/15) Kerosene, man o man that scares me.

Years ago I bought an old ford car engine, it ran
like a top, but in all my wisdom I decided to clean
it out good before I installed it in my car.

Filled it with kerosene and ran it for five minutes,
drain and flushed it twice with new oil.

Kerosene must have cleaned out the sludge in the
motor, because in short order the motor started
burning oil and smoking like an old freight train.

I might change the transmission oil to a
motor oil like 10w40, some do
that and say it work ok.

Click to expand...

Your tractor, you can use anything you like, but I sure as heck would not put 10w40 in the transmission/hyd system. Use UTF like soundgay is saying!

Click to expand...

ARRRRG!!!!!! This the 21st century people!! These problems have been solved by professionals!!! Do as Mr. Geiger suggests or use a 75W90 gear oil. Either way you will be getting an additive package appropriate to a gear box instead of one formulated for use in an engine. Gear oil and engine oil are two entirely different animals.... The viscosity curves graphed below are Valvoline gear and engine oil in the indicated grades. They are virtually identical.

TOH

To be fair, I did reccomend UTC / cold weather UTC.

The kero discussion was purely for fun, re the JD manual. I
don't reccomed it, as said. Nor would I reccomend engine oil in
the rear.

I do note that 50w oil was a possible for the steering gear
though.

Gasoline

Oil dilution

Back when I was in the Air Force in the mid
fifties we used oil dilution in the great
radial engines on the era so that they could be
started on cold mornings.

This was accomplished by using a switch on the
aircrafts flight engineer’s panel. The flight
engineer would hold the oil dilution switch on
for a predetermined time so that aviation
gasoline could be injected directly into the
running radial engine crankcase. These engines
were of the dry sump type and did not hold
reserve oil in the crankcase but rather in a 80
gallon tank that was vented to the atmosphere.

By injecting gasoline into the crankcase as the
engine was being shut down the residual oil in
the crankcase was diluted to a very thin
consistency.

If the engine was not shut down in anticipation
of a cold morning start then the engine starter
and all the power units on the base could not
start these huge engines. Here we are talking
anywhere from 3350 cubic inches on one engine
to 4360 cubic inches on one engine.

Dilute the engine when shut down start the next
cold morning!

The story goes according to some of the old WW2
men that were still in the AF at this time that
a mechanic over in England who was having a
heck of time starting the engines on his
squadrons planes in the cold damp mornings came
up with the idea to pour gasoline into the
crankcase after the engine was shut down and
then restart and run for a couple of minutes to
mix the oil and gasoline. The CO noticed that
his planes had no problem at all being started
in the morning so he called the Sgt. In and
asked him what his secret procedure was.

When the Sgt told his what he had been doing
the CO hit the ceiling and had the Sgt busted.
After all he told him, gasoline is very
combustible! The Sgt told him it was while in
the gas tank too. What was he going to do about
that? No answer to that question!

A couple of months later when the weather
really got cold and nothing could be got up and
going unless heaters were used all night on the
engines he called the private back in and re-
instated his rank with back pay and had him go
out and instruct all the mechanics on the base
to begin his oil dilution process when a cold
morning was in the forecast.

He was promoted and given a citation after the
invasion of Normandy.

This is a true story.

Zane

(quoted from post at 20:55:41 01/09/15) Hello, 49 8n. Rebuilt hydrulics this summer. Works well. Now in Michigan it's 0 degrees. 3 inches of snow last night. Wanted to plow with rear blade. Warmed up tractor for 30 minutes but lift is struggling.

Question: how dofolks heat up their hydrulic fluid? The only internal friction to heat it up is the pump but not heating it up enough. I could use a torpedo heater and try like we used to pre heat aircraft engine.

Or, maybe put a 110v pan heater on like some do to preheat car oil.

Ideas appriciated.

Thanks

Click to expand...

drive it around.....
since a N has one combined sump for trans, pump, and rear,
driving it will get those gears slinging oil/making heat, hydraulics will work well after some baja'ing. fun too.

Two stage warm-up....few minutes running to wake up the engine, then gently into gear, ease out with the also tight cold steering, then have a few minutes of fun before you start plowing. You and your tractor will be much happier.