Trans/Hyd Milkshake

Den N Ms

Well-known Member
I've been thinking about how so much condensation winds up in the oil even if the tractor is under the shed open on one side.It has never sat out in the rain after having the pump out,cleaned out and new oil a few years ago.My thought is when the weather gets just right the housing really condenses a bunch of moisture,like on days in the spring and fall when the concrete sweats so bad.Also the tractor doesn't get used like it use to, all day long and evaporate the moisture when the housing would even get to hot to touch.The N has no vent in the housing except what can vent at the draft spring.My thought was to install a large breather vent on the top of the hydraulic cover to help with condensation.I know lots of later model tractors have breather vents.What do you all think?
Breather Vent
 
I ain't got an opinion on the situation. I know some would say they've always had milk shake in them...still ain't broke don't fix it. I'd like to know though if it would actually keep the water from building up so much though
 
I can watch mine sweat in the pole barn Den. Enclosed.
So I'm sure you're right about condensation happening.
Many of mine do not get ran long enough to dry the moisture out.
I do not know if the vent would help.
It would be interesting to find out.
 
The manual sez the fluid should be changed every year. I don't know anyone who does that. I don't know if the vent will help but I have seen vents use on the tranny top covers on the old N tractors more than once.
Since the water and oil will separate when unused for a while and the water will go to the bottom you can crack your drain plug open and drain the water out before the oil starts coming out.
Some owners just neglect there tractors like this parts tractor I picked up years ago. The PO told me when it got cold the HYD wouldn't work and he couldn't get it in gear to good. This was more like a snowcone than a milkshake.

Kirk
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As Kirk said,
If you have not driven the tractor in a few weeks, just slowly open the transmission drain plug,

as the fluid starts to drip catch it in a glass container so you can easily see when it changes from water to oil.

I guess back in the day when they were plowing and discing for hours on end with these little tractors the heat evaporated any water buildup.

As I was growing up I never remember anyone changing the transmission fluid in and old tractor
Maybe as the farms were getting bigger, they just bought new bigger tractors, let someone else worry about changing transmission fluid

Kind of like auto transmission fluid in your truck or car, I have the transmission oil drained and filter changed at 35k intervals in my old dodge diesel, but I am towing with it, others never have it serviced until the transmission goes out,

Just me: I think changing fluids is much cheaper than rebuilding motors and transmissions and hydraulic pumps
 
Plus, if you have not been draining water by cracking the drain plugs, when the water stops, that's all. Water comes past the threads much easier than the fluid. Don't be tempted to turn that plug out a little more and end up with gallons of the stuff all over the place.
 
Den N Ms,
I know what you are talking about when it comes to condensation. I live with it all the time in Terre Haute. Under the right conditions, condensation will get under my flat distributor cap on GMC truck and short out spark. I'm lucky to go two years before I have to replace it. It's not the brand of cap, it's condensation and the right conditions you are talking about.

Here is my take on milky oil. If the oil has detergents in it, the detergent will bond with the water, making milk. When an engine has blow by, the blow by has moisture and under your valve covers you will have a milk shake, shaving cream, foam. That's how it is, keep tractor dry in a well vented building. I store my Jubilee in an old barn with a dry, dusty dirt floor. My truck stays in a garage or pole barn with a concrete floor that can't absorb the moisture on the days you are talking about.

Condensation will form everywhere, inside gas tanks, engine, tranny, hydraulics. Especially old tractors. The first time I removed the top cover on my Jubilee hyd, it was rust city, even water in bottom of sump.

The hydraulic oil on my backhoe will be 150-175 degrees. That's warm enough to boil out the condensation. I don't think the hydraulic oil or tranny oil on my Jubilee even comes close, so venting or not, you will have condensation. Just change it.

Good luck fighting mother nature, she will always win.
 

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