Farmall 400 - lubrication questions

Hi all,

Been working on my inherited Farmall 400 and had a quick question on the fluid recommendations.

As I understand it, the tranny, differential, hyrdaulic system and IPTO should be filled with Hy-Tran, but there as seems to be much debate over the engine oil.

Manual calls for SAE 20 up to 80 degrees and SAE 30 for over 80.

Seems some say to use low ash SAE 30, others claim straight 30 and yet others say any 10W/ mix is fine. Not looking to start a debate, but seeing I am changing fluids and have no idea what was run in past, what would be the best recommended route?

Lastly, this is question I haven't seen asked - if using Hy-Tran is recommended over the book's SAE 10W for the IPTO and Hy-Tran as replacement for the recommended SAE 80 in the tranny and differential, and IH Touch-Control Fluid for the hydraulic system then what about the following?

Air Cleaner Oil Cup - SAE 20/30
Generator - SAE 20
Cranking Motor - SAE 80
Steering Gear Housing - SAE 80

Would I change the air cleaner and generator to low ash SAE 30/straight 30/some 10W-X as well, and hy-tran for the cranking motor and steering gear housing?

Thanks 😊
 
Any 15W-40 diesel oil would be fine these old engines . Yup use the same oil for the air cleaner cup. as for the hytran in the rest of it would be fine. It may have some worn seals that may tend to leak a little from where the thicker oil was in it before like the 80 in the rearend.
The newer oils for the gas engines don't have as much zinc in them as that engine would like the reason for the diesel oil. Some are going to say you need to use the low ash oil. We use the same oil as the diesels since it is out voted on the engine list. 1 gasser and 10 diesels. Not going to stock a different oil for one engine.
 
Yep, another vote for 15W-40 diesel rated oil, I personally use Rotella, But Mobil Delvac is really REALLY good too, and Chevron Delo is really good as well. Use the same oil in air cleaner cup as you put in engine. The 30W low ash oil is more a need of the higher rpm 6 cylinder gasoline engines. Under extended high rpm hard pull conditions the oil formed hard carbon deposits on the exhaust valve stems that caused the exh valves to stick and burn. Most of today's oils meet the low ash criteria, the IH Low Ash oil is good oil, but motor oil overall is so much better now than what was available when your 400 was built it's just crazy.
Ohh, the old T-1 Rotella 15W-40 oil has 1400 PPM of ZDDP, zinc, plenty to prevent excessive camshaft & lifter wear. Even HOT ROD magazine recommended Rotella by name for use in high lift flat tappet drag race engines 10 years ago when the oil companies removed ZDDP. Been a few years since I called Rotella's oil Hot Line, They would be the best source of what oil to use. They have been pushing their synthetic blend and synthetic oils very hard lately.
And Case/IH Hy-Tran in the transmission, Torque Amplifier, PTO, hydraulic system, power steering, etc. The oil cups on generator and starter, didn't think the 400 had those, don't think my M & Super H do, but non-detergent oil, like 3-M sewing machine oil works fine. For the steering sector gearbox, Case/IH makes a "corn head grease" it's a grease that flows like oil, clings to the gears, it's enough thicker it won't leak out the bottom of the gearbox as fast.
 
Do you live in a cold climate, i do, and the only thing i would change from Cat guy, is put in 0W-20in the air-cleaner[1 quart] if you'r in a area where it gets -30 F. I got a old Farmall on the loader, it easier for the air to get thru the cleaner!
 
Today's oils are much better than the oils of the '50 when the tractor was new.There is really no comparison. That said,run HyTran or equivalent(HyTran is EXPENCIVE,other brands are jut fine for your old 400).Basicly any Hydralic/transmission oil will suffice. 15/40 fleet diesel in engine,oil filter,and the 90 wt in the steering.However,If the steeringgear box leaks,as most do these days, you can use corn head grease,or even regular gun grease.These are the oils I run in my letter series;400,and '06/56 series tractors. Have for 40 years.
 
run the same 'hytran',etc in the touch control as the rear end.Just use motor oil in a squirt can for the starter,generator,etc.Use as few differing oils as possible. Too many oils causes mix ups and waste.
 
Always loved guys like you that had a couple older I H gassers around and only had ONE oil for all , That is why i had exhaust valves and seats and head sets on stock a valve grinder and head surfacer But i shot myself in the foot getting them to keep that five gallon bucket of low ash for the gassers on hand as the never ending flow of valve jobs came to and end just getting them to use the correct oil and lest see here Euegenes 1066 has been running now on his farm for gees 34 years since we did a TOTAL rebuild and tear down with one rear end failure in that time frame , yes i have had EVERY nut , bold and screw out of that tractor from the radiator cap to the PTO when he got it and that one has run Case I H #1 30 weight diesel oil and Hy Tran. since the rebuild . We would still be running the first tractor i sold him if we could find gas and pistons for it to run on . When i had my Semi had i waited two months and Bought a 78 instead of the 77 and went with the BIG CAM Cummins over my Small cam then i could have run the 15-40 but NOT on the small cam that one ran on the 30 weight series 3 and ran 65 psi oil pressure where as the BIG cam
s only ran 45 psi hot and ran the 15-40 . If you dropped to the 15-40 in a small cammer then you would see and instant drop in oil pressure and a reduction in ware life on the bottom main bearing and the top of the rod bearing . And as for why i did what i did with the Cummins was this is what the Cummins service manager told me After they had to do a rebuild on mine with only 420000 miles due to excessive oil use and they had to replace all the bearing as i listened to the know it alls and went with the 15-40 on the first oil change and noticed the drop in oil pressure as i lots 10 PSI and did not give it much thought ands when the oil useage started up and started doing the consumption report to cummins every week , first it was a Qt a day then 2 then 3 and a gal a day and in ten days i was changing oil so to speak . I did not buy a new truck to dump a gallon a day in like the old Detroits .
 
Really if you're not planning on working the 400 excessively hard, any quality oil will work just fine. Single grade, multi grade, diesel oil... doesn't matter.

Folks been using the "wrong" for years, but the hardest work the tractors see is raking hay or moving a wagon. They're not pulling a plow for 10 hours a day for weeks on end.

Just as Hytran Ultraction is the current version of hydraulic oil from CaseIH, the Low Ash SAE 30 engine oil is the latest gasoline engine oil from CaseIH. If you wanted to stick with "factree" oil, that is what you'd use. Otherwise, any quality 10W30 or higher rated oil is all you need for your 400.

Don't take this advice and try to apply it to your 706, 806, 756, 856, 656, 544, etc, though. Those NEED low ash oil to keep from burning valves. Anything from the time of the 706/806 introduction on up through the last 686 gas needs low ash.
 
Never had a JD corn head but I have used a fair amount of JD corn head grease. New Holland rakes, farmall steering box, brush hog and the DF hay tedder to name a few, I think its just a OOO grease. If you have ever torn anything down that had it in it you well discover it stays put and is difficult to wash off. I use Rotella 15-40 in my 400 gas and all my other tractors.
 
Great advice - thank you.

As for the low ash engine oil comment - I
picked up premium fleet diesel sae 30 for
the 806 diesel - how would I know if this
is low ash?

Was going to get rotella t1 (if I am
remembering correctly) but they didnt have
a 5 gallon bucket in stock, only had the
10w-40 so I got the other one.

Was that a mistake?
 
(quoted from post at 20:58:55 07/06/20) Great advice - thank you.

As for the low ash engine oil comment - I
picked up premium fleet diesel sae 30 for
the 806 diesel - how would I know if this
is low ash?

Was going to get rotella t1 (if I am
remembering correctly) but they didnt have
a 5 gallon bucket in stock, only had the
10w-40 so I got the other one.

Was that a mistake?

You're confused.

Low ash is a concern in GASOLINE powered tractors ONLY, and then only in 1963 or newer IH tractors.

Any quality diesel engine oil is perfectly fine for your 806 diesel.

In fact, it is just fine for your 400 too, as it was made before 1963 with an older engine technology.

The only real mistake you can make buying oil, is if the container is labeled "Play Sand." Then you made a mistake, especially if you pour it into the engine.
 
This has been hashed and hashed.

Rotella has an ash content of less than 1%, can someone post the ash content of IH low ash?

I think there is a 99.9% concurrence that Rotella is fine.

Let's see some data.
 
That is my favorite, it is also less than 1% ash.

Low ash should be less than .5%, so it is close.
 

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