It looks like my 2014 CAT 430F can use engine oil just about everywhere in this machine. I've been considering using it in the hydraulic system. Every time I lose a hose or the system leaks down some I end up paying another $135-150 for a 5 gallon bucket from either CAT or NAPA. I have steered myself away form the cheaper AW32's due to the reading I've done here. Although I lose hoses often enough it seems like a cheap AW32 would probably be fine. But IIRC they are lacking in additives vs the premium/spendy options? The machine lives outside. I've never seen a block heater on it. I use it whenever I need it. I don't think I've used it in temperatures colder than -15. But it's been colder than that here. I would say it's mostly got the NAPA premium AW32 in it right now. My local NAPA never stocks this so whenever I lose a bunch I end up needing to make a special trip farther away. I usually try to keep some on hand, but sometimes I just run out. I'm currently using 5w40 Guardol XT. It would costs me $19 a gallon vs closer to $30 a gallon for "actual hydraulic fluid". Would I be selling my machine short by using this 5w40? As long as I let it warm up a good bit in the winter I don't think my current fluid choice is a problem. It whines a little but not bad. Or should I get a 5 Gallon bucket of Traveller Premium AW32 for $52.24? Hydraulic fluid protects against rust, corrosion, foaming and oxidation Anti-wear additives protect your engine's critical system components Designed for industrial and mobile hydraulic systems, including: Sperry Vickers M-2950-S and I-286-S, Denison HF-0, HF-1 and HF-2, Cincinnati Milacron P-68, P-69 and P-70, DIN 51524-3 and ISO 11158 HM Temperature rating: -10 to 220 deg. C Meets ISO 32 (SAE 15W Equivalent) requirements Includes a 5 gal. bucket of hydraulic fluid Note: This product is not recommended for transmissions, differentials, wet brakes or final drive gears; use Traveller Premium Universal Tractor Fluid for such applications I probably buy 3-6 buckets a year. ***** Separately, what is CAT TDTO-TMS? Is there an equivalent out there? Maybe there isn't a one size fits all here, but is there a one size fits most? It's not that this is rocket science, but you just end up wondering if you are overpaying using the OEM stuff? Which is often relabeled... Thanks for any help you might be able to offer.
Uh, have you priced P66 5w40 Guardol lately? It’s more like $35 a gallon. I can’t even get it. It’s gone. No more allocation. Your mileage might vary.
Cat TDTO-TMS is a multigrade TO-4 oil. Most major oil companies produce an equivalent oil but I doubt if the bottom-feeder brands do although I have not personally looked. https://caterpillar.scene7.com/is/content/Caterpillar/CM20150813-35930-44106 Cat-branded oil used to be produced by Mobil, not sure now. Often when dealers are doing promotions it can be very keenly priced. Have you questioned yourself regarding why you are failing so many hoses.?
Just worn out I guess. When I lost the first hose probably right after I got the machine I started looking around and thought, "I'd like to replace all of these." But I couldn't even hazard a guess as to how much that would cost. So I just resigned myself to replacing them as they blow. Do you have some sort of insight as to why else they would rupture/split? I'm almost 50. Assuming I keep using this thing for 20-30 years. And just replace the hoses as they fail, I have an inkling I will be money ahead of just replacing them every 10 years. But I really don't know. I was just trying to trim my costs down where I can in a reasonable fashion. Thanks for the link. No free lunch eh. Well I already bought another 5 gallons from NAPA and am having it shipped too my local store. It seems like I may need to try to keep 15 gallons on hand and just get more every time I use a pail. I have been buying 15 gallons at a time and then just throwing out my big shocked and surprised face when I go look for it and I'm out. Still not setup here real well after the move to our new place.
My preference is to replace all sketchy hoses before I put the machine to work. Second choice is replacing any sketchy hoses in the same area as one that just blew. I really, really dislike replacing them one at a time as they blow. You end up having to open up the same covers multiple times, sometimes remove hoses you replaced two weeks ago to replace one that blew today, etc. Plus all the extra oil that gets wasted every time another hose blows... And that's assuming the machine is in a spot you can access the blown hose and not knee deep in mud or halfway across a trench with a leaking water main...
I should have mentioned that there is no problem using a TO-4 specification oil in a hydraulic system. We did it on a regular basis.
Reason and common sense, right there. But, it reduces the amount of field trips I can bill out when my clients operate that way.
Repeat the same steps is how to learn to be proficient at the task 3rd time no longer guessing at how fun it's going to be.
That goes for many things on just about anything, not related to oil but my favorite. Just how many transmissions are removed for one reason or another and not a one of them even think about what's above their head in open view. Nope blind as a bat working on a ten year old truck and older and never crosses their mind. ---E6 valve, nope lets wait until or if starts leaking and a pain in the ass, a $55 dollar part.
Hydraulic hoses don't have real ratings as to time or usage for replacement. Komatsu years ago unofficially in their O&M manuals put out that hoses were OK for 6,000 hours or 6 years of exposure. Talking to the rep at the time, he told me that is what they figured as a starting point to see failures. Obviously most hoses will last longer. The condition factors I developed over years of replacing and doing machine inspections are on these lines. Wear and tear to the outer cover that exposes wires is a candidate for having a spare on hand. Any leakage or wear at the crimps of the end fittings was a candidate for a replacement. The other replacement item is bubbles showing up in the outside covers. That indicates the inside liner has failed. While this hose usually won't fail explosively, it will seep all the time making a mess of everything underneath and around it. Hoses mounted to the sides of booms and arms that appear smashed or have damage to the outside covers would need a spare on hand. Hoses that flex extensively in normal operation such as on extending booms, swing grapples, thumbs, blade tilt cylinders and so on I would keep a close watch when they get a lot of hours on them. Any sign of damage and I would keep a spare on the machine at all times. I've worked for companies who's maintenance practice is fix as fail and then they whine about the down time. After around twenty years in the business I just started laughing in the faces for their stupidity.
A lot of golf course equipment is fully hydraulic and they recommend changing hoses every 2 years or 2000 hours. Especially if a greens mower leaked, it could be a whole lot more expensive than just replacing a hose and some fluid. Even worse would be the complaints from the members of the course. You want to see beeitchy people go to a private golf club. They think they own the place!
Forklifts--most major freezers if a hose blows inside a trailer especially while loading, loading stops, load removed, trailer steam cleaned. Receivers can and will decline shipment.