New here. First post a couple of days ago. When I check the hydraulic level in the tank I notice just a slight amount of milky looking fluid on the very end of the dipstick. This is when the machine and oil are cold. Today I unscrewed the filter to change it and immediately milky fluid ran over the filter as I unscrewed it. It was obviously not the same as the clear fluid but wasn't so bad that I couldn't read the writing on the filter as it ran over it. I suspect this isn't a good thing or it may be "normal" at the filter. I need some advice. How concerned should I be and what steps should I take? Thanks.
That's water. Too much water in the system and it will freeze in your location (eventually) and give you all kinds of problems. Time for a flush and change.
How do you flush the system? I have the same problem.
I've been reading everything I can about flushing the system and it's no easy task. After reading all that I could, I dropped the filter and now I'm slowly opening every single hydraulic line that I can see. I want to clean it out as good as possible before I put new Case fluid in the reservoir and flush it out. One thing I neglected to do.... I didn't drop the outriggers or digger bucket before I started the process. You should do that to take the pressure off those cylinders. The second I cracked the flared union on the outrigger I got DRENCHED in fluid. I'm glad I have a good come-along but it's slowed my process. I'm amazed how much bad fluid is in the lines I've removed. I've removed and hung them to allow them to drain overnight (pictures first for reassembly). I've opened the other end of most lines as it seems there is a vacuum. More fluid runs out. I've even removed the 90 degree fittings on the cylinders. This allowed even more to run out. I'm planning to further clean the lines with compressed air. It may seem like overkill but I just spent over $500 on new oil and I want ever drop of old oil out that I can get out. Something I'm trying tomorrow that may also seem like overkill, but again.... I want ever drop I can get out now. I've rigged my older wet/dry vacuum with a very small flexible tube (like aquarium tubing) that I can feed down into the cylinders and other places. I'll see how much fluid I'm able to suck out with that. After all of this is done, I plan to fill the reservoir with new fluid and disconnect the line that runs back into it. I'll then start the machine and start running each circuit to push new fluid through it but saving it into a bucket. This should give me as clean of system as I could possible get. It may seem a little like overkill to some but I'm retired and I want to get every drop out that I can before I put new fluid in.
A total flush is really hard to accomplish. I just did it when I put the backhoe back into service on my Case 855D, and now I'm going to have to do it again. If the cylinders are shot and sitting in the weather (like mine were), they WILL fill up with H20. I couldn't figure out a feasible way to get all the bad oil out of the valve etc. BTW, the "bucket method" didn't work real well for me; just too much pressure coming out of the lines to avoid massive splashing. Best to resolve yourself to the fact that it will be an EXTREMELY messy job (and therefore park it in an appropriate place before beginning).....
read post #5 by Nige, that's the most effective way to flush the old fluid out. disregard the references to excavator parts. Before you do this, are you sure it's water, not air in the fluid? Try dripping it on hot steel, compared to new oil how does it sizzle?