Hello, I am planning on doing a hydraulic fluid and filter change on my Caterpillar 320c this week. I would like to ask some tips and information on how to do this. I know how to usually change fluid on machines, but I would like an official clear set of directions with tips and ideas on the process. I also want to break down part numbers for filters(part numbers and brand) and prices, fluid, types and brand where to buy fluid, price, and quantities. Things I can think of off hand: To change filter, Let air excape from bolt to the right of the filter location. Tighten back. Clean filter housing top and edges so dirt cannot fall into housing once removed. Removes bolts from top of filter housing. Lay filter and top piece on clean rag. Turn handle 180 degree on filter. Slide out. reverse the directions for replacement. At how many hours should one replace filter? At how many should one replace fluid. Aftermarket Hydraulic fluid the same as cat? What is the capacity? Filter part numbers? Wix? Drain location? Change fluid with the stick up or down? etc... Thanks guys....
Answering your last question first. Before you drain the oil from the tank, extend the stick, curl the bucket as far as it will go until the teeth are pointing away from the machine, and then lower the boom until the teeth touch the ground. If you have the right terrain you can drop the boom over the edge of a bank until the boom cylinders are as far down as they will go, if they bottom out even better. Then after draining and refilling the oil to the max mark (or even a bit above it) on the sight gauge in the hydraulic tank, raise the boom, put the stick so it's hanging vertical towards the ground, and curl the bucket back towards the machine until when you lower the boom the base edge of the bucket & teeth are parallel to the ground. This is the correct position of the equipment to do the daily check of hydraulic fluid level. At this point check the oil level again, you will find it will be well low. Top up to max mark and you're good to go. Hydraulic oil is specified as SAE 10W. Any major brand (Conoco, texaco, Shell, Mobil, etc.) of oil will be good, you don't have to use Cat's own oil. Fluid should be changed every 2000 operating hours or 1 year, whichever comes first. I have most experience with Cat filters, so that's what I'd use. Donaldson filter are also good. Other brands, you roll the dice..? How much is you machine worth to you and do you really want to take a chance on a "will fit" filter from Joe Blow's Gas & Groceries screwing up a $2000+ hydraulic pump or cylinder..? As regards Part Number, there are 46 (yes indeedy, 46) different Serial Number prefixes of 320C. Tell me what is your prefix and I'll have a stab at the Part Numbers. if you want to PM me with your exact Serial Number that would be even better. The machines I've come across have generally had 3 separate hydraulic filters - pilot system, return line filter, & main hydraulics. So you will likely have 3 filters to change. You would probably also be well advised to change the o-ring seals on the filter housings of the main hydraulic and the return filters.
Thank you so much NIGE. You always come through with the best info. I will PM you the exact serial number. The dealer shipped me hydraulic filters and I havent opened the box yet(it is awaiting me at our shop miles away) but, the dealer said there were 2 filters? One spin on and one large cartridge. Not 3? Am I missing one? If so...I do need to figure that out! My machine has 4812 hours on it. We have changed the fluid since it was new but I wasnt there when it was changed to see how the other guys did it for me in past.... I assume my CAT filters come with the o-rings needed for the filters? Speaking of the placement of the boom and stick to maximize fluid change....how do people flush hydraulic systems when they have a major failure or contamination on machines like this? Regular 10 weight hydraulic fluid. I wonder if Wal Mart has a supertech? LOL. Actually...Super tech is sometimes the same oil as major label brands in a generic jug. Do you guys ever check who is making oil for who and what brand to buy at: www.bobistheoilguy.com ? Pretty dang handy..... I like to buy wal mart super tech synthetic for my 2004 ford f150 5.4 truck. It is supposed to be the exact same thing as Mobile 1 synthetic. Thanks so much Nige....Let's update this thread with the new info following this reply......
For your particular machine all the filters/screens for the hydraulic system are mounted on (or inside) the tank and are as follows: - Spin-on Pilot filter - 5I-8670 Spin-on Pump Case Drain filter - 093-7521 Cartridge return filter - 126-2081. To change this filter will require replacement of the 095-1681 O-Ring on the top cover. I don't think your replacement filter will come with this but I may be wrong. Look in the box to check. There is a screen inside the tank that you wil be well advised to remove and clean if it has never been out before. It is located under a circular cover on the top of the tank that fixes with 6 bolts. There is an O-Ring 095-1730 under this cover. Once you pull the screen out wash it in diesel and blow dry with air. There is an O-Ring 5H-5672 located under the screen. Both should strictly speaking be replaced. If you have a contamination issue every hose, hard line, cylinder, valve group on the machine has to be removed, stripped and cleaned. Big job so don't ever fail a pump. That's why many of us on here won't use anything other than quality fluids and filters, for us there is too much at stake not to. If you have time to figure out who actually produces the oil that's in a certain jug, have at it. I just recommend to stick to major brands because you know what you're getting. "Supposed to be the exact same thing as xxxxx" unfortunately doesn't cut it in my world. It goes back to the old question - how much is your machine worth to you and are you willing to risk a major dollar failure just by trying to save maybe $100 on oil and filters..?
Thank you nige. So any major brand of plain old 10 weight hydraulic oil? How many gallons should I buy? What price is pretty typical? I guess Wal mart carries a 10 weight? It is weird that my cat parts guy swore that my machine only has 2 filters and shipped those to me . 1 cartridge and 1 spin on. I guess if this thing holds a lot (for example 36 gallons) I'm gonna need 36 gallons of jugs to catch it in and I guess I can dispose of it at my local landfill where they take motor oil? I don't see a tank at my landfill to pour hydraulic fluid in. I used to use aw/32 hydraulic oil in my old cat 225blc. I wonder if I can run 10 weight in the cat 225 blc that I still own. If so, I could change fluid in both machines and possibly buy fluid in bulk barrels. I swear, if I didn't try to have mostly caterpillar machines...I'd be in a mess over what fluid goes in what...more so than I am so far. Thanks so much nige
Usually the Parts Counter is operated by a computer jockey and not by someone who knows machinery, unless you're really lucky. You obviously weren't. AW32 is an ISO International Standard. It's the same as viscosity as SAE10W. With you being in the US I automatically used an SAE viscosity rating, thinking you'd be more familiar with it than ISO. What you use in your 225B will be the same as required by the 320C. Sorry I never answered your question about quantity. The book says 36.5 US gallons after draining and refilling the tank with the equipment in the position in which you do the daily check - see diagram below. If you put the equipment in the position I mentioned above more oil will come back to tank from all the cylinders so you will drain a larger quantity as a result. How much more..? Sorry, no idea. Maybe up to 5 gallons more, but that's simply a WAG.
I've been using the 179-9806 uhe main filter with good results, instead of the 126-2081. I have never not been able to reuse the o-ring. As for when to change the hydraulic oil, a $13 cat SOS will tell me if it's time to change it. As for the oil, it needs to be a 10W with a TO4 compliant spec.
Good point about the UHE (ultra-high efficiency) filter. The OP sent me a PM with his Serial Number and the 126-2081 was what was listed. I didn't dig any deeper than that, but when I did the 179-9806 is listed as standard for machines of a higher Serial Number range than his and there is a Service Mag to say it's directly retrofitable to earlier machines. One thing about UHE filters is that it's important to be sure the plugged filter bypass switch & warning system is working 100%, because if the system has any sort of contamination in it the UHE filter is going to remove it but could plug during the process. I'm a confirmed believer in changing oils based on condition as the result of an oil analysis. Agree with you about the o-ring but I would always have one just for the one time that you pull the filter to find the o-ring is not reusable and don't have one handy, leaving the machine stranded. Better to have one and not need it rather than not have one and need it. I have to correct you on the need for TO-4 oil though. TO-4 is generally a requirement for powershift transmissions, torque converters and wet braking systems, it's an approved 2nd choice oil for an excavator hydraulic system after a straight hydraulic oil. You can use it, but you don't have to. We actually use all TO-4 for our 10W oil, simply so we don't have to stock both plain 10W hydraulic & 10W TO-4 as well. TO-4 will work where a hydraulic oil is called for but straight 10W hydraulic will not work in a compartment that needs TO-4. Here's what the Cat O&M Manual for his particular machine says about oil for the hydraulic system on his 320C.........TDTO and TO-4 are the same oil. Note that engine oil is also an alternative. Refer to the "Lubricant Information" section in the latest revision of the Special Publication, SEBU6250, "Caterpillar Machine Fluids Recommendations" for detailed information. This manual may be found on the Web at Safety.Cat.com. The following are the preferred oils for use in the hydraulic system: Cat HYDO Advanced 10 SAE 10W Cat HYDO Advanced 30 SAE 30W Cat BIO HYDO Advanced Cat HYDO Advanced fluids have a 50% increase in the standard oil drain interval for machine hydraulic systems (3000 hours versus 2000 hours) over second and third choice oils when you follow the maintenance interval schedule for oil filter changes and for oil sampling that is stated in the Operation and Maintenance Manual for your particular machine. 6000 hour oil drain intervals are possible when using S·O·S Services oil analysis. Consult your Cat dealer for details. When switching to Cat HYDO Advanced fluids, cross contamination with the previous oil should be kept to less than 10%. Second choice oils are listed below. Cat MTO Cat DEO Cat DEO-ULS Cat TDTO Cat TDTO Cold Weather Cat TDTO-TMS Cat DEO-ULS SYN Cat DEO SYN Cat DEO-ULS Cold Weather