Is it ok to use Valvoline VV325 in a D4G hydraulic system ?
What spec does Cat require for that machine? According to the product description it meets Caterpillar's TO-2 and TO-4 specification.
According to the O&M either TO-4 spec or hydraulic oils can be used in both the hydraulic & hystat drive systems on the OP's machine. I have a quesiton regarding viscosity. Everything I have looked at indicates that VV325 is an SAE30 oil. For the OP's location I think that is too heavy, by the book it only covers down to 50 DegF as a minimum temperature. I would recommend an SAE10W viscosity which would give coverage down to 10 DegF.
It calls for T0-4 I couldn't get any Cat brand oil. I just need to top off my tank after a leak.
Actually it calls for either TO-4 or hydraulic oil because your tractor has a hydrostatic transmission. Strictly speaking a hydrostatic transmission does not require a TO-4 specification oil but there is no harm in using one. See the table below. My beef is about the viscosity. For your climate SAE10W is the recommended viscosity, Valvoline VV325 is SAE30 which would be for a tropical-type climate.. Although if you are only topping off the tank with a couple of gallons after a leak it shouldn't make much difference.
10W is what we run in all our Cat's hydro systems. 30W is probably too heavy a weight for Arkansas. Might be ok in winter as it gets colder there than AL but we share hell in the summer.
I would think it would be the other way around, 30w in the heat of summer, 10w in the cooler weather.
Yeah that was a typo, brain thought summer and fingers typed winter. Either way 30W is too heavy to run year around here IMO. We've ran 10W in all our Cats for 20 years. Still have 2- 2004's (953C and CS533E) that I bought new.
Thanks for all the input.