Changing all the fluids on my D4H dozer and need 1.5 gal of TDTO 50 for each of the final drives. I have have about 2 gals, so need one more but cat only sells it in 5 gal buckets. I hate to have $100 of oil that I may never use, so can I use .5 gal of TDTO 30 on top of the 50? I can get 30 in a gal jug.
Don't necessarily buy Cat-branded oil, simply get 1 gallon of SAE50 TO-4 rated oil from one of the major oil companies at half the price. You can mix it with the oil you already have and you have no viscosity issues. I find it hard to believe that no-one sells TO-4 SAE50 in 1 gallon containers.
Ask the dealer if they'll sell you a gallon from their bulk tank, if your local oil distributors don't carry it?
I checked a few local oil distributors, they have 5 gal bucket also, may try some part stores. I have a case of valvoline 50w racing oil that I will never use... . Had not thought of that, I have bought over 10k of parts in the past year, surely they will go thru the trouble to get a gallon out to sell to me.
You will eventually be adding or changing the final oil again..... the price may never be better than it is today.
Good point. On a machine that doesn't work a lot of hours the recommended change period for the final drive oil is every 12 months.
Well, I put about 100 hours on my each piece of equipment a year whether they need it or not. So, Multiracer and you are correct that I should change it in the future especially if you base it on calendar time vice hours. I always use equipment branded oils and keep my toys (except the excavator) in a climate controlled shop when not in use, so I never really paid a lot of attention to calendar time fluid changes. I do oil samples on engine oil samples prior to oil change or yearly. Once when over 3 years on a JD SS engine oil, Blackstone kept telling go a little longer, finally changed it on dilution concerns. Well, I spent over a $1k on oil for it, I guess another $100 is not a big deal. I will go get a bucket of TDTO50 in the morning.
$10k in parts in a year, and you're jibbing at $100 for the price of 5 gallons of oil...you're having a laugh, right..? Think of oil oil as a REALLY cheap insurance policy, because every time you drain the old oil you look at it and maybe spot something. How much do you think a trashed final drive would cost in parts..? And you really ARE wasting your money buying equipment-branded oil, although I'm sure your local dealer must love you. Who do you think produces that oil for Cat..? Right, one of the majors like Mobil (always used to be, not sure today) or similar. Their oils are just as good as the sexy black Cat buckets and probably half the price. Just don't stoop to the level of buying oils from Joe Blow's Gas & Groceries, that's just wrong on so many levels.