I purchased a used bobcat power rake to use with my bobcat, the previous owner was using it with a Takeuchi. My question is will it hurt anything to run it with my bobcat and mixing hydraulic fluids since it has whatever hydraulic fluid Takeuchi uses in it, or should I try to flush that hydraulic fluid out of the rake and if so, what's the best way to do this? I've researched this and can't seem to find much on it. I would prefer to flush the fluid that's currently in the rake out, just not sure the best way or most effective way to go about it. Any help or input is greatly appreciated.
Flush the fluid as best you can. Not only do some manufacturers use different types of fluid if the previous machine had any hydraulic issues you would be contaminating your machine. Kind of like giving your machine an STD. Pull all the hoses off and blow them out with air then flush them with brake cleaner. I'd pull the motor off and drain it, then put low pressure air through it. Just enough to coax the oil out but not make the motor cycle. Turn the motor a quarter turn and repeat until you go 360° 2 or 3 times. This will drain the oil out and next I'd use mineral spirits to flush it using the same procedure. After it's clean prime the motor with the same oil that's in your hydraulic system and reassemble. If the rake has hydraulic cylinders they will need drained and flushed as well, plus the solenoid manifold that controls it or them. Good luck!
As far as solids are concerned, most hydraulic systems are self-cleaning. Crud will soon find it's way to the return filter and stay there. If you start it up and let it circulate awhile, then operate controls gently to flush things out, it's unlikely to do much damage on the way to the filter. I have a few jobs for my tired old Cat 246 that will involve rental attachments. It's due for a hydraulic oil change so I think I'll go ahead and take my chances with them and change hydraulic oil and filter afterwards. If I had a high dollar skid steer I might be more cautious.
Thanks for the reply, I was afraid it may be that involved but if that keeps from contaminating my machines that's what has to be done. I was thinking, would it be possible to only hook one hose up to machine and take quick disconnect off the other hose and leave it unhooked and some how push fluid thru attachment but where other hose isn't hooked up to machine that old fluid wouldn't return to my machine. Obviously it would have to be done in short cycles and then fluid added to my machine so it is run dry. Again thanks for the help I appreciate it
My machines are fairly new and don't wanna risk it otherwise I'd just run it shortly and change fluid and filter in my machine. I know bobcat is anal about using "their" hydraulic fluid so I figure it can't be good to mix it with a different kind especially when I don't know what that other kind is. I think I read somewhere that Takeuchi used motor oil for the hydraulic fluid. Thanks for the input, I appreciate it.
For the very small amount of fluid that is inside the components on that rake I wouldn't even mess with it if it was mine, but then again I'm regularly switching attachments between a couple newer Cat loaders, a couple ASV loaders and a older Hydra Mac loader, harley rake, landscape rake and other different other hydraulic attachments. Thats why they have filters, if a quart (probably more then is in there honestly) is all it takes to completely ruin a system, then I guess I should have been swapping pumps 3 or 4 thousand hours ago....
Thanks for the reply, I may just run it and change fluid and filter in my machine a couple times after running it shortly.
Yes, why not? If you have a spare quick coupler, you don't even have to take one off the attachment hose. You could still blow it out with air, run it till oil comes out, blow it out again, and then hook up both hoses and run it.
First you would have to overcome the confusion of which fitting on the skid steer is pressure and which is return in each mode. Is there a quick and simple way to draw that distinction?
That is what I was wondering also.
With one hose from the attachment hooked to the skidsteer and the other open with a quick coupler and a hose into a bucket, if oil doesn't come out one way, it will come out the other way.
Finally got a chance to mess with that thing some today, took a quick coupler off the attachment and hooked to bobcat to see which way the fluid flowed, then hooked other quick attach still attached to rake and hooked it to my bobcat then flushed fluid out thru the rake and out hose on rake without quick attach on it. Worked great, still wanna run some more thru it but I run out of fluid. Thanks for all the advice. While messing with it, I did discover I need to replace a bearing in the rake. There's one thing about having equipment, you'll always have something to work on. :Banghead