cold hydraulics

[treevet]

I'm not so sure his advice about running parts of the system to 'pop off' pressures is that wise when everything is real cold. I'm sure it does cause a faster warm up but how about damage to parts of the hyd system? Doesn't pass the sniff test with me.

I sure wouldn't do it on the boom like when bleeding the movements. There you have a bleeder valve open for safety(and to purge air from the fluid). But shouldn't like was mentioned, there be a bypass on overload on the end of the outrigger movements?

 

[Bigstumps]

The main thing I would worry about with cold, thick, hydraulic fluid is cavitating (or starving) the hydraulic pump for oil. They won't handle that. It all depends where the pump is in relation to the tank and how large the suction hose from the tank to the pump is.

With a PTO pump it is usually well below the tank so it has good head pressure which helps. If you are running a Poney motor sometimes the pump is above the tank and the pump must pull the fluid up into it.

Once the pump starts it doesn't matter if a function is engaged or not, it will suck fluid from the tank. This is why you don't want to rev up the pump with cold/thick fluid.

I've never seen a truck that doesn't have reliefs on the downriggers - if it didn't something would explode when they got to the end of their stroke.

Reliefs are made to open and close - doesn't hurt a thing. Depending on where the reliefs are set and the flow of the system this will calculate to the required horsepower to make the relief open. You can hear a small poney motor change pitch under this load. This power that it takes to go over the relief puts the heat into the system.

 

[treevet]

That makes sense.

 

[arbor pro]

I use a magnetic heater on hydraulic reservoirs and oil pans. Leave plugged in overnight and the oil is ready to go when you are in the morning. If you don't have electricity at your lot, consider buying a small portable gas-powered generator. Fire up the generator when you get to your lot and by the time you get to the jobsite, your oil is warmer. Portable generator may come in handy for more than just running the magnetic heater - can use for electric tools, lights, etc.

I used to use this trick on truck and trailer hoists that would take FOREVER to lower back down via gravity when the temp was really cold out.

 

[treevet]

I just got a real good price on a Honda ER 3000 yesterday and think I am going to get it.

 

[ozarktreeman]

I would check the specs on your particular rig before doing this.But I have had the same problem in winter months.Talk to a guy for some parts last winter on my outriggers and ask him BTW unit running real slow when cold may need new controls unit.He ask me what type fluid I was running told him and he said NO!Change to ATF 2 parts kerosene.questioned him and he said do It.So I did and worked great,no problems no leaks sped the boom up.So now I change it out in cold months. But that is a skyworker unit. Worked for me. BTW does ATF fluid burn.LOL

 

[HorseShoeInFork]

I'm not so sure his advice about running parts of the system to 'pop off' pressures is that wise when everything is real cold. I'm sure it does cause a faster warm up but how about damage to parts of the hyd system? Doesn't pass the sniff test with me.

Believe it or not that is how a Case equipment manual tells you how to do it. It says to crowd the bucket and rev the engine. It doesn't work that great, but I understand the concept. I don't do it because it does sound bad and it is faster to just get on the machine and get to moving it. If there was an auxiliary hookup you could plumb back to the tank it might be better. Just an open unrestricted pipe to provide circulation. It would still take forever.

 

[sefh3]

Try one of thesehttp://www.jcwhitney.com/OIL_PAN_HEATER_KITS?ID=12;0;1101001648;0;100001;ProductName;4;0;0;0;2005253;0;0.

Put it on your tank and you should be good to go.

 

[treevet]

Yesterday it was 10 degrees when we started. The Hi Ranger warmed up in the hydraulics fairly quickly but the Dingo (almost new) didn't want to start. We finally got it to reluctantly start with a jump but it was real sluggish until it kicked. I guess my main cold weather problem is my big Teco bucket hydraulics.

Sefh3, we don't have any electric in our equipment yard. If I left a generator on it during the evening it would be bye bye by morning.

 

[gulity1]

I deal with this problem every day in the cold. I work on car haulers they have roughly a 30 gallon hyd tank and are always in the cold. We run from Texas to Alaska east to west and everywhere in the middle there are several options you have all have some kind of draw backs are listed next to

Thin out the fluid with diesel about %5 for me its about 2 gallons to 30 gallon in tank-- possiable fire
Change fluid to straight ATF -- expensive
Run PTO until fluid warms up-- Costs fuel

I have worked on all sides of this problem these are the only options that even seem close to being a long term "fix" although I have drained to two systems that had fluid I could set on fire--Scarey

 

[Industry]

Do you have a set of quick disconnects for a hydraulic tool up next to the bucket? we use a short length of hydraulic hose and just let it circulate to warm up the system.