Cleaning gunk out of hydraulic box and frame

[Dan_Shade]

My hydraulics box is a bit messy.  Any recommendations for cleaning?

I don't want to damage the motor attached to the pump. 

[WV Sawmiller]

  Leaf blower.

[Dan_Shade]

I have some oil residue in there, makes it a bigger mess. 

[WV Sawmiller]

  Dump in some dry sawdust, rub it around as best you can and blow it out.

[terrifictimbersllc]

I think it's not too hard to get the front panel of that off, can get in with a stick and a rag that way

[Chuck White]

A few years ago, I got a can of engine degreaser and sprayed the floor of the hydraulic housing, being careful not to spray anything that could be damaged.

A couple hours later I sprayed it out with the waterhose!

Never had a problem!

[mike_belben]

Face shield, long reach blow gun, 100+ psi.  


Everything else will get rained on but the box will clear out. 

[WV Sawmiller]

TT,

   I'm working on the assumption the hydraulic panel is the same as mine. Piece of cake to remove. Remove 2 short bolts and loosen 2 more and it slides right out. 

[mike_belben]

Is there a photo posted that im not seeing? 

I went from thinking is this a loader or skidder or sawmill to thinking how does howard think the OPs "it" is similar to his "it"??

[Dan_Shade]

It's on my LT-40

I like the Degreaser idea, it's a mild mess in there:  the breather cap blew off and it coated everything with ATF. 

[Dan_Shade]

 

 

[btulloh]

Engine cleaning gun. HF engine clean gun. Available from many sources. Really handy addition to the arsenal and only ten bucks. Like having a small very low pressure washer. 

[barbender]

I use a lot of brake cleaner on the logging equipment where you always have hydraulic oil and gunk to clean off of stuff, and that's what I'd probably use here as well. Spray it on, use a brush to get the grime loose if necessary and mop it up with the blue heavy duty paper towels I think everyone should keep a roll of where you are working (or a good supply of rags). As mentioned, the side panel on the enclosure comes off and makes access much easier. I have to do this myself as I just changed a hose, and also spilled some oil adding it to the reservoir because of a leaking hose😊 Do you know why your vent was overflowing?

[Dan_Shade]

I have a bad habit of letting gravity lower the arms when I have a cant or flitches on it, this seems to overflow the Reservoir. 

[Magicman]

I have a bad habit of letting gravity lower the arms when I have a cant or flitches on it, this seems to overflow the Reservoir.

I don't understand this statement??    If the loader arms gradually lower with weight on them, you must have hydraulic cylinders that need rebuilding, but I do not leave the loader arms up when unattended or overnight.  I also do not understand the extra fluid that seems to overflow the reservoir?

To clean the hydraulic box, I use Simple Green, etc. and a water hose followed by a leaf blower.

[Dan_Shade]

I dunno, doesn't make sense to me either... 

I tend to stack flitches in the arms, and sometimes I'll hit the down lever with the saw past the contact strip so that the blade guide arm has enough clearance.  I kinda figured that causes the oil to spill out.

Could be some other problem...

[mike_belben]

If your valve is good and your cylinder is not leaking externally, you can take the rod seal right out of a cylinder and itll only drift a bit then lock up as the pressure on each side of the piston face equalizes.    


For a cylinder to leak all the way down it has to be losing fluid externally, or bypassing back to tank through clearance space in the valve spool. 

[Dan_Shade]

It's not leaking down on its own, I use the valve...

[Magicman]

OK, but now back to the "leaking down" question and this is from me and unrelated to the sawmill.  My tractor FEL bucket gradually lowers.  I just figured that it was the cylinders? 

[WV Sawmiller]

Is there a photo posted that im not seeing?

I went from thinking is this a loader or skidder or sawmill to thinking how does howard think the OPs "it" is similar to his "it"??

Astute individual that I am and seeing this post in the "Sawmills and Milling" threads and knowing or at least trusting in human nature that Dan would not try to trick us up I worked on the basic assumption he was talking about his sawmill. In this instance I appear to have been right although you are correct I probably should have confirmed that fact before posting comments about accessing the box. And, yes, the inside of his hydraulic box looks basically like mine.

[Dan_Shade]

A friend of mine has a kubota, the FEL bucket will tilt up gradually after its parked.

Pretty annoying when it has forks installed. 

[Magicman]

Mine will also tilt upward but I was/am not blaming it on the "tilt" cylinders causing it.  My thought was that it was the longer "boom" cylinders gradually relaxing.  I do know that the FEL will gradually get lower but I need to mark the cylinder rods and find out exactly what is happening.

It's not causing me any "heartburn" which is why I have not done any investigation.  Your friends problem is probably mine.

[KenMac]

A friend of mine has a kubota, the FEL bucket will tilt up gradually after its parked.

Pretty annoying when it has forks installed.

My Kubota B26 TLB's hydraulics leak down slowly. It's really the only complaint I have with the machine. I questioned the dealer about this-  very good dealer, by the way- and they eventually found out that leakage equalling 2" in 5 minutes is considered within specs. It has to do with the design of the valves I was told. Love the tractor but this is a minor nuisance.