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Cat Hydraulic Fluid Alternative
- Thread starter Strum
- Start date
Nige
Senior Member
Any good-quality SAE10W commercial hydraulic oil that doesn’t have the words farm, tractor, or universal in either the name of the product or of the organisation selling it. Any major oil company brand should be just fine.
Nige
Senior Member
SAE30 may well be factory-fill but for your location I would still go for SAE 10W in view of its improved low-temperature capability in winter temperatures. See below which is an extract taken from the O&M Manual.
Thanks for looking that up for me, Nige. I've been looking at a lot of different options. I thought I read somewhere that the HYDO Advanced is actually a multi-viscosity synthetic.
I am waiting for a quote on Delo Torque Force. It meets the TO-4 spec, is a synthetic, and I'm expecting it to be less than the $109 per 5 gal that I was quoted at Cat. That was TDTO, which I believe is a conventional oil.
I am waiting for a quote on Delo Torque Force. It meets the TO-4 spec, is a synthetic, and I'm expecting it to be less than the $109 per 5 gal that I was quoted at Cat. That was TDTO, which I believe is a conventional oil.
Nige
Senior Member
No, it's a high-spec mineral mongrade. HYDO is the regular offering.
ihttps://s7d2.scene7.com/is/content/Caterpillar/CM20150813-35930-61404
If you are talking multi-viscosity (aka mulitgrade) then the only option would be TDTO-TMS which is a multi-viscosity synthetic powertrain oil that as a commercial oil would be a TO-4.
Straight viscosity TDTO is also a mineral mongorade. Commerical oils of the same specification are designated as "meeting Cat TO-4 spec". TBH I would not even consider using a synthetic. Mobiltrans HD10W (what we used to use) would meet the specifiction well enough. Conoco PowerDrive 10W or Shell Spirax S4 CX 10W would also be acceptable.
Mobiltrans™ HD 10W | Mobil Delvac™ Transmission Fluids
Discover how Mobiltrans™ HD 10W transmission and drivetrain oil can help optimize powershift transmission performance and provide maximum protection in high-pressure systems.
www.mobil.com
Note: We used TO-4 in hydraulic systems for the simple reason that we had some machines that required TO-4 and others that didn't. In an attempt to avoid any errors by having two 10W oils and to eliminate the possibility of filling straight HYDO oil in a system that required TO-4 we used TO-4 in everything.
No, it's a high-spec mineral mongrade. HYDO is the regular offering.
ihttps://s7d2.scene7.com/is/content/Caterpillar/CM20150813-35930-61404
If you are talking multi-viscosity (aka mulitgrade) then the only option would be TDTO-TMS which is a multi-viscosity synthetic powertrain oil that as a commercial oil would be a TO-4.
Straight viscosity TDTO is also a mineral mongorade. Commerical oils of the same specification are designated as "meeting Cat TO-4 spec". TBH I would not even consider using a synthetic. Mobiltrans HD10W (what we used to use) would meet the specifiction well enough. Conoco PowerDrive 10W or Shell Spirax S4 CX 10W would also be acceptable.
Mobiltrans™ HD 10W | Mobil Delvac™ Transmission Fluids
Discover how Mobiltrans™ HD 10W transmission and drivetrain oil can help optimize powershift transmission performance and provide maximum protection in high-pressure systems.
Note: We used TO-4 in hydraulic systems for the simple reason that we had some machines that required TO-4 and others that didn't. In an attempt to avoid any errors by having two 10W oils and to eliminate the possibility of filling straight HYDO oil in a system that required TO-4 we used TO-4 in everything.
Nige
Senior Member
Other than you're wasting your money because the oil will be due for change based on hours/time operated (whichever comes first) loooooooooong before it becomes degraded by age, exposure to contamination, water, etc.
Recommended oil change interval is 2000 hours or 1 year, whichever comes first.
Comment below from 908M O&M Manual ref using Cat HYDO Advanced in place of Cat HYDO.
"Cat HYDO Advanced 10 has an SAE viscosity grade of 10W. Cat HYDO Advanced 10 has a 50% increase in the standard oil drain interval for machine hydraulic systems over second and third choice oils when you follow the maintenance interval schedule for oil filter changes and for oil sampling that is stated in the Operation and Maintenance Manual. Extended oil drain intervals are possible when using S·O·S Services oil analysis."
Note carefully the comment regarding the fact that extended oil drain intervals are only sanctioned if an oil sampling program is put in place at the intervals stated in the O&M. Most owners miss that caveat completely.
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Nige
Senior Member
Most likely. Also due to lubricant deterioration through the machine NOT being used. Oils do not maintain their quality ad infinitum when they lie in a machine system that is not working.
Now when the O&M recommends 2000 hours/1 Year for a machine operating low annual hours you could probably stretch the 1 Year to 2 Years or maybe more, especially if you did an annual oil sample that would pick up oil deterioration, water, etc. You could NOT however stretch the oil changes to 10 years though.........
My 262B has milky hydraulic fluid and I am looking to change it. Temperatures get quite low here.
So available to me in ascending order of price is:
UFA AW32 ("For use in all types of piston, gear and vane pumps used in industrial, mobile and marine systems.")
Certified AW32 universal hydraulic fluid
or diesel engine oil.
Cat says:
"If Caterpillar Hydraulic Oil is not used, the following are acceptable alternatives.* • Cat Diesel Engine Oil • Cat Transmission/Drive Train Oil • Cat Transmission/Drive Train Oil: TDTO (TMS) • Cat Multi-Purpose Tractor Oil:MTO • Commercial Heavy Duty Diesel Engine Oil with a minimum zinc content of 900 ppm. (Heavy Duty Oils are identified by API classifications CD,CF-4,CG-4 or CH-4.)"
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Nige
Senior Member
Define “low” please.
Coldest we have gotten is -46°C/-50°F but I don't run the machine much below -25°C/-13°F. I keep it indoors but not heated except the block heater for an hour or two before use. Summers get up to 30°C/86°F.
I was thinking of just getting regular Hydo 10W which is also available I just have to drive quite a bit further to go get it.
I was thinking of just getting regular Hydo 10W which is also available I just have to drive quite a bit further to go get it.
Nige
Senior Member
If you are keeping it indoors and using a block heater before starting when it’s really cold a straight 10W hydraulic should work OK. If summer temps go up to 30°C/86°F you really cannot get away with anything lighter than 10W and maintain protection for the system components. When you first crank it up in cold ambient temperatures you will probably be well advised to exercise the implements for a while after starting to get warm hydraulic oil into all the cylinders and drive motors.
Thanks Nige. I really appreciate the information and you taking the time to respond.
I hope just draining the reservoir gets enough cloudy oil out to resolve any issues. Still don't know if it was from pressure washing or mixing oils or what that caused it but several people have advised me to change it ASAP.
You think it's water?
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Nige
Senior Member
Hard to tell from a photo. I would suggest to get hold of some (relatively) cheap 10W and bank on changing the oil a couple of times. Once you get it clean you can think about putting some decent stuff in at the next oil change. Approximately how many hours a year does the machine operate.?
The machine operates only about 150 hours a year.
The Hydo 10 is $140 a pail but I can get cheap AW32 (0W equivalent?) hydraulic oil for $70 CAD a pail. Says 9 gallons in the reservoir and 14 in the system.
Other than doing multiple changes is there a way to drain the pump, lines, and pistons without disconnecting or damaging anything to get as much bad oil out as possible?