Motor oil vs. Hydraulic fluid.

[Aceofspades]

I have a case tr320 that blew a hose to a final drive.

It is on a job site, and I couldn't swing the cab up because the bucket was all the way down.

Long story short, I bit the bullet and called the Case dealer and they sent out a service tech.

He diagnosed it, said he had to order the hoses, and will return next week.

This brings me to my question. We were talking about exactly what he was going to do, and he said he was going to fill the hydraulic fluid reservoir with MOTOR OIL! maybe penzoil 10w-30 if I remember correctly. He said that is the latest recommendation from Case. Does this seem right?


Thank you.

 

[77Ford]

John deere has been using 10-40 motor oil in the hydraulic systems for a very long time, my 2010 specs it. I think new holland does the same, so ya it wouldn't surprise me at all.

 

[James Sorochan]

Do you know what oil is in the machine right now? Maybe find out why the change in recommendation. What does your operators manual say in the maintenance and oil spec section. Idealy you don't want to mix two different oils.

 

[masterwelder]

I believe Cat is the same, 10-40

 

[MG84]

Case skid steers ran 10w-30 motor oil along with an additive in the hydraulics for years, up until at least the early 2000s. For some reason I’m thinking they went to regular hydraulic oil after that, but maybe they are back to using motor oil. Someone with one if the newer machines can comment in that.

The original reason they did it was to “simplify service” so you didn’t have to keep as many oils on hand. IMO its a pain in the ass, especially since your not supposed to mix motor oil and hyd oil. I have a case skid steer that uses 10w-30 and a kubota skid steer that uses aw46 so I can’t share attachments between them.

 

[Welder Dave]

I don't think a small amount 10w-30 mixed with aw46 or vice versa will hurt anything as far as using the attachment on different machines. If a machine called for a very specific oil and/or additives that weren't commonly available would be more a cause for concern. I think Komatsu and Hitachi call for very specific oils in some of their machines.

 

[brendanalexander]

No, it is not right to use motor oil in a hydraulic fluid reservoir. Hydraulic systems require specialized hydraulic fluids that meet specific requirements, including viscosity, lubricity, and corrosion protection. The use of motor oil in a hydraulic system can cause premature wear and damage to the system components, reducing the system's efficiency and lifespan. It's possible that the service tech may have misspoken or misunderstood the requirements of your particular system. You should double-check with the Case dealer to ensure that the correct hydraulic fluid is used to avoid any potential issues down the line.

 

[terex herder]

Sorry Brendan, but deere has been using 15w40 engine oil in the hydrostat/hydraulic system of their skid steers for quite a while. I believe the change was with the 200/300 series numbering scheme. The important/expensive components are the pumps/drive motors. You can check with Danfoss for their recommendations if you want manufacturers recommendations. The cylinders don't really care.

 

[KSSS]

The owners manual for CASE says 10-30 for the hydraulic system and has for decades.

 

[MrEvilPirate]

My komatsu uses motor oil for hydraulics. Brendan is not correct.

 

[cfherrman]

Been using 15w40 in Allison 750's for over a decade.

The viscosity of hydraulic oil is not on the same scale as motor oil viscosity.

 

[Aceofspades]

The owners manual for CASE says 10-30 for the hydraulic system and has for decades.

To be clear, you are saying 10w-30 motor oil right?

I looked in the manual I have and it seems to call for CNH MAT3509, which is apparently out of production.

I wish there was a consensus on this issue. Thanks for all of the replies.

The tech is from CASE. I guess I'm just going to go with what he is telling me and let him put the 10w-30 motor oil in it.

 

[KSSS]

Sorry, yes it is 10W -30.

 

[Tyler d4c]

Don't hold my life too it but tractor hydraulic oil hytran hygard mobile 424(my favorite of the bunch) is the same viscosity as 10w30 motor oil my new holland skidloader calls for 10w30 and I put 424 in it based on this and it has preformed just fine

 

[OFF]

It's pretty common to use motor oil in hydraulics. In the north we use 0W30 synthetic motor oil in the hydraulics. Summer & winter.

 

[Tinkerer]

I'm prolly wrong, but I think Case Hy-Tran is what the owners manual specifies for it.

 

[KSSS]

You are incorrect. It is not Hytran. It is 10w-30. This is really simple.

 

[clueless2]

Apparently this website is wrong.

 

[KSSS]

Cant read it, but if it doesn't say 10w-30 it is wrong

 

[Tinkerer]

I looked in the manual I have and it seems to call for CNH MAT3509, which is apparently out of production.

Mat 3509 is available at any CNH dealer. It shows up as Case Hydraulic Excavator fluid. Part # B67301.