Cold weather hydraulics problem

[lavacarancher]

For you folks who live up North. I have an old International 1486 that when it gets cold the hydraulics won't work. If you know the 86 series International EVERYTHING is hydraulic, clutch, brakes, steering, lifts, ... This has been an unusually cold Winter and every time I get ready to put hay out I have to put a heat lamp on the transmission case for a couple of hours just so I can move the tractor. There is a block heater for the engine but nothing for the transmission. Any ideas? Commercial transmission heaters? Thinner hydraulic/transmission oil?

Thanks,

 

[dun]

I use a magnetic heater on the transmission. It at least heats the stuff a little faster ones the tractor starts running then it does without the heater.

 

[Texas PaPaw]

lavaca

Try changing your hydraulic filter and make sure the o-ring on the filter cover is not leaking. Seem to recall that a new o-ring comes with the replacement fileter. If the o-ring is not lubricated when putting the filter cover back on, sometimes the cover will cut the o-ring when it is reinstalled. Just dip your finger in the hydraulic oil and rub it on the o-ring before you put the cover back on.

The hydraulic pump has to suck the fluid through the filter and anything that impairs this flow will cause problems. We had several IH tractors that we used in the winter for feeding cattle in the TX panhandle and having clean filters was imperative. Never had to use a heater. Did use a magnetic heater on the oil pan of a Detroit grinder engine.

Also, make sure your hydraulic oil is the correct viscosity if it is too thick it will not flow through the filter fast enough when cold. Lack of flow is probably your problem and the correct viscosity oil, clean filter and a good filter cover seal should fix the problem.

Hope this is helpful.

 

[cowboy43]

I have a IH 986 with the same problem , have changed filter , didn't help. What is a magnetic heater, my guess a electric heater with magnet that attaches to block ?

 

[jedstivers]

Just leave the heat lamp under it. I am using some lamps on some things that don't have block heaters. You can also wrap some of the long metal hyd. lines with the stuff you put on water lines and plug in.

 

[dun]

I have a IH 986 with the same problem , have changed filter , didn't help. What is a magnetic heater, my guess a electric heater with magnet that attaches to block ?

Correct, most car parts jiponts have them, TSC and tractor joints too.

 

[brunel]

we cover the hydrulic cooler with cardboard for coldweather. and hook a hydrulic hose in to one remote into both outlets to recirculate the oil for a few min. Need to hold lever back to recircualte depending on temp.. a real cure for us was a remote valve on the fender constant recirculation. we have loader on our IH works like summer. hope this helps. You have open center hyd. with huge hyd. cooler. Wisconsin

 

[lavacarancher]

Thanks, folks. You are hitting all the points I thought of. The filter is new (clean) and the hydraulic fluid is what's recommended by International. I believe I either have a leak that's causing the pump to suck air or the fluid viscosity is just not right. I built a heater using a commercial thermal pad, thermocouple and controller which seems to work pretty good if I don't rip it off in the field. I sure like the magnetic heater idea though. Never heard about them but I'm sure gonna check it out. Thanks, Dun.

B..., you're right about the cooler. Hugh puppy sittin' right up in front of the radiator. Put a piece of cardboard in front and that seems to help but once I get the fluid warm everything works OK. Man, on those trators when you loose hydraulics you are in a world of hurt. Everything is hydraulic, including the seat.

Thanks

 

[cowsrus]

I had a low pressure hydraulic line from the pump to the filter blow off of my newly aquired JD when we had some cold weather two weeks ago. It was almost under the back of the cab in a really tight place to get to. I had to take the rear wheel off to get it back on. I know the cold weather had something to do with it, but i don't know for sure exactly what caused it. I changed the filters and cleaned the screen out and replaced the fluid. It cost me $240.00 and a lot of crawling around under the tractor, so anyways now i'm making sure that the fluid is warmed up before i attempt to do anything with the tractor now. The service manager at the dealership told me an old timer told him to turn on the pto as soon as i started the tractor and that would get the fluid flowing and help warm it up.Also I think i'm going to start using a magnetic heater on the transmission pan when it gets below 2o degrees. Can't hurt anything.

 

[shorty]

I had that problem a few years ago with an old MF 135 , when it got real cold the hydraulics would not work , the oil looked foamy , this is a sign that there could moisture in the oil . We worked the tractor and when it was good and warm we drained it and put new oil in ,that solved our problem .

 

[dun]

I didn;t understand it but there are "open center" tractors and something else. The open center as soon as the tractor is started the hydraulics start to pump. The others you have to manipulate stuff to get the hydraulic flowing. Anyway that's how I understood it. The 5510 if started and let to idle for 5 minutes or so the fluid warms up. I had 2 old internationals that you had to run the loader and the pto to get them warmed up. You could let them idle for an hour and the hydraulics were still cold and sluggish.

 

[dun]

Another thing that people sometimes forget si the cold oil in the cylinders both steering and loader. They need some cycling to get the cold stuff warmed up.