Starting tractor after six months of standing

[AdrianNPMajor]

Haven't started the old girl for six months. She's got clean engine oil, injection pump oil, gearbox and rear transmission oil. Just wondering what checks to do before firing her up.
Best
Adrian

[frode]

Be sure it's in neutral. Just start it...

[Bensdexta]

Keep the fuel shut off till the oil pressure light goes out?

[AdrianNPMajor]

I was wondering about the oil in the galleries, Ben. I'll follow your suggestion. I was also thinking about draining the rear axle and gear box of any condensation that has built up. Just wondered if it will have dropped out of the emulsion after six months.
Best
Adrian

[super6954]

Hi Adrian
As long as the water in the gear gearbox oil is not frozen it should come out after 6 months standing . My super that i use here in Canada stands out all winter, it's way past due new oil. we drain the water off every spring when it thaws out .
I think I changed enough good usable hy trans oil from customer tractors this year, to give the hyds a" new oil to this tractor" birthday treat this year . I can't see the sense in spending near $300 a year on good oil only to get water in again .
Regards Robert

[Dandy Dave]

Yes sir. It is a Diesel. The beautiful thing about a Diesel is they can sit for a long time and still fire right up without a lot of trouble. Dandy Dave!

[Bensdexta]

Does the water eventually 'boil off' if the tractor gets a lot of use and the trans oil keeps warm?

[Pavel]

Once water gets a few degrees above freezing it will always start to evaporate. Trouble is, that until it reaches a prolonged and high enough temp, it will re-condense on the metal casing walls. It would appear that there would be a need to use the tractor over quite a number of continuous hours to remove it all. One of the added problems to letting it stand out in the open in all weathers is that quite a bit of water seeps in through the dip-stick hole. Even with an oiled felt washer fitted I have found a water still seeps into the transmission casing -- not a lot, but, combined, enough to give that milky texture. To counter this, after all, 40 plus litres of oil is quite a drain on a meagre bank balance each year, I use a hand held extractor pump to remove the top 10 litres or so, and top up with fresh oil. With a bit of hard yakka afterwards, this seems to do the trick.

Pavel

[AdrianNPMajor]

Thanks for the answers, guys. Ben, unfortunately in use the transmission oil only gets hot enough to create more condensation.
Best
Adrian

[AdrianNPMajor]

Pavel, I was writing my reply while you were posting yours! You've answered a question for me - how does the moisture/moist air get into the rear transmission? The only point of entry I could think of was the dip stick, but I wasn't sure. I imagine the dip stick also acts as a crude but effective pressure relief valve!
Best
Adrian

[Bensdexta]

...I use a hand held extractor pump to remove the top 10 litres or so, and top up with fresh oil.

Why the top 10L, is that where the emulsified oil settles? Water goes to the bottom does it not?

Thanks for the explanation.

[Dandy Dave]

Pavel, I was writing my reply while you were posting yours! You've answered a question for me - how does the moisture/moist air get into the rear transmission? The only point of entry I could think of was the dip stick, but I wasn't sure. I imagine the dip stick also acts as a crude but effective pressure relief valve!
Best
Adrian

Big castings will sweat. Especially in places that has fog and temperature changes. Drain, or pump, the water off of the bottom after it sits and settles out. Then refill with oil from the top like Pavel says. Dandy Dave!

[Pavel]

My apologies people -- I should have said "the BOTTOM 10 litres or so", not the top. In order to do this, because of the curvature of the casing and various gears and shafts, I have fitted a flexible plastic hose to the metal pump body. This curves down into the oily bottom. But it's a slow and back-breaking job with 10 pumps to the litre. I did try using an electric pump, but that gave up the ghost after a litre or two.

Pavel

[Dandy Dave]

Why, I do believe you may have had it rght the first time Pavel. From where we are sitting, You are from the land down under. I hear tell strange things happen there that don't happen anywhere else. From your point of view, the water would be on top... Dandy Dave!

[Pavel]

You pays yer money and takes yer choice!
Nice one DD -- you spotted my deliberate mistake. Just trying to see if you're still awake.
Happy Christmas, mate, here's hoping you have lots of icy cold snow -- but not enough to dilute a dram or two of the decent stuff.

Pavel

[Dandy Dave]

Back here we takes our Choice first, and then we pays our Moneys.... I guess everything is upside down and backward from here.... Even the seasons. I,d rather be bailin hay with you Mates on Christmas than slidin in the snow and ice around here. Dandy Dave!