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Oily and dirty hydraulic fluid reservoir

May 04, 2010, 02:17:43 pm

The hydraulic reservoir on our 2000 U320 was really dirty with caked on road dirt and oil.  More dirt than oil.

I sacrificed an old tee shirt and cleaned off the grime down to the black paint.

So, my question is:  Is this normal?

Thanks,

George Stoltz
2000 U320

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Re: Oily and dirty hydraulic fluid reservoir

Reply #1 – May 04, 2010, 03:36:30 pm

George, I would say that depends on where you've been.  Dusty roads will leave your engine compartment fairly dirty.  And, when you bought the coach, the dealer details the entire area and sometimes (usually always) they apply a spray coat of "something shiny & oily" to make it look shiny and new.  As you can tell, the cleanliness goes away fast.  Maybe instead of sweeping the porch and cutting the grass, detailing the engine compartment once or twice a year will do the trick.  Watch out for the electrical when you use a pressure washer, etc.

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Re: Oily and dirty hydraulic fluid reservoir

Reply #2 – May 09, 2010, 10:18:10 am

Guess my question is where did the oil come from? If the reservoir was just dirty, then "normal" road dust would be the suspect, but most other areas would be coated the same way. If the reservoir was really oily and other areas were not, then I would be checking for leaks that cause the oil/dirt to stick more than the plain old dust would.  Check it again after the next outing to see if the reservoir is getting more oily than the surrounding area.

Bob
'99 U320

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Re: Oily and dirty hydraulic fluid reservoir

Reply #3 – May 10, 2010, 10:29:47 pm

Bob,

We think alike.  That's why I wiped down the reservoir to near spotless.  I will watch it on our next trip, which is a five day journey to Nac where James Stallings will repair our delaminating slide out sides, and MOT will do some maintenance.

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Re: Oily and dirty hydraulic fluid reservoir

Reply #4 – May 10, 2010, 10:53:22 pm

Check oil level in the reservoir when the oil is hot-- too high and it can leak out.

If oil level is OK, next "suspect" if indeed the oil is coming from the reservoir itself, is the gasket between the lid and reservoir.  Easy to replace.

Brett

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Re: Oily and dirty hydraulic fluid reservoir -- Ours Leaks

Reply #5 – May 29, 2010, 04:58:43 am

Now that we are back out on the road, I have had an opportunity to see if the hydralulic fluid reservoir leaks while in use.  It does.  Does FOT have the gasket (seal) in stock?  Because we live on the road full-time it is not always easy to order something and have it shipped to us.  I'd prefer to pick up the part at FOT.  We will be  in Nac on June 1.

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Re: Oily and dirty hydraulic fluid reservoir

Reply #6 – May 29, 2010, 10:27:37 am

I am sure FOT ot MOT has them or can get them while you are in NAC.

Or Check with     
Cummins Southern Plains, Ltd.
Address:    7045 North Loop E
Houston, TX, 77028
Phone:    (713) 679-2220

Cummins Southern Plains, Ltd.
Address:    3707 Irving Blvd
Dallas, TX, 75247
Phone:    (214) 631-6400
Fax:    (214) 631-2322

and have them ship it to FOT.
Large seal from Foretravel # 999-55A  price from FOT  for large seal $7.39


George,
You might want to delete the topic     
"It Leaks" since it is a duplication of this one here.

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Re: Oily and dirty hydraulic fluid reservoir

Reply #7 – May 29, 2010, 10:55:18 am

Like I said in an earlier post (maybe on the other forum), I had the same problem with dirt caked oil.  My seal was missing.  Somewhere in the past, a mechanic couldn't get the clamp on with the gasket installed, so left it off.  The blow-by or whatever coated the reservoir with oil, then dirt stuck to it, like a mud cake.  And, I always keep my engine compartment clean.  Originally, I thought that the oil spread throughout the back left corner of the eng compartment was from an original leak that I found at the base if the oil fill tube.  It had cracked because the original tubes did not have enough support. They vibrated until a crack developed.  When I changed it, I spent the next few months cleaning the area.  I thought that I just wasn't doing a good enough job until the thread about the hydraulic fluid thread.  Now that I have changed the oil and saw that the seal was missing, I found the problem.
I guess that others are having a problem putting the seal in and getting the clamp back on.
But, we owners know better than leaving the seal off.
Check for your seal!!

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Re: Oily and dirty hydraulic fluid reservoir

Reply #8 – May 30, 2010, 12:43:14 am

•     I have never had a leak associated with  our hydraulic oil reservoir....but....we  just had our hydraulic oil and filters changed at TN RV.
  Before we got too far into thePA, NY and CT  frost heaves and pot hole territory, on the trip home to NH, I found the  reservoir barrel sides and the coachrear door  well doused with fresh Delo 400.
  The hydraulic reservoir was down about  ¾ of a quart by the time we  got home to  Seacoast NH.Outwardly,  everything appeared to be correctly assembled, tight, corrosion free and  shipshape, so I took a more thorough look at the problem.
  Upon dis-assembly, I found that the  surfaces hidden under the cover clamp ring halves were not asshipshape.  The hydraulic reservoir cover-to-barrel (double bevel "o-ring") seal  had not beenreplaced  by TN RV.  The seal itself was impossibly  damaged and severely corroded onto (bonded to) thereservoir cover  assembly seating surface.  The reservoir  barrelseal-seating  surface, as well as the two clamp "bearing" surfaces areall so  severely corroded and misshapen at the edges that it is questionable that thesurfaces will  ever satisfactorily seal again, even after much cleanupand pitting  repair. In retrospect, it's evident that dirt had collected in the void behind  the clamp, then moisture from washing the coach and from intrusion through the "barn  door" grill had done its corrosion misdeeds. 
  Thus my reservoir seal ring, cover  assembly and the clamprings, at a minimum, need to be replaced.
  
  My question is, does anyone have the  original, or a generic, supplier orany part numbers for the original, or  replacement, reservoir assemblies(in total or in parts) for a 1998 U270? I  believe the U270's, 295'sand 320's hydraulic reservoirs and filters were  all identical in 1998.
  
  Foretravel Nac parts has none of the  three in stock.  But they gave me Cummins  numbers:
  Dbl Bevel O-Ring seal                         Cummins  # 999-55A
  Cover Assembly                                Cummins # Q-80132
  Clamp Assembly (2pc+Bolts)            Cummins # Q-53087 
  
  Cummins Northeast, Dedham, MA  can get the O-Ring seal and the clamp assembly  for me on special order (6-day), which is good, but they show the cover  assembly as discontinued and they show no stock anywhere on the US Continent.  Without the replacement cover, I will still  have a poor seal.  They also show that  these hydraulic filter reservoirs were originally supplied to Cummins by Winslow  DEP Hydraulics, which I may not have exactly correct, but I haven't found  anything associated with Winslow, on the internet, that is remotely like our  filter housings.

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Re: Oily and dirty hydraulic fluid reservoir

Reply #9 – June 02, 2010, 10:23:34 pm

I think my clamp was re-installed incorrectly.  Now I can't find the pictures someone posted showing the correct assembly.

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Re: Oily and dirty hydraulic fluid reservoir

Reply #10 – June 02, 2010, 10:28:14 pm

George,
Are you looking for the photos that went with the instructions.
http://beamalarm.com/Documents/hydraulic_oil_and_filter_change.html

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Re: Oily and dirty hydraulic fluid reservoir

Reply #11 – June 02, 2010, 10:30:25 pm

Barry,

I actually found them on my own.  But thanks for the back up.  My clamp is on wrong.  Do you think the gasket is still useable?

What would I look for when I take the clamp and cover off?

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Re: Oily and dirty hydraulic fluid reservoir

Reply #12 – June 02, 2010, 10:33:29 pm

I have never taken mine off.
I will be doing it when I get back from this trip if I hav'nt melted here in Phoenix.

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Re: Oily and dirty hydraulic fluid reservoir

Reply #13 – June 02, 2010, 10:40:34 pm

Barry,

I just went back and looked at the photos and noticed that Barry Leavitt took the photos.  Does he have an e-mail address?
My reservoir was last serviced in August of 2008 and I am wondering if the gasket would be deformed in that amount of time?

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Re: Oily and dirty hydraulic fluid reservoir

Reply #14 – June 03, 2010, 12:30:01 am

George,
Just wipe down the area and get it as clean as possible, remove the two clamp halves, remove the reservoir cap and thoroughly wipe down and clean the disassembled parts.
Carefully inspect the double beveled "O-ring" for nicks or any permanent deformation (an improperly assembled clamp should not hurt the "O-ring" at all.  Improperly assembled, the clamp will just not clamp down tight enough to make a good seal and would not prevent leaks of Delo 400 oil while you are going down the highway) . 
Now is a good time to sand down and alcohol or acetone clean any corroded or rusty spots on your disassembled cap and clamp.
Use a good Rust Inhibitor paint to preserve the exterior exposed surfaces of the cap and the inner and outer surfaces of the clamp halves. 
Then reassemble in the proper configuration with the "C" sections of the clamp halves properly nested within one another.
Easy task, especially with Barry's excellent photos for a primer.
Happy Sailing!
Neal Pillsbury
npillsbury@comcast.net

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Re: Oily and dirty hydraulic fluid reservoir

Reply #15 – June 03, 2010, 12:47:26 pm

That was a very messy job.  Delo 400 and road dirt create real grime. 

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Re: Oily and dirty hydraulic fluid reservoir

Reply #16 – June 03, 2010, 01:04:16 pm

Well -- I got that job done.  Delo 400 and road dust really create some messy road grime.  I took pictures, but I forgot to change the camera setting and the photo file size is too big to post.  But thanks to Barry Leavit's good photos I could see exactly how to put it back together.  This is not rocket science. IMHO dealer technicians should be able to get this right the first time -- especially at $100+ per hour.

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