# Service your plows people!!!



## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

I don't know why I'm on a service kick today, but I just wanted to give everyone a friendly reminder to SERVICE YOUR PLOWS. The more often, the better, and use good fluid. The brand name synthetic fluids are made for a reason. If you have a Western plow, use Western fluid....Boss plow, use Boss fluid, and so on. I am a stickler for this. The first thing a dealer or manufacturer will ask when you have a warranty issue is, what type of fluid are you using. The "S.A.M" brand blue fluid is pretty good as well and usually will mix well with other brands, especially for emergency on site use. Keep a quart or 2 on you and tools enough to fill. Lastly on fluids, a cap full of Heet or other gas line antifreeze work's too to keep the moisture away.

Now my reason for this thread was........I always see people asking about this issue or that. I see and hear it all the time in my daily routine or here on the forum. It's always "this thing hasn't given me a single problem in X years". The first question I ask.....has it been properly serviced? The typical answer.....no, it's never needed it, or never had a problem. Well guys, that's why it has problems now! Stuck valves, frozen pumps, etc. Hydraulic systems can be quite touchy, and some more than others. Sure, coils go bad, there's the occasional wiring issue, etc......but service is key.

Drain the fluid, flush the cyl's, clean the magnet if there is one, add one if there isn't, clean the fluid housing well with brake fluid. A simple, hour long process at the most, and it can very well prevent issues in the middle of a storm. Most of us know this, but many of us don't act on it.

Here is an example of one I worked on, and I see this all the time. I had this Jeep come to me as a side job for front springs. I loaded it up to deliver it on one of our first cold nights. The plow was acting funny....angling whenn it should have gone up, etc. It worked, but not 100% properly. I checked fluid to find this. I drained and refilled and it worked good as new. I'd have provided a proper service, but it wasn't here for that and they weren't paying for it. BUT clean fluid alone fixed the issue. Imagine what a proper service would have done. There's clearly more water than ATF. A Meyer shouldn't have ATF, let alone go unserviced so long that this much moisture could gather up.


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## 06Sierra (Nov 30, 2008)

I add a couple ounces of Sea Foam trans tune when I change the fluid. Knock on wood, I have never had any moisture issues.


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## Snow Commandor (Jan 30, 2011)

Just serviced a meyers e57 for a customer the other day. Drained the fluid. Looked to be old Sam fluid contaminated with moisture. Flushed with red ATF 3 times and now it works like a 
charm.


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## NICHOLS LANDSCA (Sep 15, 2007)

That's the new Pepto Bismol hydraulic fluid


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

Lol ohhhhh!!!!


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## NICHOLS LANDSCA (Sep 15, 2007)

Obviously you don't keep up with all the latest and greatest products, he was probably running the NEW Kingsford engine oil too


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

If the EPA sees all that spilled contaminated fluid they will be all over you.


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## Snow Commandor (Jan 30, 2011)

Who said anything about spilled fluid? We in fact recycle all our fluid by using a waist oil burner in the shop.


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## mrwolf (Aug 4, 2011)

I am fairly new to this (plowed once last year with my F250 and boss super duty) I just added a Meyer E47 7' for my jeep cherokee. How do you "flush" the fluid. I saw how to do the meyer arms, will I be able to do my boss the same way? Do I need to flush more than just the arms or drain and fill the resevior only after the arms?

Thanks for posting this I am gonna service both my new to me plows before the snow flys!

Z


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## Snow Commandor (Jan 30, 2011)

I change my fluid @ least once a year, no matter what. And guess what? I never have any fluid related problems.


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## Snow Commandor (Jan 30, 2011)

This year I'm planning on dropping the res. & changing the filter too. It will be my first time doing that to my Fisher.


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

It's a good idea. I had a pickup screen clog on one of my Blizzards last season. Fluid change just didn't cut it.


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## thelettuceman (Nov 23, 2010)

I would like to talk about the 64 Chevelle instead of Hydraulic Fluid .... How is that car in snow and what are you going to hang on the front? And by the way, that is sweeeeeeeeeet !!!


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

Lmao!!! Thanks! 

Big cube NA 434 small block. Runs 9.0s ;-)


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## leolkfrm (Mar 11, 2010)

first it looks like you are keeping with the pink theme for october cancer awareness month!...now do i get a gold star for dropping my pump off for a teardown, cleaning and new seals?


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## theholycow (Nov 29, 2002)

got-h2o;1424496 said:


> clean the fluid housing well with brake fluid.


Brake fluid, or brake cleaner?


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

Lol cleaner. Thanks for catching that!


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## MickiRig1 (Dec 5, 2003)

I had an E-47 go 10 years with out a problem. The fluid got changed every year. Screens cleaned and blue fluid installed. If you have pits of defects in a ram surface. You will get water in the system. It get's damn cold and you will have a freeze up, no angle etc. Just let the drained fluid sit in the pan a while. You will soon see how much water is in it.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

got-h2o;1424496 said:


> clean the fluid housing well with brake fluid.
> ]


Brakeclean works OK but does leave a residue, try ether the cheapest you can buy. Cleans super, no residue and a nice buzz to go with it if you use it in an enclosed space.



Snow Commandor said:


> Just serviced a meyers e57 for a customer the other day. Drained the fluid. Looked to be old Sam fluid contaminated with moisture. Flushed with red ATF 3 times and now it works like a
> charm.


Try Meyer Hydro-flush instead of ATF.

http://www.meyerproducts.com/Portals/0/meyer/pdfs/MiscLiterature/Hydra-FlushWebHi Res.pdf


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## theholycow (Nov 29, 2002)

basher;1506411 said:


> Brakeclean works OK but does leave a residue, try ether the cheapest you can buy. Cleans super, no residue and a nice buzz to go with it if you use it in an enclosed space.


I've never encountered or heard of brake cleaner leaving a residue, and in fact I've heard specifically the opposite in comparison to carburetor cleaner (which apparently leaves a slight lubricating oil residue).

Do you mean straight ether, or the more common engine starting fluid you can buy these days which is a mixture of ether with other stuff?


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## NickT (Feb 1, 2011)

One thing I do is loosen the bolts on the trip springs and spray fluid film in the pivots,I drop the blade so its flat on the floor and work it back and forth a few times, need to get that first trip out of the way!!!


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

theholycow;1506420 said:


> I've never encountered or heard of brake cleaner leaving a residue, and in fact I've heard specifically the opposite in comparison to carburetor cleaner (which apparently leaves a slight lubricating oil residue).
> 
> Try TIG welding on something cleaned with brakeclean. You can see the residue burning off in the weld. Stopped using it on aluminum particularly as it really seems to penetrate
> 
> Do you mean straight ether, or the more common engine starting fluid you can buy these days which is a mixture of ether with other stuff?


Why I suggested the cheapest, you want it without the "lubricants, etc. you do have to wipe it after it dries, while it eats all the oils and stuff if will leave a powdery residue it wipes right off


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## theholycow (Nov 29, 2002)

Be *very* careful welding stuff that may have un-evaporated brake cleaner on it. It gives off concentrated poisonous phosgene gas.
http://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm

Where do you get the cheap straight ether? A parts store?


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

theholycow;1506483 said:


> Be *very* careful welding stuff that may have un-evaporated brake cleaner on it. It gives off concentrated poisonous phosgene gas.
> http://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm
> 
> Where do you get the cheap straight ether? A parts store?


local NAPA


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## PR Fect (Oct 22, 2003)

THC, thanks for the link. I did not know this. I will be sending this link to my kid and other wrenches I know. Hell, I'm eating lunch right now, and then headed to the shop to weld on my plow. I was planning on de-greesing the area of the hinge pin with parts cleaner before I started the repair! I do not believe in coincidence's. I will not be using any brake clean. Thanks again!


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