|
Regarding the hydraulic fluid change, check out tips 3 & 4: Link After you get the old fluid drained out (overnight is best) remove both inspection plates & start pulling the sludge in the pump base out by hand. Then, get a couple of gallons of kerosene or diesel fuel & pour it into the pump base. Catch it in a bucket & reuse it. (Some folks use a hand garden sprayer.) Flush the pump base out 5 or 6 times. Do not start the engine to run the kerosene through the pump; kerosene and diesel fuel do not have any lubrication properties & you will damage your pump. Regarding the oil type, pick the weight of the oil by the condition of the engine (oil pressure) & the outside temperature. Many folks use 30w detergent all year. A worn engine with multi-vis oil may lose it's oil pump prime if it sets a while. Many use 10w30 or 40. Some like the newer diesel rated oil because of the additives for the flat tappets. (I'm not convinced that my 2400 rpm N engine needs the same oil as my 65 Mustang did) Anyway, IMHO, use a detergent oil. Increase the weight if the engine has low oil pressure. If it gets infrequent use, stick w/ straight weight. Regarding gas additives, well, IMHO, 99% are snake oil. The 1% that are not are Stabil (if the tractor does not use a tank of gas in 30 days) additives to remove water in the winter and a cup of Marvel Mystery Oil, used at each oil change (for me, once a year) Don't forget to get the I&T FO-4 manual & check in here whenever you have questions or problems.
| 
