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What type of oil should you put in an Abbey slurry vacuum tank?

What type of oil should you put in an Abbey slurry vacuum tank?

I don't know much about these things but the oil level is below the dipsticks reach. So i'm guessing I should put in some oil. It is an Abbey 900, good few years old. The manual says: Gearbox - SAE 90, Reservoir - SAE 30 in Summer/ SAE 20 in Winter. I don't know the difference between the gearbox and the reservoir. All I know is the hole for the dipstick. I was planning on pouring in some oil there. What oil should I use? I have the following in my garage: Elf Universal Tractor Oil: 15w/30, Elf Multi Purpose Tractor Oil: 10w/30, Car Oil: 10w/40 Syntetic Blend. Am I good to go if I just pour some oil into that hole? The tank is working fine as it is but I should probably put some oil in.

Comments

No. You need to get vacuum pump oil, engine oil or universal will be too heavy.

Just get some vacum pump oil. Tractor oils are too heavy.

We use milking machine oil, get it in farm hardware shop in a gallon can.

Put vacuum pump oil in the top one and sae90 into the gearbox underneath.

imo car oil wil do the job the finest.

Thanks guys. Appreciate the input.

I'd replace that guard for the PTO shaft while your at it. If a piece of your clothes gets caught there it won't end well for you.

I heard a man talking recently that had that happen him over 30 years ago, his coat got caught in the shaft and ripped his arm out of its socket and his arm landed 30 feet away. Replace that guard before you use the tank op.

Where is the inlet for putting oil in the gearbox? Is it the bolt directly over the pto protector? I've never undone this bolt and it looks pretty seized. But I can give it a go. Ok, so looks like I will put car oil (10w/40 Syntetic blend) in the dipstick hole and buy some SAE90 to put in the gearbox inlet. This is the other side of the engine. There is alot of black greasy oil on it. Hope this isn't a sign of anything too bad.

Yes that's the filler plug, there should be a level plug somewhere down the side or front as well. Open this and fill as far as plug level or as it just starts to spill out of it.

Fill the oil through the dip stick hole. The black skidmarks on the side of the pump is simply the used oil being exhausted from the pump whilst filling the tank.

Thanks very much White Clover. I would have just poured in the top. So I must unscrew the level plug (I think this is the bolt at the bottom where I have the arrow pointing at it) and pour in the top until it starts coming out the bottom bolt. These bolts haven't been undone in a long time but hopefully they will unscrew ok.

they are plastic just be sure to use the correct size socket.

Correct. You might get away with just having to open the bottom one if you have a small funnel to fill through.

I'll try that.

Drenching syringe for doseing cattle is handy for putting oil in side hole.

The plugs are only plastic, it would be a lot quicker to remove the top plug and use a funnel than messing around with a syringe.

Milking machine oil would be a very similar if not the same as vacuum pump oil. But I wouldn't use engine oil.

This guy says car oil will do.

Well milking machine oil and vacuum pump oil are both designed for pumps. They are very light and flow like water. The oil is pumped through small tubes in your pump, when it's running you should see the oil dripping through some small glass tubes. Engine oil is too thick and won't work it's way through the pump at the correct rate. The great thing about forums is you will always get different opinions from different people. Engine oil might be better than no oil, but using the correct oil is cheaper than having to rebuild the pump. It's not very expensive.

well car engine oil is all i have ever used in the last 20 years and never had to do any repairs and i would have spread thousand's of loads in that time!!!

Hi-spec tanker?

engine oil was always recommened in the old abbey manuals.

Indeed.

I remember in college we had this conversation with the machinery guy, we all said vacuum pump oil, and he said yes that used to be the advice but it's changed, and sure I can't remember to what!

H32 is what I use, it's only about €40 for 20L.

Reminded of the old adage "any oil is better than no oil".

This is what we use.