LHM .... compatible fluid ?

I have checked with a John Deere dealer in Geraldton and they do not stock LHM. The transmission and hydraulic oil they use/stock meets ISO 46-68. Which is a 10W-30. It has a greenish tinge.
Many years ago a 'D' owner I knew used diesel fuel in the system and swore by it. I even used it myself once whilst living in Port Hedland, a long way from any LHM supply. At a pinch I would use it again, just to top up.
 
My local ag supplies store has mineral hydraulic oil in 22 viscosity grade.... at$80 for 20L.
After a couple of sudden extreme leaks in my Xantia ( 22 year old return hoses) I bought a drum as a temporary measure. However it's become a bit more permanent. Everything runs just perfectly.
I'm planning to make it the fluid of choice for my next early DS conversion.
 
Buttercup said:
My local ag supplies store has mineral hydraulic oil in 22 viscosity grade.... at$80 for 20L.
After a couple of sudden extreme leaks in my Xantia ( 22 year old return hoses) I bought a drum as a temporary measure. However it's become a bit more permanent. Everything runs just perfectly.
I'm planning to make it the fluid of choice for my next early DS conversion.
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Would you like to name the product Bob, share the knowledge, that others might be able to consider its compatibility and use?
 
Penrite sell LHM+ available at Autobarn and I think repco at around $26 per litre in one litre container. Haven't seen that they do a 4L or 5L but then we don't need that much at present. It's not cheap but it is the right colour and the right stuff, we use it for top up or during maintenance work. Got one for 25% off on the Autobarn Boxing Day special yesterday. Worth the investment in my view.

Cheers Leconte
 
DoubleChevron said:
Hi Guys,

I was at supercheap yesterday and noticed a range of "Mineral Hydraulic Oil" made by Nulon. I have emailed them to see if one has the same characteristics as LHM....... Either way, it's going to be a hell of a lot better than Dexron if your ever stuck for fluid somewhere.

It's possible we may have a fluid here than even exceeds the LHM specifications for $36 for 5litres.

seeya,
Shane L.
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Hi all and Shane. I've been a Dexron man for years..LHM is hubris. Cheers
 
It's branded "Ultra", 'cos that's the trading name of the ag lubricants distributer in Gunnedah. They have been self branding a lot of lubricants for years and are well liked in the area.
I guess they are another minor brand that has their products blended and packaged by Fuchs or similar.
I have been using ISO 32, 46 and 68 in various industrial applications for over 35 years..... and was in the shop and noticed the ISO 22 on the shelf. So I am giving it a serious try out in the Xantia.

D owners should not be too precious about their cars wonderful systems.
There are no systems or components with characteristics not found in industrial hydraulics.

I was reading through some of the old threads... and saw this one, and the one about my use of Canola in my '57 DS19.

I read with interest some comments made about my experience and conclusions drawn.
I must point out that there were many and oft repeated untruths about my experience.
One was that the gearshift suffered significant failures.... not true.
It worked perfectly for years.
The only tuning I did for viscosity, was to reduce the shims in the sphere damper valves.
I did 50 or 60 thousand km without functional issues.
In the 16,000km I did during the 2005 Paris trip, I had 1 O-Ring failure, and that had nothing to do with the fluid or elastomer compatibility.
In an effort to take a'57 car as original as possible to Paris, I had made and fitted a replica of the original HP pump mount/ pressure outlet, which had O-Rings sealing the stem of the pivot bolt. I found, as Citroen did in 1957/8 that the pulsing of the pump was eroding the O-Ring because of small amounts of movement in the pump mount pivot.
I replaced them with a harder elastomer, and they worked for the remainder of the trip.

The whole Canola thing was not a failure, while I do now need to replace a lot of seals, I had already replaced many over previous years, and the function of the car was not an issue.
I firmly believe that anyone unwilling to explore options in engineering and science should be very careful with comments.
20201227_225125.jpg
 
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Met a guy in Alice Springs in the 1990s who had been running his D Special on Dexron ATF for years with no problems, so he said. Apparently the ride is not as floaty and the car does not sink when parked. Have never used it myself. While litre bottles of LHM may be getting scarce on the shelf, have had no problem getting a Penrite 20 litre drum when last ordered from Repco. Bulk buying is the way to go, so it seems.
 
Dexron is a transmission fluid full of friction modifiers, so I do have some concerns about the effect of the friction modifiers on the tight metal to metal clearances in our hydraulic systems. Don James (JBM Industries) was convinced, after rebuilding hundreds of hydraulic pumps back in the 80's and 90's that friction modifiers in ATF lead to accelerated wear of the main hydraulic pump and possibly other components such as the height corrector spool valves. Dexron has a higher viscosity and a lower viscosity index than LHM so the wear does not become evident for a long time, unless you try to convert back to LHM. His report was that type F fluid was the worst of all.

If you can find a local distributor for Lubriplate, (e.g. Superior Lubricants) Lubriplate Minus 70 hydraulic oil is a dead ringer for the LHM+ specs with a slightly better Viscosity index (its viscosity changes a bit less with temperature than LHM). In the states it costs about USD18 per GALLON versus about USD18 per Liter for genuine LHM.. I have been using it since around the turn of the century. It is a clear amber color so starting about 5 years ago I started adding a few drops of diesel fuel dye to make it easier to see in the sight tube. I chose blue color to stand out a bit better than green against the green reservoir.

Lubriplate -

Founded in 1870, Fiske Brothers Refining Co.- now Lubriplate Lubricants Co.- is the oldest independent lubricant manufacturer in the United States. Our Company is privately owned and incorporated under the laws of the state of New York. The corporate, financial, and sales headquarters are in...
www.superiorlubricants.com.au www.superiorlubricants.com.au
 
Today bought 10 litres LHM by Gulf & Western, here in Tassie from Independent Oils . Finally a place that sells the green stuff at a reasonable price.
 
you can go into Repco and quote a lower price for LHM and they'll drop the price, I've done it a few times when stuck with a leak and a headache.
 
if you wish to use Total LHM, it is available. I think I paid $220 for the last 20litre drum at ballarat bolts and bearings (Don't worry, I've long since thrown it all away on the ground and now have none left again). After all, paying $80 for a leaking boot is a ridiculous price. Much better to just throw hundreds of dollars of LHM onto the ground instead ......... :rolleyes:
 
citroenthusiast said:
Dexron is a transmission fluid full of friction modifiers, so I do have some concerns about the effect of the friction modifiers on the tight metal to metal clearances in our hydraulic systems. Don James (JBM Industries) was convinced, after rebuilding hundreds of hydraulic pumps back in the 80's and 90's that friction modifiers in ATF lead to accelerated wear of the main hydraulic pump and possibly other components such as the height corrector spool valves. Dexron has a higher viscosity and a lower viscosity index than LHM so the wear does not become evident for a long time, unless you try to convert back to LHM. His report was that type F fluid was the worst of all.

If you can find a local distributor for Lubriplate, (e.g. Superior Lubricants) Lubriplate Minus 70 hydraulic oil is a dead ringer for the LHM+ specs with a slightly better Viscosity index (its viscosity changes a bit less with temperature than LHM). In the states it costs about USD18 per GALLON versus about USD18 per Liter for genuine LHM.. I have been using it since around the turn of the century. It is a clear amber color so starting about 5 years ago I started adding a few drops of diesel fuel dye to make it easier to see in the sight tube. I chose blue color to stand out a bit better than green against the green reservoir.

Lubriplate -

Founded in 1870, Fiske Brothers Refining Co.- now Lubriplate Lubricants Co.- is the oldest independent lubricant manufacturer in the United States. Our Company is privately owned and incorporated under the laws of the state of New York. The corporate, financial, and sales headquarters are in...
www.superiorlubricants.com.au www.superiorlubricants.com.au
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Here is an ISO15 hydraulic oil, that sounds like it probably fits the bill. Its even green.

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Edit: Oh, I just saw the "pack size"...... Er, 205litres would probably even last me a year or two.
 
Gulf Western does LHM in 205 litre drums. When my current 20 litre Total drum is empty I might price one up at my local dealer.

Roger
 
Roger Wilkinson said:
Gulf Western does LHM in 205 litre drums. When my current 20 litre Total drum is empty I might price one up at my local dealer.

Roger
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Does your John Deere use LHM ? I might actually make sense :clown: I'd certainly buy some from you if you go that way! It certainly sounds like the ISO15 mineral hydraulic oils are a drop in replacement given Johns description above.
 
DoubleChevron said:
Does your John Deere use LHM ? I might actually make sense :clown: I'd certainly buy some from you if you go that way! It certainly sounds like the ISO15 mineral hydraulic oils are a drop in replacement given Johns description above.
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Yeah, I saw that ISO 15...... interesting!
Very interesting!!
 
Pirtek have this LHM on their floor in Burleigh on special in 20l carry containers, so they probably do have @ other branches
 
Ok... I've just spent a bit of time with my local Penrite and Gulf Western distributor.
He rang GW.... was told there is no stock of LHM and no schedule for more.
No 205L, no 1L.
If they did have it.... the current price is about $2300 + for a 205L.
Penrite Indus HV 15 is similar price.
 
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