hydroharry
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2007
- Messages
- 4,468
- displayname
- Harry Bursell
Norm, Charlie and Brian - I remember back in my early Cub Cadet days, before the Internet and this Forum, I decided I had better changed the fluid and filter on my 1450. The 2 local Cub Cadet dealers close to me didn't have HyTran but claimed the CCC stuff at the time was equivalent to HyTran. I was a bit skeptical since the manual identified HyTran as complying with IH Spec B-6 (which at the time I didn't know what that spec was), but this Spec was not listed on the CCC quarts. So I mosied around the local NAPA store and they had a Valvoline Tractor Fluid which listed meeting IH Spec B-6. And the 5gal bucket was a heck of alot cheaper than the stuff from CCC in qts. So I used it in my 1450. I think I changed it every other year for about 4 years. I did change the filter every year since that's all the Operator Manual actually calls out. Then the Internet came along and I happened upon this Forum when it was just starting, and I made some claims that I thought the Valvoline was pretty good stuff, from a well recognized oil company. I made the unfortunate claim that I assumed IH had someone make the HyTran for them since they weren't in the oil business - only to be informed that yes IH was in the oil business, and that Viscosity Oil in Chicago was owned by IH. Viscosity developed the IH Spec B-6 and made the HyTran. Shortly after this I searched out some other Cub Cadet dealers, one in particular in CT that had also been and IH farm equipment dealer and they still carried the HyTran. Upon looking at the jug it said it was made by Viscosity Oil Company, Chicago, which apparently still existed at that time. The cost for the HyTran at this dealer was not to much more than the Valvoline so based on what I had learned I made the switch to the real stuff. I never had any problem with the Valvoline, but decided for the small additional price it was probably worth it to use the real stuff. I believe Viscosity Oil still exists but has changed ownership several times. I had understood it has some of the best oil reserves in the US right there in the Chicago area and still refines and produces HyTran, now call HyTran Plus, and it may have even been updated to a newer name but not sure if it's the same. And by the way, I don't recall exactly how to describe IH Spec B-6 but in general it means the oil will obsorb or hold 50% moisture by volume. I'd say it's best to make sure you are using a fluid you know meets this spec. By the way, there has been some discussion before about the early operator manuals identifying using 30W oil in the gear drive rearends or HyTran. I don't recommend straight oil in the gear drive rearends. I have since restored a few gear drive tractors, and when I pulled the drain plug on the rearend (yes the gear drives have a drain plug) the first fluid to come out was straight clear water. I got what appeared to be a about a quart of water from every gear drive tractor. There is alot of moisture build up and it just doesn't mix with the oil. So for me, it's HyTran in every IH CC rearend. I never saw this water in the Hydro rearends, but there is no drain plug to see it at first so I tend to think the HyTran keeps the water obsorbed within the fluid unless it sits for long extended periods of time.
