Substitute ATF for Hydraulic Fluid?
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Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
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URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=173594
Printed Date: 04 Apr 2026 at 10:09am
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Topic: Substitute ATF for Hydraulic Fluid?
Posted By: Dave Hawk
Subject: Substitute ATF for Hydraulic Fluid?
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2020 at 4:05pm
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Can I substitute automatic transmission fluid for hydraulic fluid in my WD? |
Replies:
Posted By: Boss Man
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2020 at 7:35pm
| I'm not an expert but I dont see why not. Its a little thinner than standard hydraulic fluid so you might notice a few leaks that weren't there before. |
Posted By: HD6GTOM
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2020 at 8:00pm
| I've been wondering the same thing with my skid loader. It holds about 50 gallon of dexron. Stuff has gotten high, gots a leak I can't find. |
Posted By: Bill Long
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2020 at 8:59pm
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In my day - 40 - 60 - we used 20 Weight NON DETERGENT Oil. Worked fine. Remember, the WD - 1948 to 1953 does not have the benefit of state-of-the art seals. We had a problem when the WD's first came out which was corrected. The oil transferred from the hydraulic compartment to the hand clutch area. However, the seals may not be up to such a light oil. I have heard very good reports on the hydra-trans oil which has a little more consistency. If you do decide to use the ATF keep a close tab on the oil levels in the hydraulic and rear end. I am certain others may like to know what you do. Good Luck! Bill Long
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Posted By: victoryallis
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2020 at 9:19pm
Why would you want to? ------------- 8030, 7060, six 6080’s grandpa’s D17, 8760, 8100, and 8970 Deere. |
Dave Hawk wrote:Posted By: john(MI)
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2020 at 9:25pm
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Well brake fluid is hydraulic fluid. Check out what happens if you put ATF in your brake system. You will replace every part that has rubber in it, including rubber lines. Just my 2 cents! ------------- D14, D17, 5020, 612H, CASE 446 |
Posted By: Ed (Ont)
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2020 at 10:49pm
| Millions of cars going up and down the road with trans fluid in steering system. All rubber lines and no issues. Now the newer ones all seem to use steering fluid. Most dump trucks up here are using trans fluid for the hydraulics. Lots of hi pressure hoses. Works better in our cold weather. |
Posted By: MACK
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2020 at 7:33am
| Brake fluid and ATF are two different fluids. Rubber hoses and other Rubber parts are made of different material for each. MACK |
Posted By: john(MI)
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2020 at 8:44am
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I'm just passing on information I'd heard. I guess you can google it to see if what I said is true. I did and it says what I said. Some
may look at ATF as a hydraulic fluid. But it’s nothing like normal
run-of-the-mill DOT 3 or DOT 4 brake fluid... most ATF has things in it
like friction modifiers and other mixtures. Brake fluid is designed to
remain stable under very high heat applications and is why so much of it
anymore includes silicone because it helps to keep it from boiling or
burning up as it asorbs the heat from the brake system. That’s part of
the reason why it turns color and needs to be flushed with a brake job…
it starts to break down and burn a bit and absorbs moisture as it ages.
Automatic trans fluid will burn somewhere in the 300° range and smoke
out about 400 °… it wouldn't last 30 seconds under hard braking. Also,
it would cause things to deteriorate inside of the system; the seals
would crumble and the moisture in it would cause pitting and rust in
lines. ------------- D14, D17, 5020, 612H, CASE 446 |
Posted By: Ed (Ont)
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2020 at 9:16am
| Not sure how brake fluid got into this discussion. No one is even thinking about putting trans fluid in a brake system. 😳 |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2020 at 9:46am
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I dont see the advantage to using transmission fluid in place of hydraulics... but if you had a LOT of FREE old ATF or Type F trans fluid i guess it might be OK in an old tractor with simple system like the WD.. I would NOT use the new Dextron or MERCON fluids.....lots of MEAN extra addatives in them... probably not a good idea.. ( and they cost several $$$$ per quart)! Brake Fluid is Brake fluid ONLY... NOTHING replaces it and it can NOT be used in other applications..... WHY were we talking about Brake Fluid ?
------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: Dave Hawk
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2020 at 10:23am
| Why? Because I have a gallon of ATF in my shed and I don't have any hydraulic fluid. I don't want to make a trip. If it works, why not? |
Posted By: Lonn
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2020 at 11:13am
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Myself I wouldn't mix the two. Run one or the other. That's just my thoughts ------------- -- --- .... .- -- -- .- -.. / .-- .- ... / .- / -- ..- .-. -.. . .-. .. -. --. / -.-. .... .. .-.. -.. / .-. .- .--. .. ... - Wink I am a Russian Bot |
Posted By: Joe Goodwill
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2020 at 12:40pm
| We have been mixing hydraulic oil and ATF in a 180 and 185 for 50 years. Add ATF as cold weather comes on to keep things moving. No issues yet |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2020 at 1:10pm
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I think the old ATF would probably be fine.... it was a " good quality hydraulic oil" at the time, specifically for transmissions that needed something better than MOTOR OIL ... If it is the NEWER Dextron or MERCON it will still mix and probably not a big problem with a system as basic as the WD hydraulics.... But i would not use is as an exchange fluid. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: JK in Pa
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2020 at 1:17pm
| Anyone remember when 821 was red? Early to mid seventies I bought 5 gallon pails from my Allis dealer. I thought it looked exactly like type F. It never changed viscosity in the winter time. I used in it the WD hydraulics for years. Really worked good plowing snow. |
Posted By: Ed (Ont)
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2020 at 8:11pm
| Dave you should be fine using the transmission fluid. |
Posted By: Lonn
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2020 at 7:19am
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I remember changing hydraulic oil on old 190's and they were using ATF and if I remember correctly the old chart hanging in the shop I worked at listed ATF for the hydraulic systems for the 190. I also remember switching one 190 to 821 from AFT. Is my memory right? Did they start off using Dextron or some type of ATF in the 190 hydraulic system? I know that Dad's D17 has always used ATF in the power steering reservoir in the front bolster. ------------- -- --- .... .- -- -- .- -.. / .-- .- ... / .- / -- ..- .-. -.. . .-. .. -. --. / -.-. .... .. .-.. -.. / .-. .- .--. .. ... - Wink I am a Russian Bot |
Posted By: Steve in NJ
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2020 at 8:09am
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I would think you wouldn't have any problems using the ATF in the system. And to me it would be a plus in colder climates. I use Case Akcela Trans/Hydraulic in my Tractors. My B w/loader seems to work fine. Comes in 5 gallon pails. Steve@B&B ------------- 39'RC, 43'WC, 48'B, 49'G, 50'WF, 65 Big 10, 67'B-110, 75'716H, 2-620's, & a Motorhead wife |
Posted By: SteveMaskey(MO)
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2020 at 9:15pm
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Lonn you are correct. My operators book
for 190-8572XT calls for type A transmission fluid in the hydraulic and 249680
in the transmission and final drives. (Probably 90w) |
Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2020 at 11:30pm
| i used Dextron ATF for hyd fluid in my "G" combines. think it called for it in them. |
Posted By: Lonn
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2020 at 6:12am
------------- -- --- .... .- -- -- .- -.. / .-- .- ... / .- / -- ..- .-. -.. . .-. .. -. --. / -.-. .... .. .-.. -.. / .-. .- .--. .. ... - Wink I am a Russian Bot |