Hyd brake fluid is not a petrol based fluid. DOT3 and DOT4 are
alcohols (hence the propensity [I paid a full $0.25 for that word] to
absorb water) and DOT5 is a silicone oil base.

Hydraulic oil is a petrol base, generally with high pressure
additives, non-detergnt (detergents are corrosive, tend to keep
contamination in solution, and attract water), and often multigrade.

Oils like bar oil for a chainsaw have addatives to make them sticky-
bad news for hydraulics.

Most hydraulic oils are reasonably compatible with each other in
service, if they are similar grades (ex: John Deere multitrans, New
Holland/Ford general purpose multigrade (I don't remember the name),
Massey Furgusen multigrade, etc are all fine mixed. Non-multigrade are
ok mixed as well. If the system wants multigrade, don't mix in the non
with it, tho.

Auto trans fluid is a BIG no-no. Dexron types have seem to cause pump
problems (I'm not sure why) but, as anyone with a Ford knows, the Ford
types hae grit in them as a friction enhancer for the shifter bands.
Makes a mess in a hydraulic system.

Power steering fluid hasn't caused major problems in a pinch, but I
drain and bleed as soon as I can.

Hand/bottle jacks take a different weight oil than power hydraulics,
but otherwise similar, AFAIK. If you are lifting anthing you care
about, or are lifting where a failure could cause injury (what happens
if the jack drops and the car goes to ground while you're changing
that tire?) use the right oil.

e (who has had to drain and flush a 1968 Euclid articulated after some
idiot mistook the hydraulic fill for the fuel fill and pumped it full
of diesel oil, despite the big placard that said "HYDRAULIC FLUID
ONLY".... Bleeding it waas a bitch, and the hydraulic fluid is still
pink.)

"R. Zimmerman" wrote in message a...
I am ROTF I have to use that comment when I see someone trying it. One of
the perpetrators is my foreman who suggested latex gloves from the first aid
station to spread grease on a track.
Randy

"Robin S." wrote in message
.. .

"R. Zimmerman" wrote in message
. ca...

At work guys will steal a pair of latex rubber gloves to protect their
hands from petroleum based solvents and grease... the gloves last about
ten
minutes and then they fall apart.

Apparently someone hasn't been attending their sex-ed classes.....

Regards,

Robin