OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Ride On Green Star Hydraulic out front Flail ZTR

I picked this wreck up yesterday.

Not used much apparently, cost a bomb when it was new (7K apparently). Was too slow, So it got parked up. Some years later the neighbor bought it, and it just kept sitting around. Then he sold it to me.
It came from near the sea, the years have not been kind. Plenty of rust and now I have a driveway full of flaked off paint thats going to drive me nuts.

So can anyone tell me anything about the machine or the brand etc??
Ive googled like hell and come up with nothing.
All the bolts are metric.
I read something about Green Star being Canadian.
Theres a few pics getting about of a Green Star 8/36 ride on. Looks a bit similar to the Victa which I think was MTD made.

Took some getting on the trailer. Rear castor wheel tube is long gone, tyre is had it. My mate came with me in his 4x4 and winched it on.
Trans is locked up. Can anyone tell me how to do the manual bypass on it?? Eaton 771 a & B.

Interesting design.
Why oh why would you use double acting rams and not vent off the ports to the back side of the piston.
No wonder it is slow thats nearly 2:1 on the chain drives.

I bought it for three reasons, it was cheap, the 20hp Kohler Magnum, It had hydraulics.
The Kohler has had the air cleaner off it, looks like water has got into the carb, I was half thinking the motor will be full of water, but it turns over OK. Will pull the carb off and get into it.

Given hydraulics are so expensive in Australia I figured I could not go wrong.

Not sure what the plan is.
Its a bit past bringing back to life, too much rust.

So it could be.
Get the Kohler running and sell it or part it out.

Hydro trans setup for a scratch built ZTR or a mini tank or dozer. A mini tank would be awesome.

Ram hydraulics for either a wood splitter or a FEL if I can find a large frame Ride on, not common down under and if they pop up on eBay they usually go for too much. Might have to build my own small tractor.

Try and resurrect the flail drum and direct belt drive it and turn it into a tow behind. This wouldnt be hard and probably not that expensive to do, just time.

Not sure what to use the hydraulic motor/pump for. Perhaps an auger. I sort of like the idea of a permanent rotary hoe mounted on the back of a beefed up ride on. I have a HT10 odd ball bolens here with a hydro in it. It should handle some extra ballast and a full width hoe on the back.


Too many options.

Hi Bob, good to see you here at ODK again.

With regard to the hydrostatic transmission, there is an application manual for that family of Eatons here:
http://www.eaton.com/ecm/groups/public/@pub/@eaton/@hyd/documents/content/pll_1619.pdf

The bypass, also known as the transit lever or freewheel lever, is the same thing Eaton call the dump valve. You can see its location in the manual referred to above:

Hi Grumpy.

Yeah thanks, on a hunch I went out and worked it out myself.
Then I got onto that PDF and it all made sense after the fact.

Dump valve - bypass valve


That PDF does not say what exact oil to use, can anyone tell me what type/grade??

I went to my oil guy, he got on the phone and came back with I think you want ISO 100. He can only get it in a 20L at over $100.

The oil is not meant to be engine oil so no detergents. Its meant to have corrosion inhibitors in it. Could I go with ISO 68??

Google got me here. But I can not put a meaning to the term 'cSt'
HFI Fluid Power Products


Im on the search for a Carburettor. But before I try starting the motor I want to change the oil and filters on the hydros.

Thanks, Bob.

cSt means centiStokes (hundredths of a Stoke, a unit of viscosity). Here is a conversion chart:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/viscosity-charts/

As you can see, at 40 degrees C, 100 centiStokes = 100 ISO = SAE 30, which is the normal viscosity for hydraulic oil: that is, the same viscosity as engine oil. 68 ISO is SAE 20, which is used in some hydraulic systems, but I think is less common than 100 ISO. If you want to use engine oil you have to be concerned to have the right additives, and not have the wrong additives, for hydraulic oil. The main issue is that engine oils are designed to disperse and retain water, while industrial hydraulic systems seem to prefer any water to separate out - perhaps because they usually have tanks to facilitate de-aeration of the fluid, and water on the bottom of the tank may be harmless if the oil pickup is positioned above the very bottom of the tank. You can read the something about the issues here:
http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/29715/hydraulic-engine-oils

In other words, most people in your situation use engine oil, and many equipment manufacturers are happy with that.

All good info there.

ISO VG68 and even VG32 oils are quite common in heavy industrial hydraulic systems. As you say, hydraulic oils do not have water-dispersant additives, partly for the reason you give - the pickup is not right at the bottom of the oil tank, by design.

The other major reason is, so that the oil can be run through a mobile centrifugal separator unit from time to time, to remove water and particulate debris. Some plants have their own units; others use contractors'.

Then the oil is returned to service - additive degradation/consumption is usually very low in industrial hydraulic systems, unlike in engines.

Also, the oil is usually tested to determine its fitness for further service, at that time, including additive levels. $50-100 spent on testing is a lot better value than having to replace a few hundred, or thousand, litres of oil, and wearing the disposal charges for the old oil.

It's also good practice to fit 'desiccant breathers' to the oil tanks, to minimise atmospheric water entry to the system. This is particularly critical in high-humidity environments, e.g. paper mills.

All fantastically detailed information.

I was told the machine was not used much at all before it was left to sit.

The engine oil is clean, like new. I was going to leave it, run it for a few hours, then do the oil and filter.


The hydraulic tank is full, the oil is clean. I was going to try and avoid opening the hydraulics in anyway., most of what I was planning to do I should get away with hose flex.


The hydro units, I wanted to change the oil and filters as a precaution. The filters have external rust, I would hate for one to blow to bits once pressured up. The oil level in the remote tank is below the outlets to the hoses to the units. I would suspect leaking hose fittings.
I wanted to get some alloy cleaner with fluoric acid, and clean the housings up, drain the oil, swap the filters and fill it all up with fresh stuff.


Ive got a number here for a guy at Eaton. I will get to calling him one day soon.

I was thinking that the ISO 100 hydraulic could be the go.

That generally sounds good to me, though I personally wouldn't put hydrofluoric acid close to hydraulics. However Gadge has way more experience in that field than I have.

Yes, grumpy is all too correct here, speaking with my 'career labrat and qualified Industrial Chemist' hat on.

Hydrofluoric Acid [HF] is extremely nasty stuff, from the human health perspective. In any concentration. Anyone for non-healing skin wounds; and that is just the lowest level long-term effect, which can and has led to amputations of fingers?

Point one; I wouldn't, and have refused to do so in chemical laboratory situations, use HF for any purpose, unless there is absolutely no alternative.
Even then, it is essential to have Calcium Gluconate cream on hand, and know how to apply it. And the appropriate medical literature, to inform the hospital Casualty Dept staff about treatment, when a HF skin contact case has to go there.

An example local to me, is that of removing silica [SiO2] deposits from power station steam turbine blades. Worksafe Vic are all over them like a rash, during preparation, and while it happens!

Point two; unless you have a source via an industrial supplier, or some 'old stock' product, you'll find that the 'mag wheel cleaners' of old, which did contain HF, have been removed from the market. As have the 'stainless steel cleaner' brews used by restaurants in the past. Rightly so, IMHO.

On reflection, I do realise that some may see what I have written about Hydrofluoric Acid above, as being over the top.

But most folk will assume that it's just the same in use, as any other mineral/inorganic acid.
Which is true, with regards to its acid properties as a Class 8, 'Corrosive', Dangerous Good.

But not with regards to its hazards to health.

It is in fact a most insidious poison, and by the time any symptoms are apparent, the major damage is done.

And with low level exposure over time, it may be difficult or impossible to trace the injury to its cause.

One HF case study I'm aware of, was that of a CSIRO worker on high vacuum equipment, who developed non-healing sores on one finger. A regular task he performed was that of replacing degraded 'Viton' o-ring vacuum seals, which had decomposed from exposure to heat.

The injury was only tracked down to hydrofluorosis, because it was revealed that this was the finger he always used, ungloved, to scratch out the o-ring seating grooves to clean them. 'Viton' is a fluorinated elastomer, and HF is one of its thermal decomposition products.

Why was there this level of investigative effort?
He had to have the finger amputated, after it became infected - with gangrene bacteria [Clostridium perfringens]. Which is life-threatening, if the gangrenous tissue is not excised.