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I finally heard a story about a 90s Otis hydraulic unit failing in a weird way.
A retired mechanic at a diner in Cleveland said he saw one where the fluid turned to sludge after 25 years. He blamed a specific additive that wasn't supposed to be mixed in. Has anyone run into a similar failure on an old system?
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mitchell.daniel1mo ago
That sludge story is a classic. Ran into the same thing on a mid-90s unit a few years back. A full system flush and switching to a straight, high-quality AWG oil without any extra additives cleared it right up. The old stuff had basically turned to black mayonnaise in the reservoir. Never did pin down the exact original additive, but mixing different brands was always a bad idea.
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christopher_ross11d ago
Honestly, I used to think those additives were worth the extra money for older systems. But seeing that black goop come out of a reservoir changed my mind fast. Tbh, it's just not worth the risk of them breaking down and gunking everything up. Straight oil and regular changes seems boring, but it works.
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