changing gear oil in finish mower
- Thread starter jmt1271
- Start date
Inspector507
Super Member
Guys, I am surely displaying a high level of ignorance, but I have to ask. How do you drain the old gear oil from this Woods RM-550? I cannot find a drain plug. Do you have to remove the top cover and siphon it out? I downloaded the PDF manual from Woods' site and it does not address it. I have a bad O-ring seal around the dipstick and I managed to get H2O in the gear oil and now it is milky and must be changed. Help please. Also looking for online source for parts, need a new O-ring and might like to add a center anti-scalp wheel.
Jim_Fisher
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2003
- Messages
- 305
- Location
- SE Pa (Chester County)
- Tractor
- John Deere 4300, John Deere 3010 w/48 loader
jmt1271 said:
I suspect that you'll need to remove the gear box from the mower, remove the top cover and invert the gear box to drain all of the contaminated gear lube or invert the mower and do the same thing.
You may be able to siphon from the top but the water is heavier than oil and will be all the way in the bottom. In all probability, there is a bearing at the lowest point (just above the lower seal) and that will make siphoning even harder. I don't think that I would want to chance leaving a bearing full of water in the bottom.
Page 22 of the on-line manual provides the instructions for removing the gear box.
I removed the top cover and siphoned all the contaminated oil I could, then wiped it out. It appears I got all 99.99% of it. I added new oil and will run it for a while and then change again. You guys think this will be okay?
I ran it for about one minute then looked at the oil, it appears normal. I will keep a very close eye on it.
I ran it for about one minute then looked at the oil, it appears normal. I will keep a very close eye on it.
Neophyte
Platinum Member
I recently changed the gear oil in my rotary tiller and I simply used a hand pump. I imagine you can get them at Sears, local hardware store, etc. They also have electric ones out there.
Electric Oil Drain Pump
You should be more than fine with what you did. Next time, I would get a pump and simply stick a tube through the drain hole. The electric one is nice since you can move the tube around the gear box while it is pumping.
I imagine that you can get a similar O-ring from any local hardware store.
BTW, have you fixed your iMatch top link situation? Be careful about using it the way you had it. Nothing is preventing that top link from popping out during transport.
Electric Oil Drain Pump
You should be more than fine with what you did. Next time, I would get a pump and simply stick a tube through the drain hole. The electric one is nice since you can move the tube around the gear box while it is pumping.
I imagine that you can get a similar O-ring from any local hardware store.
BTW, have you fixed your iMatch top link situation? Be careful about using it the way you had it. Nothing is preventing that top link from popping out during transport.