John Deere LX279 Drive Train problem

[Lumpulus]

Sounds like once the trans oil gets hot you start losing drive. The hotter the oil, the thinner it gets, and the more can get by worn pumping parts.

Changing the existing oil and replacing it with regular JD Hy-Gard hydraulic fluid (not the low-viscosity version) may get it back in the game.

Dealer probably can't reproduce it as they are not actually driving the machine, they are probably just letting it run for an hour which won't build any heat in the trans.
Go for the oil change.

Yup, that's what I'm leaning towards as well. At least one dealer said they did drive and mow it when they took it for troubleshooting, but I have my doubts about that now. When I mowed just yesterday in 90 degree heat, it started after about 30 minutes(sooner than usual, and got much worse.

Hy-Gard it is! Thanks!

 

[davkir]

I don't know anything about your mower, but if it is air cooled with a fan, make sure all of the blades are intact and the airflow is unobstructed. Assuming it is a Tuff Torq, I think I read that they are now recommending 5W-50 synthetic for a lot of their transmissions.

 

[PHILIP8N]

I have basically same mower. Tuff-Torq hydro is weak link. Had to replace my transmission at 250 hours. Now at an additional 250 hours, acting same way, need to replace or rebuild. Try a flush and fill, flush and fill. Tuff-Torq recommends 5w-50 for these transmissions. Tuff-Torq has their own oil, not sure if it is special formula or re-badged Catrol. Tuff-Torq has rebuild kits on their website, may do it myself this fall instead of taking to dealer this time. I love this tractor too, but transmission is disappointing. It is hard to trade off after I have invested in snow blower, snow blade, chains, and weights. Philip.

 

[Lumpulus]

Well, the tranny fluid that was in there (10w-30 I think it was) is now replaced with JD Hy-Gard fluid. I also did the bleed procedure with the assistance of my G/F, and pulled the fender deck to check everything, which looked perfect..the tranaxle cooling fan looked brand new!

Drove around for awhile and all seems well, but the big test will come next time I mow....will let everyone know how it went!

Thanks to all who replyed with suggestions!

 

[Tritonman]

I am pretty sure that your transmission is going out on you and as mentioned earlier when it gets hot the oil starts slipping by.

 

[Lumpulus]

I am pretty sure that your transmission is going out on you and as mentioned earlier when it gets hot the oil starts slipping by.

Yup, I think you're right...I mowed yesterday, and while the tractor performed alot better, it still started to slip\shudder\stutter near the end of the mowing session. It's a vast improvment over what is was before I flushed the transaxle for Hy-Gard, and it's livable for the time being, but I'm going to look into a TuffTorq Maint kit for the transaxle. At least I know for sure now.

Thanks to all who replied with suggestions, I really appreciate everyone's help!

 

[thebigmo]

Has anybody tried, other than changing the oil in the transaxle have you changed the filter inside the transaxle also?? My John Deere LX279 also has the same problem and my dealer also knows that this transaxle model also has that problem. If the oil and filter change in the transaxle do not fix the problem then the best recourse is to replace the transaxle with new and not rebuild the old one. He said by the time you buy all the associated kits it will pay in the long run to replace than to rebuild. any comments anyone??

 

[beenthere]

thebigmo
:welcome:

You didn't get much of a response to your question. Maybe post in the Deere Lawn & Garden for some attention to your question.

Hopefully Lumpulus has continued success with his.
There is a new thread up today asking about how easy or quick it is to remove and install the powerflow on his 279 48" deck. Maybe one of you will see this and can help him out.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/john-deere-lawn-garden/181806-how-easy-remove-powerflow-gt.html

 

[Lumpulus]

Apologies for resurrecting this old thread, but I have some news as to my situation with my LX279 drive train issues.

Since my last post I've lived with the issue I described, but finally have found a viable solution...I took a trip to see my mom in Vermont, and while there I stopped by a JD Dealer to get some mower blades and pick their brains about the issue(I live in MA). The tech I talked to is one of the most knowledgable people I've ever spoken with about JD.

Without missing a beat, he said use Synthetic 5w 50 or 5w 40. I now have Mobil 1 5w 40, and the difference is amazing...no power loss whatsoever! i hope this update will help others who may be struggling with this issue.

 

[Lumpulus]

Again, apologies for resurrecting this thread, but I purchased a Tuff Torq K62A rebuild kit for $427, and rebuilt the transmission 2 weeks ago....since then ZERO issues. It took me about 5 hours going in cold, and could probably get it down to 3 hours the next time. It's like I have a new tractor! I used Mobil 1 5w50.