1986 JD Hydro 185 hydro problems

[cpfortner07]

Hi all, I have a 1986 JD Hydro 185 mower that my dad bought new and it has been passed down to me. It runs and mows great. The only problem is when it gets warmer or hot after 10-15 mins. of mowing the transmission gets weak and it can't pull itself mainly on a slight incline or on a sharp turn and also in reverse is very weak too. Seems like it should be an easy fix but I don't know. It is strong when I first get it started. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Chad

 

[cpfortner07]

I found that it has a peerless 1319b transmission in it if that helps anyone. Thanks

 

[glc24]

Hello Chad and welcome to TBN
Don't know much about the 185,but hydro problems can be common with all models. Is the fluid in need of changing? How long has it been? Is the fan working,clogged with debris? Is the tranny itself clean of gunk? Are there any noticeable leaks?
Are there alot of hours on your tractor? The transmission pump tolerances may be getting worn to where it just might need replaced. I'm not sure, but I don't think you can do much repair wise to that model.
Just a few things to check.

Greg

 

[Bentwrench]

Drain plug is a small square head pipe plug in the bottom of the unit. The fill & dip stick is under the seat. Use SAE 30W motor oil, do not use hyd or ATF. I change mine once a year and it is still going strong. 1st time I changed it I put hydraulic fluid in it and really lost power once it warmed up. I found a service manual for it and found out they use 30W oil and was right back in business. Hope this helps as repairs are usually not worth the cost of having done.

 

[cpfortner07]

Hey all, thanks for the replies. I have changed the oil with SAE10w30 oil prior to my first post and it did the same thing. Everything is clean, fan, new drive belt, ect.. The old oil was black, no gunky build up, and I thought that was gonna do it, but no luck. Yes there ate alot of hours on the tractor, how many i dont know. The tractor has been used almost, all pretty much by me since new, when I was a kid. It has set for about 2 years until now. I would have to say 3 years prior to that the tranny would get weak but not near as bad as now. Is there a pump in the tranny? I didn't know if there was something I could take apart and look at in the tranny.

 

[John_in_TN]

I think it is important that you use straight 30 wt oil. 10w30 is too thin. Of course that may not fix the problem. There is a pump and a motor inside the trans. Something could just be worn too much, but I would try plain 30 wt before tearing into it. Good Luck!