Help - Where did they hide it

[MikeBurr]

Been doing the 300 hr maint on my TC33DA. Got most of the items taken care of, but I can not find the front wheel drive fill holes. There is no bolt as shown in the manual. The only thing I can find that is close to the fill hole location as shown is a small rubber like plug. And if that is the fill hole, it is faily small, don't know what I would use to get fluid into that small of an opening.

By the way, I'm still trying to recover from the shock of the price on the 134 fluid. Looked, but didn't find any gold in it. ...

Also noticed that the old trans fluid looked fairly dark, almost coffee colored. Fluid from the front axel looked almost like new. Sound normal?

 

[hazmat]

On my TC18 the fill bolt for the hub is not on "top" - but rather near the top in the horizontal axis - takes some creative filling methods.

The fill hole for the axle is a plastic "dipstick" type thingamajig

And the color change is normal, though I'd expect at the 600 hour you should see less difference (as the tractor innards stop "breaking in").

 

[MikeBurr]

Your's looks like it is located right where I would expect to find it and where it shows it at in the manual. My old 33D had it in the same place. But on this DA model they must have moved/changed the fill hole. Hope I don't have to remove the wheel to find the fill hole. I've already removed the oil, so I need to fill it back up before I can use the tractor.

 

[mike10]

The later TC33D's do not have check plugs. The hubs receive their oil from the center axle, so checking the dipstick in the center axle is all you have to do.

 

[Diesel-ME]

For hard to reach locations like that I use a basic fluid transfer hand pump. I don't recall where I bought mine now, but it is similar to this one that I just Googled. These kind of pumps work with engine and gear oils.

~paul

 

[MikeBurr]

To Mike10 - sounds good - I filled the center axle so I should get some fluid out if I reopen the hub drain plugs? I'll check in the morning to see if a hub now has new fluid in it.

 

[dqdave1]

I think newer models are fed from center, no fill plug.

 

[Solo]

Here is a handy can for filling holes in tight places. Just fill it and squeeze. I bought this one from Tractor Supply.

Solo

 

[mjcbluridg]

Mike,

I ran into exactly the same dilemna with my TC34. Looked and looked and couldn't find the fill/check plug. I intend to visit my dealer and have them show me how the manual and the tractor hub match up. By the way, the small rubber plug seals a blind hole that is unused (I checked there, too).

 

[MikeBurr]

Been rainy today, so I haven't checked the tractor yet to see if I get new fluid out of the wheel drain holes. But I tend to believe the answer that the fluid will be filled from the axle fluid. NH needs to update their manual to handle the newer model of axles.