Don't always trust your shop manuals?

[ammodram]

Interesting thing happened to me last weekend when trying to change the front axle oil in an old Kubota L245DT that I recently purchased. I couldn't find agreement on the appropriate amount of oil. Here's what I had for capacities:

Original Owner's Manual:
Front axle diff. case (right, left): 1.2 Qts
Front axle gear case (right, left): 0.8 Qts

Kubota Shop Manual:

Differential gear case: 0.6 gal [2.4 Qts]
Axle case: 0.2 gal x 2 [1.6 Qts]

I&T Manual:

Front axle Differential Case: 1.2 Qts.
Front axle Outer drive case - Each: 0.8 Qts.

Obvious disagreement there about whether or not the diff holds 1.2 or 2.4 Qts.

All the front axle oil goes through the same two ports - one on either side of the axle housing. There's no way to fill the outer drive cases or the diff case directly, other than to add half the total amounts to each axle housing fill plug.

After adding about 2.9 Qts, the oil level was almost to the bottom of the plug threads at the top of the axle housing on both sides. Same when I rechecked the next day.

So it appears that both Kubota references are WRONG, and the I&T manual is right!

There is nothing that could be keeping the oil from entering the diff case, is there?

If not, then let this be a warning that we shouldn't always blindly follow the manual. In this case, I wouldn't have been able to overfill because of overflow, but in another case, it might have been possible.

By the way - I've been told 85w90 gear oil substitutes for the original SAE 90 gear oil in this case. Correct?

-Matt

 

[Keith01]

I dont know if this may be the case for your Kubota, but other vehicles I have tinkered with are the same way.

Owner's manual assumes just a drain and refill.
Shop manual assumes a complete teardown and cleanout.

Sometimes the axels will not drain completely from the drain plug, unless the outers are taken off, the carrier pulled...etc.

Just make sure you have enough oil on hand, drain it, and hopefully when you refill, you can check it as you fill.

Good luck,
Keith in SC

 

[ammodram]

Owner's manual assumes just a drain and refill.
Shop manual assumes a complete teardown and cleanout.

Sometimes the axels will not drain completely from the drain plug, unless the outers are taken off, the carrier pulled...etc.

Keith - this may be the case. The curious thing is that in this instance, both the shop manual AND the owner's manual called for the higher amount, while the I&T listed the lower amount in the capacity table.

There are 3 drain plugs - one on the underside of the diff case, and one very near the bottom of each outer drive case, so I would think most of it would drain. I let it sit for probably an hour until the trickle had stopped. I can't see where 1.2 qts would be lurking in there.

The odd thing is that I measured what I drained - and it was 3 qts and change. I assumed that it had been overfilled b/c I thought 2.8 was the proper amount. Then after questioning the amount, I added 2.9 back and it didn't want to take more. Strange...

This one remains a mystery to me, but I can't add any more than it will take. Does anyone know if there is supposed to be any air space inside the axle assembly, or if it is okay to just fill 'er up as much as will go in? Any other reason - direction of wheel turn or whether or not it is in 4WD for instance - that the axle might not accept enough oil?

-Matt

 

[JSharp]

There has to be some space for air in the cavities or you'll be blowing fluid out the vents when the axle heats up...

 

[Soundguy]

Looks like the I&T and the owners manual agree.. and the kubota shop manual is the one disagreeing.

Does the fornt axle have a fill and level check plug?

soundguy

Interesting thing happened to me last weekend when trying to change the front axle oil in an old Kubota L245DT that I recently purchased. I couldn't find agreement on the appropriate amount of oil. Here's what I had for capacities:

Original Owner's Manual:
Front axle diff. case (right, left): 1.2 Qts
Front axle gear case (right, left): 0.8 Qts

Kubota Shop Manual:

Differential gear case: 0.6 gal [2.4 Qts]
Axle case: 0.2 gal x 2 [1.6 Qts]

I&T Manual:

Front axle Differential Case: 1.2 Qts.
Front axle Outer drive case - Each: 0.8 Qts.

Obvious disagreement there about whether or not the diff holds 1.2 or 2.4 Qts.

All the front axle oil goes through the same two ports - one on either side of the axle housing. There's no way to fill the outer drive cases or the diff case directly, other than to add half the total amounts to each axle housing fill plug.

After adding about 2.9 Qts, the oil level was almost to the bottom of the plug threads at the top of the axle housing on both sides. Same when I rechecked the next day.

So it appears that both Kubota references are WRONG, and the I&T manual is right!

There is nothing that could be keeping the oil from entering the diff case, is there?

If not, then let this be a warning that we shouldn't always blindly follow the manual. In this case, I wouldn't have been able to overfill because of overflow, but in another case, it might have been possible.

By the way - I've been told 85w90 gear oil substitutes for the original SAE 90 gear oil in this case. Correct?

-Matt