Oil & Fuel Oil change problem

   / Oil change problem #1  

macquigg

New member
Joined
Mar 17, 2014
Messages
9
Location
Tucson AZ
Tractor
TYM T273
I just bought a T273 with 450 hours on it, and it is time for my first oil change. The owners manual shows one oil drain plug. There are two. Also, the plugs are directly above a cross-piece of the frame, which blocks access to the plugs. There are two access holes in the frame, but they are so far off center that I can't get a socket on the plug to remove it.

tractor 075.jpg

Any suggestions?
 
   / Oil change problem #2  
I have the T233, which has the same engine and I've had the same problem. I remove the skid plate that protects the bottom of the oil pan...there are four bolts that need to be removed. Once the plate is off, its easy to reach the drain plugs. And don't loose the little brass washers...don't ask me how I know!
 
   / Oil change problem
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Thanks, Biker. That plate was a pain to remove. I took it to a machine shop, and had the holes enlarged. Now I can change my oil.
 
   / Oil change problem #4  
Wow Mac...now why didn't I think of that! Will have to do the same!
 
   / Oil change problem #5  
I also have a 273, and did not have a problem with changing the oil. Is something else misaligned that could cause this? Motor mount that is bad? I would look around for something that is not right, since an oil change shouldn't require the removal of a cross-member to remove the drain plug.
 
   / Oil change problem
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Rippen, do you have two drain plugs or one, as the manual shows? Since it is unlikely that all T273's have inaccessible drain plugs, or owners would be raising ****, my guess is that I have some rare combination of problems, affecting only a small percentage of these tractors, maybe a run of a hundred, before they discovered the problem and fixed it.

Here are some of the factors that might add up to the problem I saw.
1) The holes in the skid plate, before the fix, might be off by 1/4 inch, and still allow access to the plugs.
2) The engine mounts might be a little off, maybe 1/16 inch.
3) The frame itself could have some distortion. I notice maybe 1/8 inch of space between the skid plate and the frame before I tightened those four huge bolts.
Factor 1 is a design problem, but it is noticed only when the random factors 2 and 3 push the plugs beyond the edge of the access holes.
 
 
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