BX1830 - 50 Hour Service

gearbox · Jul 21, 2005

Greetings! I've been reading for a while...lots of great information...thanks. I'm getting ready to do my 50 hour service & have a question about the transmission oil strainer. The manual says to rinse it with non-flammable solvent. Can anyone shed some light on a specific product to use?

Thanks.

Jeff

coveredbridge · Jul 21, 2005

( Greetings! I've been reading for a while...lots of great information...thanks. I'm getting ready to do my 50 hour service & have a question about the transmission oil strainer. The manual says to rinse it with non-flammable solvent. Can anyone shed some light on a specific product to use?

Thanks.

Jeff )

Welcome to TBN, Jeff /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I just did 50 hr service on my bx1500. Based on other posts I found here, I decided to use brake cleaner. It comes in an aerosol can - I picked some up at the local NAPA for about $3.

A couple words of caution though. First, there are flammable and nonflammable brake cleaners, so make sure you get the nonflammable type - it is printed on the can. I don't really know what the difference is, but, like you, I noted that nonflammable was specified in the manual. Second, when you remove the strainer, be very careful of the rubber o-rings - there are two, and they are very delicate looking. One came out with the strainer when I removed mine - I assume the other remained seated in the hyd line since I never saw it and there are no leaks.

Also, just for the record, there was virtually no debris or metal shavings on the screen - I sprayed the heck out of it anyway and blew it dry with compressed air. Also, the hyd fluid looked like new when I drained it. Still, I wouldn't have been comfortable deferring either procedure.

gearbox · Jul 21, 2005

Thanks, I never thought of brake cleaner. Thanks for the heads-up on the o-rings too.

SCB · Jul 21, 2005

The only reason I can tell for the non flammable stuff is that it is being used on a part that will be in contact with hot fluid. Just a guess though. I have cleaned mine twice in the 500 hours I've had it. Both times I used regualar mineral spirits. The flammable kind. I did allow it to fully evaporate after I cleaned it though. I haven't noticed any problems due to this. My hydro hadsn't blown up or blown out any seals. SO I am curious if anyone out there has a better clue as to why they want only non-flammable cleaner.

Junkman · Jul 21, 2005

( ..............SO I am curious if anyone out there has a better clue as to why they want only non-flammable cleaner. )

Product liability... if you get hurt using a flammable liquid cleaning the part, Kubota could be held liable, or a more direct one word answer...... LAWYERS!!!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

SCB · Jul 21, 2005

That's probably closer to the truth than my guess. Unfortunately /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

gearbox · Jul 24, 2005

Well, here's the follow-up. I did the 50 hours service at 43 hours & it went pretty smooth. The oil & transmission filters were a bit tough to get off. Either there wasn't any oil applied to the seals or magilla gorilla tightened them. Either way, the oil filter was the most awkward. I didn't have to take off the FEL to change the filter either. The transmission strainer was not bad either. I had metals pieces there, so the strainer definitley did it's job. The o-rings (at least the outside one) was a little tricky, but not bad. As far as the non-flammable solvent goes...I used mineral spirits...they're combustible, not flammable so they should be fine to use. I made sure to blow the strainer off with compressed air afterward. Thanks for all your advice!