Could not use the oil extractor on the Frontier gear box oil today

[RalphVa]

My oil extractor would not suction the oil from the Frontier RC-2048 cutter gear box today. I tried it very soon after running it for more than an hour. The oil just does not get hot on the Frontier.

When I had an LX-4, I suctioned the gear box oil from it fine. It got pretty hot though.

Guess this tells me that the Frontier gear box is better built than the one on the LX-4?

Guess one has to take the cutter off the tractor and tilt it almost 90 degrees to get the oil out of the gear box? I got some out. Used the remains of the GL5 M1 oil left over from changing out the Miata's differential plus some leftover other gearbox oil that I had to top it off. I'd gotten a little bit out. Only way was to suck it from the check hole and keep the suction tube at the top of the oil level so it was sucking some air and oil together.

Gear box oil, which is about like the differential oil, is about a 30w if determined by engine oil standards (at 212 F, not 104 F for gear oil). Pretty thick stuff to get out at about 80-90 F.

Ralph

 

[RickB]

The thing about suction tubes and rotary cutter gearboxes is there are VERY few gearboxes that are designed to get the tube below the upper downshaft bearing. So at best there are several ounces of oil left behind. Oil that will be, by definition, heavier, more water laden and more contaminated than the oil higher up in the main cavity of the box.

 

[Big Barn]

Just curious what you’re using for an extractor?

 

[beemerphile]

The thing about suction tubes and rotary cutter gearboxes is there are VERY few gearboxes that are designed to get the tube below the upper downshaft bearing. So at best there are several ounces of oil left behind. Oil that will be, by definition, heavier, more water laden and more contaminated than the oil higher up in the main cavity of the box.

I was surprised to discover this as well. There are some pictures of the "secret cavity" in my thread on a Bush Hog gearbox repair.

 

[oosik]

Hey Ralph - I have a rose bud that I suck everything "oil" with. Looks like a giant hypodermic with a metal flex hose for a nozzle - all made of steel.

I can suck up 80-90 weight gear lube like a kitten on warm milk. Maybe you need a new "sucker" and a chunk of plastic hose to reach down into that gear box.

Standing a rotary cutter on its left ear - sounds a bit extreme. Don't put yourself in a bind there.

 

[RalphVa]

Just curious what you’re using for an extractor?

Got it from the DR folks quite a few years ago. It just has a container, suction tube and looks like a tire pump on top that pulls the vacuum. I use it to remove used oil in every engine we own.

Ralph

 

[RickB]

I can suck up 80-90 weight gear lube like a kitten on warm milk.

Except as noted above.

 

[ruffdog]

The thing about suction tubes and rotary cutter gearboxes is there are VERY few gearboxes that are designed to get the tube below the upper downshaft bearing. So at best there are several ounces of oil left behind. Oil that will be, by definition, heavier, more water laden and more contaminated than the oil higher up in the main cavity of the box.

Yeah, that untouchable area is where all the nasty stuff sits...right down where the bearings are.