Did I ruin my JD 4100 HST transmission?

[RobJ]

I'm not a mechanic,
but I would think that the sooner you
address the problem, the less damage will
be done internally. Your transmission oil runs
thru the whole tractor, steering, implements,
rockshaft, etc.. and any contamination or particles
that start to deteriorate and run thru the system
can't be good for these other components.. not to
mention the hydrostatic pump, transmission, or differential.
Am I wrong to think it's cheaper to just rebuild the differential (or other
failing part)than
the entire transmission , pump, etc?

I was a pro mechanic...

if I was a shop I might take this non repair if I was really slow or needed work. On the other hand it;s hard to warranty anything that's not broke. And it I do tear it apart I now have to cover it as warranty. And of course the customer would want any and everything near where I touched covered as warranty(read many posts here). And if I do take it apart, I might not find anything wrong or out of spec. Then the customer will hack me for a high labor charge(read many posts here), when I couldn't find anything wrong.

A gallon of oil in there for a short time probably going to be ok. You probably don't even work it real hard anyway, not like a commercial operation 8-10 hours a day.

Good Luck and rest easy, if you wear your ear protection like you should, it'll be fine!

Rob

 

[kennyd]

we are not talking about a little amount here...we are talking about quite a bit.

The front axle holds approx. 3.4 quarts, and the tranny holds approx. 3.5 gallons...

 

[crashz]

The thick gear oil probably cushioned the whine, so now the normal hydro sound is a little harsh to your ears. I also wouldn't be surprised if it feels a little less snappy due to the gear oil having such a high resistance to shearing. This would make it feel a little pokey now with the correct fluid.

The only concern I would have is the metal shavings. I'd keep an eye on the magnet and see if its developing more shavings as time goes on. Was this the first time you have changed the hydraulic fluid and filters in your machine? If it was the very first time that the hydraulic fluid was drained in this machine with 500 hrs, its probably normal from break in. This why a 50 hr service on a new machine is so important.

I'd run the machine for another 50 hours noting performance and sound, and drain and fill agian. If it has a spin on filter, cut it open and look for metal in there as well. More metal will indicat that the tranny has a problem. None or very very little will mean that you should be OK.

 

[Mighty Dodge]

Are you sure about thatThe front MFWD axleI have 80w gear oil in mine. As far as the hydro is concerned my wife's 425 AWS whines from time to time and we have not noticed anything adverse in that behavior.

Yup, says so right in the manual.
Service Transmission

M.D.

 

[rsmith02184]

thanks for the input.

regarding the metal shavings: that is what has me worried too. i had already changed the fluid once about a year before i accidently drained it again (i was trying to drain my front axle and instead removed a plug for the tranny fluid). the first time i changed the fluid (before the accident) there were minor shavings on the magnet but this time (the accident time) there were more shavings than the first time and only a year had passed (maybe 100 hours).

but, even though it worries me, at this point i would be less apt to drain and refill because of the cost of the parts. but who knows, maybe i would do it.

is there a way to take out the magnets without draining the whole system of fluid?

thanks

 

[RobJ]

is there a way to take out the magnets without draining the whole system of fluid?

thanks

I'm going to assume the magnet is in the plug?? I put magnets on the oil plugs of my ATV. if they are just thumb the hole quickly when you remove the plug, wipe clean and reinstall. You'll only lose a bit.

Be neat to get a pic of those shavings!!

 

[jdbower]

If it's like my 2520 the magnets are in the filter by the PTO. I'm guessing you can just remove the filter and only some of the fluid would drain out, it'll be messy but you wouldn't have to swap out the entire capacity.

On the other hand that contaminated fluid is still sitting in the cylinders of any implement you used during that time and I'm guessing the remnants of the contaminated stuff would be denser and settle down near the plugs and not near the filter. You may want to hook up any hydraulic toys you may have used, cycle the cylinders a few times to flush out the old stuff, and then drain the tractor anyway. At the very least let it sit for a day or so and then drain a bit from each of the plugs before removing the filter in hopes you get more of the leftovers.