The manual to my 1726E says to "make sure the oil level is at the mid point of the front axle housing." Here's the diagram. The fill plug is #1. It looks to me like the mid-point of the axle housing is about 4" below the top of the fill plug hole.
Here's a photo of the front axle oil fill plug (upside-down). So what's with the peculiar configuration of the fill plug? It kind of looks like it's supposed to serve as a dipstick, like maybe the oil should be at the upper part of the bottom of the plug (the left side of the bottom in this inverted view). Is the level really supposed to be at the mid-point of the housing, several inches below the fill plug? And if so, are we supposed to make our own dipstick to determine the level?
Here's a photo of the front axle oil fill plug (upside-down). So what's with the peculiar configuration of the fill plug? It kind of looks like it's supposed to serve as a dipstick, like maybe the oil should be at the upper part of the bottom of the plug (the left side of the bottom in this inverted view). Is the level really supposed to be at the mid-point of the housing, several inches below the fill plug? And if so, are we supposed to make our own dipstick to determine the level?