GC1700 series gear box oil change on mmm.

[AxleHub]

Greetings,

I assume this topic could apply to all scuts that have a mmm . . but I'm writing it directly about the MF Gc1700 series.

The gear box on a mmm. Its pretty easy to forget it when you're focused on the tractor engine and hydro servicing. And besides the mmm . . maybe there are other implements that you have a gear box and oil to be changed too.


But today I drained the oil out . . A quantity of about 13 oz. In my particular gearbod I tipped the mmm up to a vertical position to make sure the 1st change was drained as much as possible. And a good thing I dud. Lots of shiny fine grit . . Lots of it. Its natural after 40 hours of operation of a new mmm that it would have some with all the fine gears and surfaces. No pieces or chunks . . but did I mention LOTS of shiny grit in the oil.

Getting it out is important to eliminate wear on the gears as they spin fast . . and of course no filter to catch contaminates.

I'm putting in a synthetic now. 13 oz deserves all the benefit it can get Especially when you figure it's another 200 hours to the next time.

I was surprised at just how much grit was in the oil.

 

[ray66v]

I was surprised at just how much grit was in the oil.

Don't be surprised. There is always going to be metal from wear, in a hypoid gear box.

The way the gears mesh, they will wear no matter what you do.

Unless it's defective, it should outlast you.

 

[SteveM70]

+1 on what Ray said. There will always be some fine stuff but that first change, after everything gets done meshing will be an eye opener.

 

[Fiziksgeek]

Did you change the gear box fluid after 40 hours of tractor use, or 40 hours of actual mowing?

 

[AxleHub]

Did you change the gear box fluid after 40 hours of tractor use, or 40 hours of actual mowing?

40 hours of mowing . . 79 hours of total tractor use

 

[Ooklaa]

Axle post some pictures!

 

[JWR]

Don't be surprised. There is always going to be metal from wear, in a hypoid gear box.

The way the gears mesh, they will wear no matter what you do.

Unless it's defective, it should outlast you.

Yep, it will outlast you and there is no reason to change the lube in the first place.

 

[AxleHub]

Another day of learning about mmm decks.

1. Guess how many grease zerks there are on an MF mmm deck.
If you guessed 6 or 8 . . you'd be wrong. The answer is 12 if you include the following:

Rear deck wheels 1 each times 2
Front deck wheels 2 each x 2
Spindle 1 each x 3
Tension pulley 1 each x 1
Gear box shaft 1
Shaft to mid pto 1

Plus there are 2 spots to apply grease that don't have zirks (gear box race and shaft to pto snap ring)

2. I always use a high temp RED grease so it shows up. Last year I greased my deck 3 times . . Always till grease showed . . Or 3 pumps where I couldn't see (covers on etc.) Well today I had all the covers off and cleaned everything up. Then I greased everything. I was a little surprised how the spindle zirks I pumped 5 times each and still didn't show grease coming out . . So 3 more pumps each and dark grease came out (not my red color). So obviously 3 times last year x 3 pumps each on each spindle had not driven old grease out and now 8 pumps each is finally pushing out the old grease. My point is . . The spindles sure seem to take considerable grease.

 

[irvingj]

"The spindles sure seem to take considerable grease." Yep. Mine, too. (Same with snowblower auger shaft.)

 

[rider7767]

Greetings,

I assume this topic could apply to all scuts that have a mmm . . but I'm writing it directly about the MF Gc1700 series.

The gear box on a mmm. Its pretty easy to forget it when you're focused on the tractor engine and hydro servicing. And besides the mmm . . maybe there are other implements that you have a gear box and oil to be changed too.


But today I drained the oil out . . A quantity of about 13 oz. In my particular gearbod I tipped the mmm up to a vertical position to make sure the 1st change was drained as much as possible. And a good thing I dud. Lots of shiny fine grit . . Lots of it. Its natural after 40 hours of operation of a new mmm that it would have some with all the fine gears and surfaces. No pieces or chunks . . but did I mention LOTS of shiny grit in the oil.

Getting it out is important to eliminate wear on the gears as they spin fast . . and of course no filter to catch contaminates.

I'm putting in a synthetic now. 13 oz deserves all the benefit it can get Especially when you figure it's another 200 hours to the next time.

I was surprised at just how much grit was in the oil.

You did good by changing it. The MMM manual requires the oil to be changed at 50 hours. Any time you can get the metal out is better.