How do I drain a gearbox?

[Tennessee 8n]

Realized today that the gearbox on my recently acquired KK finish mower was overfilled with milky gear oil. How do I get all that bad stuff out without taking it apart? I don't see a drain plug and I hate to open the front of it if I dont have too. Anybody got a good secret technique?

 

[RoyJackson]

You should have got a manual with that mower (unless you bought it used). That manual should give you the information you need.
There should be a drain plug either under the mower deck or very low on the gear box.
This is not the best way but there was at least one guy on TBN that used his loader to lift the mower (or cutter) on one side to drain the gear oil out of the fill port. Can't recall all the particulars but that's how he did it. Better, IMHO, to pump as much out as you can rather then dump it.

Here's King Kutter's finishing mower manual, if you want to read it:
http://www.kingkutter.com/downloads/manFMSD.pdf

 

[Soundguy]

I'd you one of those hand pump syphon hoses ( 4$ walmart, 3$ harbor freight ).. pour a pint of rubbing alcohol into the gearbox, plus a lil atf fluid.. run the gearbox a minute, then syphon the stuff out. dump in some mineral spirits or diesel fuel, and the syphon that out.. refill with a good gear oil per the manufacturers specs..

soundguy

 

[beenthere]

Some don't have a lower drain plug. Have a choice, to tip it over or just figure the milky oil will do the job. Otherwise, taking it apart is an option.

I'd flip it over with the FEL and let it drain out that way.

 

[thatguy]

I cut lucky and my cutter has a removable top so that and a turkey baster work very nicely...

Brian

 

[Soundguy]

Some don't have a lower drain plug. Have a choice, to tip it over or just figure the milky oil will do the job. Otherwise, taking it apart is an option.

I'd flip it over with the FEL and let it drain out that way.

leaving it is a horrible choice.. and flipping is alot of work!.. and a syphon is cheap and easy..

 

[pennwalk]

The gear box in my KK bush hog worked loose so I needed to pull the stump jumper to work on it. I hung a chain hoist from a beam in the barn. I lifted the cutter up on end to work on it. It would be easy to open fill hole and drain it like that.

Chris

 

[buckeyefarmer]

My KK finish mower manual does not show a drain plug on the gearbox, and it's dark outside so I won't go look. There is a 1/2" fill plug and an 1/8" fill level plug.

 

[beenthere]

TN 8N
You have some choices now..

I'd flip it over in 5 min with the loader, vs an hour to run to town for a turkey baster or a syphon.

Let us know what you do.

 

[Tennessee 8n]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I used the turkey baster with a piece of tubing attached. Worked like a champ. Now watch me play stupid come Thanksgiving when she can't find her baster!