Howse 5' (model 500) rotary cutter gear oil? Lucas gear oil?

[2LateIWon]

I need to change out the fluid in my gear box it looks milky.
1) how do you do it? I didn't see a drain plug any where
2) what gear oil should I use
3) should I use the Lucas gear oil in there?

Thanks in advance (I've only put 7 hrs on this used unit)

 

[Diamondpilot]

Easiest way is to turn it over with a FEL. If you do not have one then try taking the gear box off.

As for oil dont waist your money on high end oil for this application. It will not hurt but moisture is the big killer of oil in gear boxes. I just run 80W90 gear oil in the gear boxes of all my stuff. Post hole digger, Bush hog, Finish mower, ect.

Chris

 

[2LateIWon]

good to know. 80w90 is what I was thinking. maybe I can get some kind of tube to suck the oil out.

 

[brucew44guns]

One of those suck guns will get most of it, but not all. Mine does not have drain plug either, I will use the method described and lift it up with the loader, drain the oil out the fill hole. Those yankees, they think of everything!!

 

[Diamondpilot]

good to know. 80w90 is what I was thinking. maybe I can get some kind of tube to suck the oil out.

If you have a buddy that is a boater he may have a suction oil changer. If you do not want to lift it you could use one of them. If its real nasty I would add some diesel fuel and run it at idle with no load for 2-3 minutes to break the oil down and make it easier to suck out or drain. This will also help to "wash" everything down internally. Let it air dry overnight before filling then maybe change the oil again after 5 hours of use. Its only a quart of so its not going to cost you much.

We use these all the time in the boating world. Works really well.

LiquiVac - Do It Yourself Oil Change System (Oil Extractor Pump) - LiquiVac

There are many variations of this. Some bigger, some electric, ect.

Chris

 

[2LateIWon]

Thanks I actually used my brake bleed hand pump. I flushed it with regular 10w40(just some clean new oil I had extra of) and did that several times. It seems pretty clean now. I filled it back up but do I fill it to the bottom hole or the top. I would think the bottom but thats not alot of oil. So I filled it to where it's just seeping out of the top hole. I have about 3-4 acres to mow Sat and the tractor is already tied down and ready to go. So I figured with this. I'll use it as normal Saturday. Then drain it and fill it back up. That should do the trick. If it's still really bad (which I doubt) I'll use the Diesel. That seems like a really good idea. That how we flushed the hydraulics and rear diff so why not.

Thanks
Now I'm wondering how the water got there in the first place. The Vent hole/plug on the top seemed plugged up (so I cleaned it up and soaked it in some carb cleaner) But I wouldn't know how water would get in there. There is no sign of leakage anywhere not even seepage. The Front Diff was like this too.....HUMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!:ashamed:

 

[Soundguy]

dump in a cup of diesel, then a cup of rubbing alcohol.. agitate till well mixed.. then suction out... add soem more diesel, and some more rubbing alcohol.. suction out.. that should get near all of it, as alcohol is a polar solvent and disolves the water and carries it in soloution..

refill with a good 80w90 or 85/140 depending on use habits and region / location / climate and run her.. any residual water should flash off from the heat of use. if she has weepy seals, do the 85/140 and add a lil lucas hub oil, or some sten ep 00# grease ( snapper dealer ) DO NOT add #4, #2 or #1 gun grease.. ep ) 0# or 00# grease only

again.. snapper has a ep00.. there are many generics. for 0# ep.. try jd cornheader grease.. made for header gearboxes.. etc.

lil dab will do ya to tighten up the mix IF the seals weep. if not.. don't need it..

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

you've way overfilled it and will likely blow the seals out.

hole on the side is the fill-to / check hole. fill till it dribbles out there. remember.. there is a gearset like a ring and pinion.. one gear carries oil to the other.. ie.. one gear runs int he oil and picks it up..

soundguy

Thanks I actually used my brake bleed hand pump. I flushed it with regular 10w40(just some clean new oil I had extra of) and did that several times. It seems pretty clean now. I filled it back up but do I fill it to the bottom hole or the top. I would think the bottom but thats not alot of oil. So I filled it to where it's just seeping out of the top hole. I have about 3-4 acres to mow Sat and the tractor is already tied down and ready to go. So I figured with this. I'll use it as normal Saturday. Then drain it and fill it back up. That should do the trick. If it's still really bad (which I doubt) I'll use the Diesel. That seems like a really good idea. That how we flushed the hydraulics and rear diff so why not.

Thanks
Now I'm wondering how the water got there in the first place. The Vent hole/plug on the top seemed plugged up (so I cleaned it up and soaked it in some carb cleaner) But I wouldn't know how water would get in there. There is no sign of leakage anywhere not even seepage. The Front Diff was like this too.....HUMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!:ashamed:

 

[two4spooky]

If you did not run the mower between filling and draining you may find the oil milky again after a cutting. The casting for the gear box has pockets and ridges along the bottom, or at least mine does. After drianing use a little pen light and you may be able to see them. I think the moisture gets in the oil just from using the cutter. The gear box breather on top lets air out as it heats and expands. As the box cools moist air is drawn back into the gear box. Eventually after enough cycles heating and cooling the oil gets milky. If the box did not breath eventually the seals would likely fail from the pressure building up. The original breather on my cutter's gear box failed and let preasure build up. Of course the gearbox was warm when I decided checked the level so 90wt sprayed everywhere. TIP: dont check the oil level on a warm gearbox. 90wt taste even worse than it smells. :licking: Manufacturers really should put a drain plug on these.

 

[two4spooky]

And like others said, I would not use expensive oil in a rotary cutter. You will probably retire the cutter from a rusted out deck or failed seals long before you wear the gearset out if you change the oil every now and then.