My new to me BCS 715

[Ezzrider]

When you take the two nuts off that hold the tiller to the tractor, nothing leaks out, there is a bearing and a seal on the end of the splined shaft on the tiller. On the tractor end, there is a female splined coupler that engages the splines on the tiller shaft. The tractor end also has a seal that holds the transmision gear oil. Grease the splined coupler where it slides on the tractor shaft and where it couples to the tiller shaft. It's really a simple coupling and is easy to figure out once you get it apart. Still haven't found my manuals, I know they're around here somewhere.

Well I drained and replaced the transmission oil - no problems. I removed the tiller box from the tractor and drained the oil from the gear box. I noticed the PTO area is filled with a white to off white looking grease. Is that normal? It is packed with grease around the opening. I am going to the autoparts store and get some of the same packing grease. I have not run across any issues so far and everything looks fine. I did notice on the transmission drain plug and the tiller gear box drain plug it looked like some clear silicone seal material had been placed on the plug area. Possibly to prevent leaking? I tuned the tiller gear box upside down to drain. There was not a lot of oil in the gear box. I am going to read how much to put back in the tiller gear box.

 

[clytle374]

Well I drained and replaced the transmission oil - no problems. I removed the tiller box from the tractor and drained the oil from the gear box. I noticed the PTO area is filled with a white to off white looking grease. Is that normal? It is packed with grease around the opening. I am going to the autoparts store and get some of the same packing grease. I have not run across any issues so far and everything looks fine. I did notice on the transmission drain plug and the tiller gear box drain plug it looked like some clear silicone seal material had been placed on the plug area. Possibly to prevent leaking? I tuned the tiller gear box upside down to drain. There was not a lot of oil in the gear box. I am going to read how much to put back in the tiller gear box.

The PTO area gets packed mostly full of grease. I'd clean it out and put in new.

That was probably, as you suspected, clear silicone to prevent a leak. Mine had it too, I used thread tape on reassembly.

Sounds like the seals might be leaking a bit, but you don't know how long its been since the tiller oil has been checked. It looked to me like there was enough area below the seals to hold enough oil to save the gears.

I found in the book for the newer tillers, it says oil 2" from the top of the gearbox.

 

[Ezzrider]

Thanks for all your help. I got everything changed out - transmission, tiller gear box, repacking PTO and engine oil. I also used thread tape on reassembly. The manual I got on the CD recommended the tiller gear box oil be filled to near the top. The tiller gear box looked low on oil to me when I drained it. I did not see any leakage or evidence of bad seals anywhere on the tractor but I will check after I have used it a bit as they could have been cleaned up or dried up. According to the previous owner this tiller had not been used in several years. I am going to need to replace the tires. I am wondering how difficult it will be for me to change out the tires myself as I do not know how tuff it is to put on the new tires. Thanks again.

 

[Jerry/MT]

Here is a picture of the used BCS 715 with tiller attachment I bought yesterday. I appreciate all the help from this forum with my trying to figure out how to check transmission oil and tiller gear box oil. I have no manuals but I have ordered a CD. I have looked for over a year for a good used heavy duty rear tine tiller and this one came up on Craig's List in Tampa Bay where I live. Prior to conducting research on this one I had never heard of BCS two wheel tractors. I am very impressed now that I have this one and from the research and input from others. I was looking for a heavy duty tiller to last me a lifetime and I believe I have made a good choice. Mine will only be used for tilling as I already have a Kubota 4wd diesel tractor.

I have a 715 that I bought in 1996 and other than putting gas into it and changing the oil, I've done very little to maintain it. My wife has a 6400 sq ft garden with clay loam soils and lots of rock fragments and we are near to wearing out the tines but it still runs strong. There should be a dipstick on the transmission case to check the tranny oil. Mine is still clean as the day I bought it. The tiller gear oil can be checked via a plug on the tiller gear case.

My only complaint has been the difficulty in shifting and the original dealler worked on adjusting that as best it culd be adjusted.
It's a tough, well built machine that will last you a long time with a minimum of maintenance.

 

[Ezzrider]

Thanks. The shifter and PTO is a bit tricky but work fine. I also found the same to be true with a large Troy Built tiller I rented back in the spring to till my gardens.

 

[clytle374]

Thanks. The shifter and PTO is a bit tricky but work fine. I also found the same to be true with a large Troy Built tiller I rented back in the spring to till my gardens.

That was one of my biggest complaints when mowing with the 715 we had, always jumps past the gear you want.