Rotary Cutter Overfilled gear oil on Woods BB60 rotary cutter

[canoetrpr]

The owners manual says that I should fill in gear oil until it runs out from the side overflow plug.

So I start filling and filling and filling... no overflow. I check the level just peeking into it and it is definately higher than the overflow plug ... yet I get no overflow.

Can anyone with this type of rotary cutter tell me what I might be missing? Seemed simple enough. Not sure if I should be trying to find a way to suck out the excess gear oil and eye balling it to about the level of the overflow plug?

 

[RoyJackson]

Before you siphon any oil out, rotate the gear box and let the oil settle. I reckon you're using 80w or 90w which is pretty thick. It will take a little while to drain down.
If it turns out the oil is too high, you really want to determine why it didn't drain out of the side hole.

 

[jbrumberg]

Canoetrpr:

It appears that the overflow hole is clogged. My old Woods M-40 did not even have an overflow plug. It had a cast level line. If I went over the line I had to use our kitchen turkey baster which "She Who Must Be Obeyed " felt was also over the line . I will add that I did replace the turkey baster, but I will still use (surreptiously) our measuring cups for fuel mixes. I want everyone to know that I really, really clean them well afterwards. Jay

 

[canoetrpr]

Hi Jay..

Funnily enough, the turkey baster is EXACTLY what I had in mind to get the extra oil out. I'll turn the cutter to get the gears going as Roy suggested.

Any clue at all how I might be able to unclog it? Kinda didn't expect to run into something like this the first time I went to add some gear oil!

 

[jbrumberg]

Canoetrpr:

I would try a pipe cleaner, straightened paperclip, wire, anything that is thin and stiff enough to do the job. Why will I not be surprised if the tenor of this post deteriorates . Jay

PS: Buy the wife another turkey baster .

 

[kbota]

If a shredder/finish mower gearbox is only slightly overfilled, I have a hard time finding a reason for concern. What's the worst that could happen?
The oil needs a small air space for expansion, but again, worst case is it squeezes a little oil past the shaft seal.

I'd leave it alone. This is not like an engine.

If I'm missing something, someone let me know.

k

 

[bucmeister]

How big is the overflow hole? Is it a 1/2" pipe plug like the one on my Bush Hog 287 rotary cutter or something small like a 1/8" setscrew?

 

[canoetrpr]

Turned it a bit .. still no oil coming out. Tried a needle in the overflow hole - couldn't even get a needle through. I figured I'd get the needle to the oil and the needle would come out with oil on it.... no go.

I'll putz around it today. Otherwise, out comes the turkey baster.

Not sure how to describe the drain hole. I'd say it is about 1/2 in diameter - threaded on the outside. If you look into it, its mostly solid with a wee tiny hole which I would expect the fluid to come out from. I'm not so sure that hole goes all the way into the gearbox now... either that or I am doing something incredibly stupid.

 

[mjfox6]

Aren't you just supposed to remove the overflow plug before filling? It sounds like you are trying to get the excess oil to flow through the vent hole instead of just removing the whole plug. That's my understanding of how to do it from my dealer (I have yet to do it and don't have a Woods model).

 

[canoetrpr]

mjfox - you've got to be on to something because whatever I am doing ain't working.

It didn't look to me like there is an obvious way to remove the overflow plug. It seemd to be very much part of the gearbox itself.

If I can't figure this out when I get back home tonight, I will take a picture or two and hope that someone can point out my stupidity