Too much trans/hydraulic fluid??

[CutTheHolesOut]

I have an older tractor with a loader. Bolens g274 to be specific. I went to do a fluid change. Manual says 34.5 liters. I put in a whole 10 gallons (37.8 liters) and it still doesn’t register on the dip stick. What am I missing? I checked for leaks and it all looks good.

 

[oldnslo]

Can you use a screw driver or longer piece of wire to see where the oil level is? Occasionally published fill quantities are off depending how well the system is drained.

 

[CutTheHolesOut]

I didn’t check anything deeper than the 3 inch dipstick would tell me, but that’s a good idea to see how much more I need. I put in an extra 3/4 gallon of the stuff tho. Could it be off by that much, or do you think the loader could be needing the extra fluid? I didn’t do anything special besides lay the loader down and wiggle the controls to get the pressure out before I drained it.

 

[oldnslo]

Loader should not change fill volume when sitting staitionary.

Have you owned this since new or is there a chance someone put in a different dip stick?

Off by 4 liters is approx 10% and that seems a bit excessive.

Not questioning your intelligence but is it possible the fluid is so clear you can’t see it on the dipstick. I know this is a problem on some vehicles.

 

[newbury]

Does the manual state what is included as far as attachments?
Are you sure the capacity is with loader? Did you change the filter also?

 

[CutTheHolesOut]

Haha thank you for that. Yeah I know sometimes the oil can look very clear. But this thing was dry as a bone. It’s brand new to me so the dipstick could very well be the issue here. I thought it was a little odd being so short. I just did a quick search for a bolens g274 dipstick and came up empty. Would anyone happen to know the approximate length of the proper dipstick?

 

[CutTheHolesOut]

Newbury, yes I changed the filter, but it is small, maybe a pint or so. I don’t believe the manual stated any attachments so I’m assuming the capacity is without the loader.

 

[CutTheHolesOut]

If it is the wrong dipstick could it do much damage being overfull? Or would it just leak out somewhere

 

[oldnslo]

Cut
The overfill question depends on the design of the vehicle. Possible but doubtful 10% overfill would leak out but possible. Biggest concern would be when oil heats and expands would it now come out of the breather or worse build up enough pressure to damage lip seals, This is unlikely but possible.

Can tell if there are bearings close to the level of the dipstick? I would think design would be for all the bearings to at least be partially submerged for lubrication which goes back to what is oil level presently.

 

[CutTheHolesOut]

So I found a picture of an aftermarket dipstick (out of stock of course) and it looks much longer than the one that’s in there. Picture below. They were kind enough to post dimensions. Total length is 230mm and from the rubber is 200mm. Mine is maybe 2.5-3 inches. What I wouldn’t give for an extra few inches.. I can get a rubber stopper and poke a welding rod thru the center to make one but the big question is how far down do I go? It says 200 from rubber but is that from the top that’s on the outside of the machine, bottom that is inside with the oil, or middle where it flanges out and covers the hole? And then how would I know min and max fill?