Used brush mower - Maintenance issues.

[mainerr]

Friend of mine who is a mechanic for the town replaced the seals with new ones from Earth Tools and filled it back up with gear oil. Ran fine for a few hours, then I smelled gear oil while operating - leaking out of the bottom seal.

Question 1:

One hypothesis is that there might be too much pressure building up. He mentioned the top plug / screw may want to be aspirated. Is that true?

Thanks!

 

[LD1]

Friend of mine who is a mechanic for the town replaced the seals with new ones from Earth Tools and filled it back up with gear oil. Ran fine for a few hours, then I smelled gear oil while operating - leaking out of the bottom seal.

Question 1:

One hypothesis is that there might be too much pressure building up. He mentioned the top plug / screw may want to be aspirated. Is that true?

Thanks!

Yes. Top plug is normally vented. Might just be plugged with gunk.

As the thing heats up, it builds pressure. Has to vent because seals arent designed to seal pressure.

 

[mainerr]

Yes. Top plug is normally vented. Might just be plugged with gunk.

As the thing heats up, it builds pressure. Has to vent because seals arent designed to seal pressure.

Thanks. Here are some photos of the top plug as it came to me. The top plug doesn't look so bad to me, but I'm not familiar with what to look for.

The bottom seal seems to be leaking pretty badly - I assume that if it was due to pressure build up, the seal has been compromised and I'll need to take it apart and reseat the seal / install a new one?

If it wasn't due to pressure build up, is there anything else? I think my friend ruled out a cracked gearbox...

 

[mainerr]

Here's a view of the leak / stream

 

[mark in portugal]

I seriously doubt the problem is due to pressure buildup; but there's a simple way to find out.
Loosen the top plug; still leaking out the bottom?
Now you know.

I suspect a problem with the seal installation; most likely the shaft that wears against the seal is rough / corroded, and spoiled the new seal. Other possibility is a loose / worn out bearing, but that would have been obvious.

 

[mainerr]

"Friend of mine who is a mechanic for the town replaced the seals with new ones from Earth Tools and filled it back up with gear oil."

I'm on the fence between taking it apart myself out of curiosity vs. just going ahead and filling it with grease and moving on with my life.

Will grease significantly lower the service life of the unit? Is it worth it for me to go through the paces myself in the case that it's something silly?

I know it's hard to quantify... but what would you do?

 

[Turbys_1700]

My dad used grease in his old bush hogs for years. It's what an old frugal farmer does. As long as the gear box is lubricated it will run. I would try it. If it works great. If not replace the seal.

 

[leonz]

That oil seal o-ring does not look good at all and is where you oil is going most likely. At this stage I would just invest in some corn picker grease to lube the gearbox and enjoy breaking new ground for a fall green manure crop.

 

[mainerr]

Thanks for the responses folks. I picked up another used brush mower to use in the meantime with the intention of taking this apart over the winter to get a better look at it for myself. If it comes to it, I'll throw grease in and use it for the rougher areas.