Using a vacuum while removing the transmission strainer method for my BX25

[wrooster]

For those that use the vacuum cleaner while removing the transmission strainer on a BX. Do you hook the vacuum hose tightly to the dipstick hole? If so do you have any problem sucking up fluid into the vacuum? Or do you have to purposely leave a little break or leak in the connection to avoid that?
Thank you

Hey Jeff,

First, drive the left side of your BX up on a pair of car ramps, giving about a 8"-10" rise to the left side of the tractor compared to the right side. If you have the BH and FEL on at this point you can set those down after ramping and the tractor will be completely stable. Put a piece of cardboard (a flattened box works well) under the tractor rear.

Next, half-fill a small container (e.g. a coffee can) with mineral spirits.

Make sure the hydraulic oil fill plug/dipstick at the rear of the tractor is still in place.

Now, in behind the left rear wheel, remove the retaining bolt and hold-down tab for the strainer. I want to say 10mm bolt head but check your manual.

Ideally now you could pull the strainer straight out but you may have to use a pair of slip-joint pliers to give it a slight twist and draw. There is a rubber O-ring keeping the strainer in place, and in my case it kept the strainer from easily pulling out. But give it a twist and get it unset with the pliers.

Once you have a little purchase on the strainer and you can at least rotate it and begin to draw it out a bit, STOP.

Go get your neighbor, your wife/girlfriend, your son/daughter, etc. -- hand them a pair of latex gloves, and a shop rag.

That person holds the shop rag in a ready position, and then you pull the strainer straight out. Once it is clear of the hole, your helper covers the hole with the shop rag. Using this process of pre-tilting the tractor in conjunction with my untrained, unqualified, mechanically inept, and fashion-conscious wife resulted in the loss of about 3 tablespoons of hydraulic oil. There will be some questions from your helper at this point, mainly involving how long they need to maintain this position.

Drop the strainer into the aforementioned coffee can with mineral spirits. Swish it around a bit. Some glitter-like metal specks may come off the strainer and settle in the can. Do not panic. Inspect the strainer visually for tears or other issues. Give it a final swish and rinse.

Back at the tractor, say something like, "Ready? OK here we go, on 3, 1-2-3 ..." and your help removes the shop rag whilst you push the strainer into the hole, giving it a nice shove at the tail end to get the rubber O-ring seated. About 3 tablespoons of hydraulic oil will again escape. Fully seat the strainer back in place, rotate into alignment, reinstall tab and retaining bolt, and torque bolt to 197,000 ft-lbs using a NASA-calibrated torque wrench.

Really, it's not half as adventurous as it sounds, and despite protestations from my help she neither got any hydraulic oil on her nor her shoes.

Wrooster

 

[Jeff H]

Well I did the yearly big spring maintenance today. Spring maintenance happens when the snow plow comes off and the mower deck goes on! Yes I have removed my strainer before for the 50 hour maintenance but that time I changed the fluid. Not time for the next fluid change yet. But since it has been a couple of years I wanted to check the strainer.
So I did not attempt the vacuum maneuver, visions of fluid spraying everywhere or dirty backwash from the shop vac contaminating the tractor made me vote against that.
I did go out and buy the prescribed #5 rubber stopper. Pulled out the screen and put in the stopper. Cleaned the screen then pulled the stopper and put the screen back. You have to move fast. Didn't loose much, fluid all over my hand, and a small puddle in the drain pan. I didn't check my fluid level before I started, but after the screen cleaning and putting on a new spin on filter, it took 14 oz to top off the hydro fluid. Most of that of course was to fill the new spin on filter.
Where to find a #5 rubber stopper you ask? Went to both of the big box home centers to get the #5 rubber stopper, one didn't have any stoppers, the other had an odd assortment of sizes which did not include #5, there was not even a spot in the bins for a #5. Luckily there is still an old hardware store in the next town, they had rubber stoppers and luckily one #5 left in the #5 drawer.

 

[lamanated]

I used a small hose shop vac on the fill port, dont cover the whole thing, just about a half and keep it off the opening a bit,

 

[dragoneggs]

Hey Jeff,

First, drive the left side of your BX up on a pair of car ramps, giving about a 8"-10" rise to the left side of the tractor compared to the right side. If you have the BH and FEL on at this point you can set those down after ramping and the tractor will be completely stable. Put a piece of cardboard (a flattened box works well) under the tractor rear.

Next, half-fill a small container (e.g. a coffee can) with mineral spirits.

Make sure the hydraulic oil fill plug/dipstick at the rear of the tractor is still in place.

Now, in behind the left rear wheel, remove the retaining bolt and hold-down tab for the strainer. I want to say 10mm bolt head but check your manual.

Ideally now you could pull the strainer straight out but you may have to use a pair of slip-joint pliers to give it a slight twist and draw. There is a rubber O-ring keeping the strainer in place, and in my case it kept the strainer from easily pulling out. But give it a twist and get it unset with the pliers.

Once you have a little purchase on the strainer and you can at least rotate it and begin to draw it out a bit, STOP.

Go get your neighbor, your wife/girlfriend, your son/daughter, etc. -- hand them a pair of latex gloves, and a shop rag.

That person holds the shop rag in a ready position, and then you pull the strainer straight out. Once it is clear of the hole, your helper covers the hole with the shop rag. Using this process of pre-tilting the tractor in conjunction with my untrained, unqualified, mechanically inept, and fashion-conscious wife resulted in the loss of about 3 tablespoons of hydraulic oil. There will be some questions from your helper at this point, mainly involving how long they need to maintain this position.

Drop the strainer into the aforementioned coffee can with mineral spirits. Swish it around a bit. Some glitter-like metal specks may come off the strainer and settle in the can. Do not panic. Inspect the strainer visually for tears or other issues. Give it a final swish and rinse.

Back at the tractor, say something like, "Ready? OK here we go, on 3, 1-2-3 ..." and your help removes the shop rag whilst you push the strainer into the hole, giving it a nice shove at the tail end to get the rubber O-ring seated. About 3 tablespoons of hydraulic oil will again escape. Fully seat the strainer back in place, rotate into alignment, reinstall tab and retaining bolt, and torque bolt to 197,000 ft-lbs using a NASA-calibrated torque wrench.

Really, it's not half as adventurous as it sounds, and despite protestations from my help she neither got any hydraulic oil on her nor her shoes.

Wrooster

That made me laugh! :laughing:

Well I did the yearly big spring maintenance today. Spring maintenance happens when the snow plow comes off and the mower deck goes on! Yes I have removed my strainer before for the 50 hour maintenance but that time I changed the fluid. Not time for the next fluid change yet. But since it has been a couple of years I wanted to check the strainer.
So I did not attempt the vacuum maneuver, visions of fluid spraying everywhere or dirty backwash from the shop vac contaminating the tractor made me vote against that.
I did go out and buy the prescribed #5 rubber stopper. Pulled out the screen and put in the stopper. Cleaned the screen then pulled the stopper and put the screen back. You have to move fast. Didn't loose much, fluid all over my hand, and a small puddle in the drain pan. I didn't check my fluid level before I started, but after the screen cleaning and putting on a new spin on filter, it took 14 oz to top off the hydro fluid. Most of that of course was to fill the new spin on filter.
Where to find a #5 rubber stopper you ask? Went to both of the big box home centers to get the #5 rubber stopper, one didn't have any stoppers, the other had an odd assortment of sizes which did not include #5, there was not even a spot in the bins for a #5. Luckily there is still an old hardware store in the next town, they had rubber stoppers and luckily one #5 left in the #5 drawer.

I too was in search of a rubber plug... searched all over, auto stores, craft stores, hardware stores, and finally found an assortment of natural tapered corks. Now I have the right one in my tool box Sharpie marked "HST"