I'd like to change out the 80-90 weight gear oil on the gearbox on my woods bush hog. Now after carefully reading the manual there are only two plugs on the gearbox. On top you have the vent plug and on one side you have the oil check plug. You remove the lower one to make sure the oil level is such that some oil comes out of the lower plug. So at this point the only thing I think I have to do now is loosen the four bolts and using a soft faced hammer is create a gap between the upper and lower housings so as to allow the old oil to drain out. Or if anyone has found a different way to drain out the old oil I'd be most appreciative in hearing about it. Seems to me that is a sloppy way of draining out the old oil. Thanks,Frank
L3800 with a woods bush hog
- Thread starter Frank46
- Start date
CaveCreekRay
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
L3800 HST, KingKutter box scraper, KingKutter 66" rake, County Pride Subsoiler
Frank,
Goofy they didn't provide a drain plug! Usually the level check plug is the fill plug. Sure your unit isn't upside down?
Here's another option: suction the old oil out through one of the plugs.
Before I'd split a case to drain it, I'd look at either a vacuum collector (like a brake bleeder with a collector cup) or even an old 80-90 bottle with a hose on it. You don't need to get every last drop. This lubrication oil has not been exposed to combustion gasses like engine oil. If you leave a 10% of the old stuff in you are not hurting anything.
Good luck.
Ray
Goofy they didn't provide a drain plug! Usually the level check plug is the fill plug. Sure your unit isn't upside down?
Here's another option: suction the old oil out through one of the plugs.
Before I'd split a case to drain it, I'd look at either a vacuum collector (like a brake bleeder with a collector cup) or even an old 80-90 bottle with a hose on it. You don't need to get every last drop. This lubrication oil has not been exposed to combustion gasses like engine oil. If you leave a 10% of the old stuff in you are not hurting anything.
Good luck.
Ray
Thanks a bunch to you both. I really appreciate the suggestions. think I may have a gas syphon or something floating around that could be used to remove the old oil. If not a trip to harbor freight seems to be in order. You would think that when they designed the darn thing they'd think about a way to get the old oil out. Thanks again, Frank
apeckham
New member
Equipment
L3800HST, Buhler 6' Finish Mower, Land Pride APS500, Land Pride RB3774
I have a gear box that uses the bottom corner cover bolt hole as the drain. Just take the bolt out and the case drains.
Might be something to look into.
Might be something to look into.
I have a 48 in. King Kutter & no drain bolt (unless its underneath the stump jumper). Removed top cover when I 1st got it used. Used a pump that came with a bottle of outboard motor gearbox grease to pump out the old grease. Worked great.
I did a search, "drain plug in woods brush mower". Here's what I found:
Use a Hand Pump
A hand pump with a long plastic tube on the end will remove the old gearbox oil. Hand pumps for this purpose are available at most automotive parts houses. They are typically used for servicing transmissions and power steering pump reservoirs on automobiles. A hand pump works nicely on a bush hog gearbox when the oil is warm. Immediately after using the bush hog, shut it down and remove the fill/check plug. Snake the plastic tubing into the hole to the bottom of the gearbox. Pull out on the pump handle to create suction, and draw the old oil out of the box.
Tip the Bush Hog on Its Side
A bush hog with a cutting diameter of 5 feet or less can tip on its side. The gearbox fill/check plug typically mounts on the side, or at an angle, into the gearbox. Tipping the deck on its side allows the oil to drain. Warm the oil up by either operating the bush hog or setting it in direct sunlight. With the bush hog disconnected from the tractor, tip it on its side, and remove the fill/check plug. Catch the oil in a bucket, and set the bush hog back down.
Remove the Gearbox
Removing the gearbox from some models of bush hogs is not as difficult as it sounds. Decouple the drive shaft from the input of the gear box. Remove the mounting bolts securing the box to the deck of the bush hog. A spline shaft connects the gearbox to the cutting wheel. With the bolts removed, lift the gearbox off the bush hog deck, and turn it on its side over a bucket to drain the oil.
Use a Hand Pump
A hand pump with a long plastic tube on the end will remove the old gearbox oil. Hand pumps for this purpose are available at most automotive parts houses. They are typically used for servicing transmissions and power steering pump reservoirs on automobiles. A hand pump works nicely on a bush hog gearbox when the oil is warm. Immediately after using the bush hog, shut it down and remove the fill/check plug. Snake the plastic tubing into the hole to the bottom of the gearbox. Pull out on the pump handle to create suction, and draw the old oil out of the box.
Tip the Bush Hog on Its Side
A bush hog with a cutting diameter of 5 feet or less can tip on its side. The gearbox fill/check plug typically mounts on the side, or at an angle, into the gearbox. Tipping the deck on its side allows the oil to drain. Warm the oil up by either operating the bush hog or setting it in direct sunlight. With the bush hog disconnected from the tractor, tip it on its side, and remove the fill/check plug. Catch the oil in a bucket, and set the bush hog back down.
Remove the Gearbox
Removing the gearbox from some models of bush hogs is not as difficult as it sounds. Decouple the drive shaft from the input of the gear box. Remove the mounting bolts securing the box to the deck of the bush hog. A spline shaft connects the gearbox to the cutting wheel. With the bolts removed, lift the gearbox off the bush hog deck, and turn it on its side over a bucket to drain the oil.
I've never drained one... If the bottom seal goes, I drill in a grease zerk, between the 2 lower bearings, and pump about 20 pumps of grease in, then refill to the proper level. The grease acts as a seal to keep the oil in...
CaveCreekRay
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
L3800 HST, KingKutter box scraper, KingKutter 66" rake, County Pride Subsoiler
What a pain!
All because they saved "a-buck-two-fifty" by leaving off one more plug.
Good thing you don't have to do it often.
All because they saved "a-buck-two-fifty" by leaving off one more plug.
Good thing you don't have to do it often.
Maybe the "bean counters" had a meeting and decided it would save money not having a drain plug, gearbox would wear out quicker without such troublesome maintenance, and a new on would be purchased.
They forgot the concept the operator may be smart enough to go to a different unit or brand to not have this happen again!
They forgot the concept the operator may be smart enough to go to a different unit or brand to not have this happen again!
grab piece of tubing to fit in plug hole
drill hole same size as tubing for snug fit in lid of old 5gal bucket
insert tube into bucket thru lid and extend it to lower part of bucket
shop vac in lid opening if there is already one there (cut one if not)
turn on shop vac
suck oil into bucket and discard
I started doing this with a sports car that has a belly pan shroud that has to be removed to get to the drain plug. 8 bolts and very low ground clearance make it a pain.
1/4" tube in the dipstick hole is much easier.
drill hole same size as tubing for snug fit in lid of old 5gal bucket
insert tube into bucket thru lid and extend it to lower part of bucket
shop vac in lid opening if there is already one there (cut one if not)
turn on shop vac
suck oil into bucket and discard
I started doing this with a sports car that has a belly pan shroud that has to be removed to get to the drain plug. 8 bolts and very low ground clearance make it a pain.
1/4" tube in the dipstick hole is much easier.
I have one of these. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_390306_390306 It works pretty good. Northern tool has several different options for oil extraction.