Adding Transmission Fluid?

WARNING. Any one who opens up any transaxle you must realize that many parts are sharper than any knives in your kitchen. Be very careful and have a few good bandaids on hand.

I was having trouble with my 50" White (Yardman by a different name). A continuously variable speed machine, not hydraulic. It used to "jump out of gear" when turning and also when going up a slope. Agent and importer told me the problem was in the forward/reverse shifting mechanism in the diff housing. So I pulled it appart and adjusted clearances - bought shims and made my own out of hardened sheeting. Didn't help. Bought new gears - pinion and crown wheels for they told me they must be worn. Didn't help. I asked if it could be the actual diff assembly/ Was told by both - no those don't fail. Have a look at my first picture. I took it in to the local dealer - "No that play is all OK). I asked the importer, spares stockist ... "Shouldn't be but we don't sell at assembly. You need to replace the whole housing" Both the dealer and the agent wanted to sell me new assembly for the equivalent of $US500. They told me that the movement that I was seeing was nothing to worry about for the axles were held in place by the bearings and that the movement was normal. I was told to check the end lateral (in/pit) axle paly. Added new shims. Did not help!!! With no answer insight and not wanting to spend $500 I went on line and found replacement diff and axles on-line in the US at a fraction of the price. Also cheaper than MTD). But freight to my country was a bit of a killer. However a nephew was coming from the US in about a month!. Free shipping to his place in the US. he was bringing golf clubs and the axle went into the bag. Deal done. New axle arrived ..... look at pic two. Only a fraction of the axle play. The agents and dealer didn't know what they were talking about. So time to reinstall. Ah - graphite grease. No one here knew of it. I was far from convinced that it was good staff for when I opened my original housing there was next to no greasing around any of the gears of diff housing. That stuff cavitates terribly. (See next picture. The third shows how obviously there was serious wear as result of a lack of lube where it counted. Those metal flecks weren't in the original grease.) Sure that stull clung to surfaces but was useless as a lubricant). Anyway to buy some was megabuck for a small tube from the US and I would need many tubes.
Off to the web. A lot of reading and there were suggestions for alternatives but none really appealed. i spoke to oil and grease wholesalers here. Nothing suitable and as for bentonite grease ... what is that). Finally on the web someone said they have used John Deere corn header oil. This was designed to equipment of with stress surface, moderate rotation speeds, good thixotropy, water resistant ....... So rang the local John Deere agent. Yeah not a problem ... we sell 20L drums! How much did I want ... oh about half a litre. Bring a container in and we will provide some from our bulk tank. Done. Took a 2 L container ... he as good as filled it. How much? Dont know - how about a bottle of wine.... Down the road and back in a flash with a reasonable bottle and I was off and away. TFilled the diff transmission assembly lower half and spun the axles/ Just look at that oil. Clung and didn't cavitate!! Job done.
Close the housing and installed it. Adjusted the shift handle and away i went. That was five years ago now. Anyone want to some excess header oil/grease? (Last picture just for fun ... anyone wanting a worn transaxle?)