change hydro oil

[7394]

Apparently you haven't worked many mowers yet. Deck spindles are the worst at seizing.

Well my main thing is wrenching Harleys.. & agree about deck spindles.

 

[jcworks]

change the oil
Not a big job to do
Instructions are on the Hydro gear web page
I like to do them then leave the mower for a couple of days before I purge the air out of the system .
Only real trick is to run the engine as slow as possible and make sure the wheels are jacked up so there is no load on the hydro .

Hi bert. Last summer, you may remember you and I had a lengthy discussion about the Hydro-Gear bypass valve not working properly on my 2013 Toro MX5060. Between you and I and the Hydo-Gear rep on the phone we got that resolved, if you remember. It was simple.

We also discussed me changing hydro oil. I believe its a ZT2800. I decided to put off doing that till winter in case something went wrong the mowing season would be over and (God forbid) I had to take it to a dealer. So, I'm at that point now. The meter shows 270 hours on the machine.
I've got a couple of questions for you:
(1) I watched the video on the HG website. It shows pumping the oil in with a hand held pump that inserts in the oil can and through a new black special oil filler attachment that screws in to the trans and has an overflow spout. However, my manual says pour the oil in the expansion tank till it comes out one of the unscrewed vents. Then put that vent plug back in and keep pouring till it comes out the 2nd one. I'm not sure which way to do it -- I suppose do it as my manual says do.
(2) Should I use only Hydro-Gear oil, or Hyper Oil the manual mentions? The manual did mention I could also use 20w50 motor oil. I suppose like Castrol conventional 20w50? Conventional oil is getting harder to find, I'm wondering if a 20w50 synthetic blend or full syn will work? I assume the filter should be changed too? Will a quality filter [that fits] from an auto parts store work? There are Hydro-Gear oil change kits out there online. Wow, they're high.....$100 and up!. I haven't priced it with HG; I imagine its high too. Bottom line on question (2) is would a filter from auto store (NAPA) work? And regular 20w50 (or synthetic blend or full synthetic) be ok in your opinion? Or do you think I should just pay the price and get the kit from Hydro-Gear....or whomever?

 

[ILENGINE]

Any 20w50 oil your choose will be find. If you have an expansion tank that you can pour oil into that is the best option as opposed to using the pump which is slow. Make sure to use either hydrogear filters or a direct crossover filter.

 

[7394]

Hydro-Gear Oil filters, or equal (as stated) as they are Full flow.

 

[jcworks]

Any 20w50 oil your choose will be find. If you have an expansion tank that you can pour oil into that is the best option as opposed to using the pump which is slow. Make sure to use either hydrogear filters or a direct crossover filter.

Thanks for the input ILENGINE. I found HG filters near me . I'll use 20w50 Castrol or some other quality oil.

 

[jcworks]

Hi, just saw your post. The link below was posted to Murray Forum. It might help you as it did me. Let me know what you think.
Thanks, Ski

Thanks Ski. I'm just getting around to begin this; I decided to do it in winter after the mowing season. This video is of course for a Murray but its basically about the same. I think draining and refilling the trans won't be an issue for me. The purging will be the show and tell time for me; but the manual pretty much is straightforward, and others on here have given helpful input. My machine has only one reservoir, it seems some machines have two from what I can tell. The manual says to refill through the reservoir til oil comes out one vent hole, then insert that plug and keep filling through the reservoir till it comes out the other vent hole. Seems simple enough.

 

[jcworks]

the air purging works over a 1 hr or so period so the air bubbles can work themselves up the line to the reservior. fill it to the required fill level and go mowing and carry some extra oil to top it off as the machine expels the air from the transmission.
changing the fluid is absolutely neccesary and critical to the performance of your transmissions. Ive dropped the oil and replaced and seen significant power increases from just changing the fluid. they are delicate expensive components to be looked after just as you would your engine

Yes, I am learning that is the case. And, I'm learning that two Toro dealerships do not really seem to want to do this. Why is anyone's guess. My guess is they want it to tear up to sell another machine or they don't feel competent doing this.

 

[2muchgrass2mow]

Worked out I have had it for 20 years or more
The heavy bushfire smoke from the 2019 fires caused it to flair up to become chronic to the point of near fatality
Methotrexate alone did not cut it so it was suplimented with Trumps favourite pills , hydroxichloroquin but still chronic every time I came off the steroids
Finally got it under control with pills , diet & exercise then backed off the meds to the point that I am down to 5mg of meth once a fortnight and looking to be off that by the end of the year .
Good luck with yours because every case is different .
I can live with slightly swollen hands & ankles every morning which encourages me to do my exercises daily to get the swelling down .
Seems to be working for now .
Only down side is I am useless work wise till mid morning

I am 73 and have had serious arthritic/osteoporotic issues beginning in my early 60's, and now have a titanium shoulder, two knuckles and a pinky joint replaced with silicon and have carpal tunnel and Dupyten's contracture in both hands. I know what you're going through. Never took methotrexate, nor would I even consider hydroxy-c, but I have been taking Celecoxib (Celebrex) for probably 25 years. Godsend! I would be nearly immobile without it. Long ago tried other NSAIDS like meloxicam, but they trashed my stomach. Currently I take 200mg. of Celebrex morning and night. Talk to you Doc about it. It's been a wonder drug for me - even though I still regularly have Triamcinolone injections in both hands and left wrist about every 4 mo. Still, I'm able to do my own mowing and service work on my JD X-370, but I cannot lift over 40 # (shoulder) and have trouble with grip strength. Power steering is also a Godsend! Look into the Celebrex, but see Doc first! Good luck!

 

[shurguywutt]

Hi, just saw your post. The link below was posted to Murray Forum. It might help you as it did me. Let me know what you think.
Thanks, Ski

Wow, it is amazing how these old machines run forever with little maintenance; old machines were made so much better. My father had an old Murray lawn tractor he got from Sears in the 80s-90s, he never did any maintenance to it, I never even remember him changing the oil, and that thing just ran. Sometimes I wonder if it is still in service somewhere lol.

I did my transaxles on my Toro a few weeks ago. It has Hydrogear ZT-2100s on it and they are sealed without even a drain plug (new technology? ). I had to suction the oil out through the fill port and only got about 0.75 QT out of each axle (1.5 QT fill). The oil was pretty dark with a bit under 100 hrs on the unit.