Troy Bilt 54" Mustang

[MrCollins]

Hello everyone!

I have a Troy Bilt 54" Mustang Zero Turn that I bought in 2017, didnt have much use until 2019, so basically a 2 years of USE mower. I live in the South so there is a lot of heat and use during the summer months. I am relatively meticulous in servicing my equipment. I want it to last.

After purchasing I noticed several things:

#1 There is no where to drain and refill the hydraulic fluid. Is there an internal filter as well? I have consulted my manual and it says that the 'transmission' is sealed and does not require service. That sounds fishy. If I can service this part, what type of oil do I use? I want to use the specific type that it is designed for, brand AND weight.

#2 There are 3 spindles and I would like to swap out the bearings and grease them using a grease gun but there are no grease fittings or zircs that I can see. Is it advisable to take gasket off of one side on each bearing when I get the new ones and drill out a hole for the fitting, grease it up? Is this a thing? I have consulted the manual and I even called Troy Bilt and they told me that they havent put grease fittings on their spindles in 20 years? This sounds like they just want to sell me more spindles etc.

Please advise. I appreciate any help. Thank you for your time.

 

[StarTech]

Yes the hydrostatic transaxle are considered sealed units. They also don't have internal filters if they are Hydro Gear units. Actually needthe model number off the units to be sure as to which they are.

The oil will be SAE 20w50 motor oil. As amounts need the make and model numbers off the transaxles as MTD does not provide any info on them other than their PN for the whole units.

The 2017 TB Mustang 54 that I looked uses taper bearings instead 6204-2rs ball bearings. These would be LM11949/LM11910 Cone Bearing Sets but to be sure which are actually used we need the model number off the serial number tag. It will be something like 17ANDALC011.

 

[bertsmobile1]

There are two MTD spindle housings that are the same dimensions and look identiacal at a glance.
One uses tapered rollers in conjunction with a hollow spindle with a grease nipple on the top
The other uses sealed ball bearing and has no provision for greasing
The second type are fitted to Californian mowers where the EPA has outlawed grease nipples as they can cause grease to be released into the environment .
We get both types down here, the general model with greasable spindles and the Cal model with throw away sealed ball races.

As for removing the inside grease seals, not a good idea.
If you fill the spindle with grease fully, that will pop one of both of the external seals which you cant see because the debris guard on the bottom & pulley on the top obsecures them.
Popping seals only works for bearings running in oil

 

[StarTech]

That's why need the model numbers so which setup it is.