Signa
New member
First, kudos to poster BP Fick for a great pictorial description of all the service items. If you haven't seen it, I'd recommend it. I wanted to start a new thread to focus specifically on the hydraulic filter changes and some unique issues they present.
On my B3200, the maintenance schedule calls for changing the engine oil, engine oil filter, transmission oil (HST) filter, and hydraulic oil filter after 50 hours. The transmission fluid does not require changing until 400 hours. Now, I do most routine maintenance on my vehicles, but this was my first go-round with a tractor. So the idea of changing filters and not the fluid seemed strange. The service tech at my dealer assured me that it could be done, but that "if I was prepared and quick, I would only lose a little fluid." He said I should have a gal of SUDT on hand for topping off (which I already had). We'll come back to that quote in a bit.
The engine oil/filter were familiar, so I started with them - no problems at all.
Then came the hydraulics. One difference between my machine and BP's is my backhoe -the subframe the BH attaches to makes getting to these filters more difficult. I'll have to post some pictures later, but for now a description will have to do.
I decided to start with the transmission oil filter (HST) on the left because it seemed harder to get to and I wanted to get that done before I got frustrated and tired. On the B3200, there is a hydraulic line directly below the filter and a linkage that appears to go from the clutch to the rear of the transmission traveling directly above the filter. I honestly don't know what this is for as it doesn't seem to move when the clutch pedal is depressed, but it's about 1/4" dia with a turnbuckle for adjustment. Without a subframe, these would be no problem and the filter would come right off. But the subframe lies directly across the end of the filter with only a little room to spare. The only way I could see the filter coming off, especially if I need to be quick about the change, was to remove that linkage. I did so, taking note of how many turns to loosen the turnbuckle so that it could be retightened the same.
That done, I crawled under with my drain pan, lots of rags, the wrench, and the new filter lubed and ready. As I quickly spun the filter off, some oil initially leaked, but by the time I could grab the new one, the leak had slowed to occasional drips. I took the time to wipe around the filter mount to make sure all the dirt was gone and then replaced the new filter. There was hardly anything to wipe up and I bet I lost less than half a pint of fluid. Finally got the linkage back together and went to the other side.
On the right is the hydraulic oil filter, slightly larger than the one on the left. It also has the subframe from the BH as a minor impediment, but there is more space so that the filter can be removed from below after being unscrewed. I again had everything prepared as before and cracked the seal on the filter. Fluid started to leak out, but as I continued to remove the filter, the leak increased. By the time I got the old filter off, it was hemorrhaging hydraulic fluid. Trying to quickly get the new filter on with slick hands, I had visions of my garage floor flooding with oil. The threads finally caught and the filter seated just as the fluid reached the very brim of my drain pan!
Although I had a slight hitch with getting the new filter started on the threads, I think I was as prepared and nearly as fast as I could possibly be. The hydraulic fluid dipstick and filler plug were firmly in place. When it was all done, I had lost nearly 2 gallons (3.8 gal capacity). At this point, I plan to finish the hydraulic fluid drain tomorrow (had to go get more SUDT) and replace the whole lot. It doesn't make sense to me to replace just half the fluid with new.
That was my experience with the B3200. Other tractors are going to vary somewhat, but hopefully this will help some. To echo BP Fick, yes you can do this. But be prepared to replace quite a bit of hydraulic fluid (if not all) after changing the hydraulic filter on the right. The project's a little harder with a subframe, but not impossible. If anyone has a tip on how to do this better, I'd love to hear it. But at this point, I'll be glad to not mess with the hydraulics for a few years!
On my B3200, the maintenance schedule calls for changing the engine oil, engine oil filter, transmission oil (HST) filter, and hydraulic oil filter after 50 hours. The transmission fluid does not require changing until 400 hours. Now, I do most routine maintenance on my vehicles, but this was my first go-round with a tractor. So the idea of changing filters and not the fluid seemed strange. The service tech at my dealer assured me that it could be done, but that "if I was prepared and quick, I would only lose a little fluid." He said I should have a gal of SUDT on hand for topping off (which I already had). We'll come back to that quote in a bit.
The engine oil/filter were familiar, so I started with them - no problems at all.
Then came the hydraulics. One difference between my machine and BP's is my backhoe -the subframe the BH attaches to makes getting to these filters more difficult. I'll have to post some pictures later, but for now a description will have to do.
I decided to start with the transmission oil filter (HST) on the left because it seemed harder to get to and I wanted to get that done before I got frustrated and tired. On the B3200, there is a hydraulic line directly below the filter and a linkage that appears to go from the clutch to the rear of the transmission traveling directly above the filter. I honestly don't know what this is for as it doesn't seem to move when the clutch pedal is depressed, but it's about 1/4" dia with a turnbuckle for adjustment. Without a subframe, these would be no problem and the filter would come right off. But the subframe lies directly across the end of the filter with only a little room to spare. The only way I could see the filter coming off, especially if I need to be quick about the change, was to remove that linkage. I did so, taking note of how many turns to loosen the turnbuckle so that it could be retightened the same.
That done, I crawled under with my drain pan, lots of rags, the wrench, and the new filter lubed and ready. As I quickly spun the filter off, some oil initially leaked, but by the time I could grab the new one, the leak had slowed to occasional drips. I took the time to wipe around the filter mount to make sure all the dirt was gone and then replaced the new filter. There was hardly anything to wipe up and I bet I lost less than half a pint of fluid. Finally got the linkage back together and went to the other side.
On the right is the hydraulic oil filter, slightly larger than the one on the left. It also has the subframe from the BH as a minor impediment, but there is more space so that the filter can be removed from below after being unscrewed. I again had everything prepared as before and cracked the seal on the filter. Fluid started to leak out, but as I continued to remove the filter, the leak increased. By the time I got the old filter off, it was hemorrhaging hydraulic fluid. Trying to quickly get the new filter on with slick hands, I had visions of my garage floor flooding with oil. The threads finally caught and the filter seated just as the fluid reached the very brim of my drain pan!
Although I had a slight hitch with getting the new filter started on the threads, I think I was as prepared and nearly as fast as I could possibly be. The hydraulic fluid dipstick and filler plug were firmly in place. When it was all done, I had lost nearly 2 gallons (3.8 gal capacity). At this point, I plan to finish the hydraulic fluid drain tomorrow (had to go get more SUDT) and replace the whole lot. It doesn't make sense to me to replace just half the fluid with new.
That was my experience with the B3200. Other tractors are going to vary somewhat, but hopefully this will help some. To echo BP Fick, yes you can do this. But be prepared to replace quite a bit of hydraulic fluid (if not all) after changing the hydraulic filter on the right. The project's a little harder with a subframe, but not impossible. If anyone has a tip on how to do this better, I'd love to hear it. But at this point, I'll be glad to not mess with the hydraulics for a few years!
Cheap tuition.
