Another reason for guard on brush hog

[Alan L.]

I was brush hogging around the tank (pond) today, backing up under some willow trees, when I got some willow whips wrapped around the yoke right back at the gearbox. Figuring it wouldn't hurt anything I continued brush hoggin for another hour or so with the stuff still back there wrapped around the yoke.

Later, when I pulled it off of there I noticed it was oily there as the yoke goes into the gear box. Never done that before, has always been perfectly dry. Looks like the seal must have been damaged.

The is the gearbox that I was too stupid to realize was probably OK on gear oil a few months back. I was going to change the gear oil, and when I took the bottom plug (on the gearbox head) off nothing drained out. I took this to mean I was running dry. I now learn that the oil level only comes up TO this bottom plug, but in the meantime I added some 80-90 oil to it.

I then learned from Rhino that it has some kind of thick 00 grease in it from the factory, although he said it wouldn't hurt to mix them.

The oil is not gushing out of there, should I try to get some of that thick stuff and put in there to make sure there is lubrication and it deosn't leak out, or try to replace the seal?

I don't know how you would ever get that thick stuff out of the there, or how you can tell how much is in the gearbox.

I think if I had the guard that covers the yoke on there the limbs would not have gotten tangled up in there.

 

[Taylortractornut]

ALan Dad had an old B414 International Industrial tractor that we kept here for years. It was a bush hogging tractor and the bottom seal went out on the hog. Wed have changed the seal but some knuckle draggin *(&(*70 had welded the jumpers to the splines in years past. 90 weight oil would empty out every 20 minutes when hogging. Dad just put in and alemite and removed the over flow plug to keep from pushing all the seals out. Dad would grease it every 20 hours with high temp axle grease and his grease gun. We kept it a few more years then anohther man bought it and thats been 7 years ago. Hes still runin it, A seal isnt hard to put in a new hog, you should replace it now. They aint no fun to here when they run drylol.

 

[rambler]

Twine, wire, & saplings are real hard on those seals. I don't want to insult you after the fact, but check for & clean that stuff off of there.

With a fairly new 'hog, I would replace the seal & put in the thick stuff again. You can get the old out when you take it apart. Or you can flush it out with parts cleaner or kerosene. I won't suggest gasoline as that is more dangerous than the other 2.

On an old beater, it would be reasonable to use heavy grease & just run it to death.

I guess that is your call.

--->Paul