Rhino35
Silver Member
- Joined
- May 28, 2013
- Messages
- 146
- Location
- Independence, KY
- Tractor
- 2013 Kioti DK 40 SE Hydro and two Cub Cadet riding lawn mowers
I just performed a Cub Cadet Zero Force SZ Hydro-Gear transmission fluid change. This was no fun! I found a great 26 minute detailed "how to" video on YouTube -
- and tackled the job on my 540 hour mower. Never been done before, although I've done regular engine oil and filter changes.
In a nutshell, Mr. What's Broke Today was able to loosen and remove and reinstall, with an Allen wrench, each tranny's "vent" bolt, which is high up on the casing's interior side of the Hydro-Gear. My Hydro-Gear model number is ZH-MGBC-A2GB-26XX. My vent bolt locations were identical. Time for a rant. The engineers who thought this location, amongst various rods and stuff all in the way, and who thought Allen wrench bolts were great ideas should be flogged.
I could loosen the right side, but no way the left side. So I left the right bolt tightened. Somebody told me you can still refill fluid via the reservoir behind the seat (and you'd do this will the vent bolts removed too), but it takes a while. Define "a while".
Happy to. Like forever, at least for the right side. After I drained the fluid by removing each filter I put on new filters, then began the process of putting 4.2 quarts into the reservoir. It drained very slowly. Snail pace. I got a squeezy bulb/tube and began trying to squirt fluid into the forward and aft holes that go into separate hoses to each tranny. I had the mower up on jacks so I rotated the wheels by hand in between forever intervals. After I'd gotten almost three quarts in there I started the mower and tried running the rear wheels. Only the left wheel moved, the right acted like the transmission disconnect had been pulled, but it wasn't pulled. I was stuck. No more fluid would drain.
With the left wheel working and the right not it appeared most of the new fluid had slowly drained into the left tranny. This was pure luck because I could not loosen that vent nut. But I could remove the right - so I did that. This did the trick - the fluid in the reservoir rapidly drained out. I added new fluid until it came out the right vent hole (thanks, Mr. What's Broke Today, for showing how this works. I put back in the vent bolt. Put some more fluid in the reservoir.
Took the mower off jacks and drove it. ONLY the left side tranny was engaged. But the right side was full too. Did I break it by trying to run it with too little fluid?? Visions of a $2,000 repair. I searched the web and saw instructions to pull the disconnect rods back and forth to disengage and engage while running the engine and holding the tranny GO and BACK pedals forward and back. And this fixed the problem.
Hope this helps other DIY's.
In a nutshell, Mr. What's Broke Today was able to loosen and remove and reinstall, with an Allen wrench, each tranny's "vent" bolt, which is high up on the casing's interior side of the Hydro-Gear. My Hydro-Gear model number is ZH-MGBC-A2GB-26XX. My vent bolt locations were identical. Time for a rant. The engineers who thought this location, amongst various rods and stuff all in the way, and who thought Allen wrench bolts were great ideas should be flogged.
I could loosen the right side, but no way the left side. So I left the right bolt tightened. Somebody told me you can still refill fluid via the reservoir behind the seat (and you'd do this will the vent bolts removed too), but it takes a while. Define "a while".
Happy to. Like forever, at least for the right side. After I drained the fluid by removing each filter I put on new filters, then began the process of putting 4.2 quarts into the reservoir. It drained very slowly. Snail pace. I got a squeezy bulb/tube and began trying to squirt fluid into the forward and aft holes that go into separate hoses to each tranny. I had the mower up on jacks so I rotated the wheels by hand in between forever intervals. After I'd gotten almost three quarts in there I started the mower and tried running the rear wheels. Only the left wheel moved, the right acted like the transmission disconnect had been pulled, but it wasn't pulled. I was stuck. No more fluid would drain.
With the left wheel working and the right not it appeared most of the new fluid had slowly drained into the left tranny. This was pure luck because I could not loosen that vent nut. But I could remove the right - so I did that. This did the trick - the fluid in the reservoir rapidly drained out. I added new fluid until it came out the right vent hole (thanks, Mr. What's Broke Today, for showing how this works. I put back in the vent bolt. Put some more fluid in the reservoir.
Took the mower off jacks and drove it. ONLY the left side tranny was engaged. But the right side was full too. Did I break it by trying to run it with too little fluid?? Visions of a $2,000 repair. I searched the web and saw instructions to pull the disconnect rods back and forth to disengage and engage while running the engine and holding the tranny GO and BACK pedals forward and back. And this fixed the problem.
Hope this helps other DIY's.
