How to change Hydro Oil?

[RET]

Does anyone know the proper procedure for changing the hydro tranny oil in a JD LX 277? The owners manual does not give instructions - it says let a a qualified JD shop handle it.
I ain't smart enough to do that.
There is no oil plug under the transmission, but there is one on top. There is also an oil resevoir above the transmission. My method has been to remove the plug on top of the transmission and let oil drain down from the resevoir, and drain out of the plug. I add fresh oil to the resovoir as it empties. The resevoir ties into one end of the transmission and the plug is at the other end. When I'm doing this, I'm just HOPING that I'm actually flushing out some of the old oil from the tranny(??). This make a big mess as oil oozes out all over the tranny and it's SLOW- there's barely a trickle of oil. It took me about 45 minutes to get one qrt. of new oil flushed thru the system (and it holds>4 qts). I gave up after the first quart (just like last spring when I attempted this).
I tried siphoning the oil out, but I couldn't get a tube far enough down into the tranny.
There's got to be a better way to do it. Right?
Also, is there a filter or screen somewhere that should be cleaned/replaced?
Thanks,
-R

 

[Buck]

This might help.

Try Harv's profile URL and see his instructions for his Kubota. He's got some real informative photos.

Buck

 

[RET]

Buck,
I checked out Harv's web site. Good pics. May come in handy when I climb under the 'Bota BX to do her next service job.
But, I didn't see anything that resembles anything I've seen under the JD lawnmower. I've probably not spent enough time under the lawnmower to find what's surely gotta be there.
Thanks!
-R

 

[TresCrows]

Not sure but I really doubt that the little lawnmower by JD has a drainable transmission or replaceable filter, aren't those a sealed unit intended for use'em, abuse'em and then toss'em use? Is the filler opening you mention just a vent? My little LT does not have a method of changing the oil, does have a vent like you describe and something in the long lost owners manual that only "qualified" dealers or somesuch had the needed skill/magic to perform this opeartion, hummmmmmm.
J

 

[RET]

Trescrow,
The owners manual says to bring it in for tranny oil change at 50 hr. Don't remember about frequency after that. But, part of routine maintenance is to check oil level in resevoir and add 5W-30 as needed. You may very well be right about the "abuse 'em and toss 'em" design. It just don't seem right though in a $4000+ machine.
If nobody comes up with an answer here, I suppose I'll continue my "oil flush" routine once a season. Heck, now that I have the BX, the JD lawnmower will be seeing service very rarely from now on, so it may be a VERY long while before it's ready to toss!
-R

 

[markcg2000]

I'll bet they use a pump to draw the fluids up through the top.

 

[JDIOWA]

You can buy small, relatively inexpensive pumps that are operated by an electric drill. I doubt one of these would last through many oil-pumping sessions but you might get a pair of biennial changes out of one. Just a thought.../w3tcompact/icons/clever.gif

CFB

 

[RET]

CFB,
Exactly what I had in mind. Next time I'm by Harbor Freight, I'm gonna get me one of those drill pumps.
-R