HST filter change question

[Mpking]

I'll be doing the 50 hour service on my L3240 sometime in the next week or two. When I was at the dealer today buying supplies, I was picking their brains on how they minimize oil spillage when they swap the HST and hydraulic oil filters without draining the HST/trans oil. The technician from the shop said that he doesn't really worry about it since there is a valve that stops excessive oil spillage when the filters are removed on the 40 series tractors. He said most of the oil he loses is what comes out of the filter itself. This was the first I've heard of this feature. I was planning on trying the trick of putting a shop vac on the oil filler or parking sideways on a hill but maybe it's not worth the effort? What's everyone else's experience with this?

 

[Grateful11]

It's news to me as we lost almost a gallon and had everything in place ready to pull the old ones and go right back with the new ones, one at a time.

 

[TripleR]

We lose no more than a quart when changing them on our L5030; we don't use suction, tilt the tractor etc.

 

[MHarryE]

I failed to read my manual when I did the 50 hour service on my L5740. I had been following threads on this forum and remembered people talking about changing both hydraulic and hydrostatic filters. Took off the hydraulic filter and installed the new one with very little loss, easily caught in my catch pan. Then came the hydrostatic filter and a gusher. I got the filter changed as quickly as possible but had lost over a gallon. Then I read the book. It said to change the hydraulic oil and hydrostatic filter at 400 hours, and only to change the hydrostatic filter with the system drained. I am sure if you put vacuum on the filler you will lose very little oil if you do want to change the hydrostatic filter and not the oil. Not home and I can't remember if my book is for L5740s only or covers all 40 series. Mine is a L5740HSTC-3.

 

[PHILIP8N]

One of my filters was a real bear to get off. Can't remember which one. The base has notches like every 90 degrees for a screw driver and hammer if needed. FWIW. Philip.

 

[crazyal]

I pulled the filler/ dip stick at the back of the tractor and bought a rubber cork. I didn't loose too much oil, a quart or so and I'm sure a lot of that is from the filter. Be prepared though. The HST filter has a magnet on it that could stay stuck to the tractor. If it does I don't think you can put the new filter on if it has the new magnet on it. You'll want to remove the oil magnet as it will have lots of fine metal filings on it.

 

[Mpking]

One of my filters was a real bear to get off. Can't remember which one. The base has notches like every 90 degrees for a screw driver and hammer if needed. FWIW. Philip.

Thanks Philip. The guys at the shop mentioned that as well. Hopefully I'll get it off there without too much trouble.

 

[Mpking]

I pulled the filler/ dip stick at the back of the tractor and bought a rubber cork. I didn't loose too much oil, a quart or so and I'm sure a lot of that is from the filter. Be prepared though. The HST filter has a magnet on it that could stay stuck to the tractor. If it does I don't think you can put the new filter on if it has the new magnet on it. You'll want to remove the oil magnet as it will have lots of fine metal filings on it.

The magnet possibly getting stuck is the thing that has me concerned. I'm pretty sure I could swap them with minimal loss if it was simply taking one filter off and quickly putting another back on, but if I have to spend any time getting that magnet off I could end up with a bucket full of oil. Not the end of the world but I'd rather avoid it.

Thanks for everyone's advice. I'll post a quick update on how things went when I get around to doing the service.

 

[Mpking]

Finally got around to putting the new HST and hydraulic filters on the other day. I decided to give parking on a hillside a try. I swapped the HST filter first with only maybe a couple ounces of spillage, most of which came out of the old filter I think. The other side didn't go quite as well. Lost 2-3 quarts. No big deal though. Sure glad I changed the hydraulic filter though, look at all those metal filings stuck on the magnet.

 

[crazyangel]

That's a lot more iron than I expected to see! I'm glad you changed it too. :thumbsup: