Hydro fluid level check (hourly glass) question. ( factory overfill? Not only 2210)

[Houkie]

According to the manual on the 2210 how to check your hydro fluid you should have your little tractor cooled down or cold, park it level, with implements DOWN ( rear PTO) and look at the level of your hourly glass on the back of your transmission. It should be 2/3 full, but not below the half way line.
From the factory the hourly glass was always full: cold/hot/ implements up or down/ not leveled and even new other models sitting at the JD dealer have the hourly glass completely full.
Recently after 440 hrs. After some hard mowing it spit some hydro fluid out of the breather tube ( see other post in this forum with pic). Not knowing how much was lost during this time, I filled it up according to the manual and see the tip of the hourly glass empty, but what my concern is, is this really the level I should have, because with implements UP I don't have anything in hourly glass and on level or operating the glass is empty. Although for the moment all works fine. What would be the first sign if not filled enough? Loader not moving or what else? The 2210 has no reading of temp. On dash. Anybody that knows how much more to add after glass is full on 2210?
Of course you could drop all fluid/filter and measure, but I'm afraid even then I might overfill thinking not all hydraulic lines would empty up, before refill.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I think one of the reasons for 2/3 full is so you can actually see the fluid level. If empty(below the bulls eye sight glass) or full (totally above the glass line) you would not be able to discern if there was fluid or not.

Also it is not a rear PTO, but three point hitch (3 PH) that needs to be down along with FEL if you have one. PTO is power take off ( little splined shaft the is used to turn things like a mower or tiller) and has nothing to do with fluid level checking.

First sign of no oil would be the hydraulics would start surging erratically or stop working altogether. You could burn up your pump if you run out of fluid.
If you haven't broken a line, likely the level is good as there is no way to loose fluid from the reservoir except thru the rear seal of the hydraulic pump and then it would pump oil into the engine crankcase. As long as the oil level in the crankcase is not rising, and you don't break a hose and loose fluid or add new cylinders for implements, it should always stay the same.

I think if I had to use a sight glass, I would look at putting in some colored fluid or a dye in the existing fluid to make it easier to see.

If not level it will give an erroneous reading. Personally I hate sight glasses and prefer a dipstick to check. With clear or amber fluid, it is too hard to see the fluid level and there could be none in it and you might think it was over full, or over full and you might add more thinking it was low.

 

[prosperity]

At 440 hours on your 2210, you should have changed the hydro fluid and filter twice already and ready for the 3rd change at 450 hours. When you last changed the fluid did you make sure it was at the correct level then? Is the level different now than when you changed it?

 

[Houkie]

Thank you for your quick response! Of course it is the 3 point hitch and not the PTO! I agree: JD should have thought about a dipstick! Even at the dealer they said: hard to check! When loader is on the ground changing fluid, I can imagine some old hydro fluid from lines going to loader never would come out.
So my question is: did any of you ever measure the ORIGINAL amount of hydro fluid, when you changed it: how much fluid did you drain?
Please mention: with or without new filter, with loader up and stabilized or loader down.
( since all new tractors are filled above sight glass I wonder if sight glass was built in too low for accurate reading).

 

[Houkie]

According to manual just the 2210 it takes app. 13 liters!( manual only for 2210 tractor, 210 has other manual) This is without the 210 loader and this should change the amount of fluid. I have loader on it! Anybody that knows this original amount with change of filter. Please mention if you had loader on ground when changing it.
If you put 13 plus liters in it does your sight glass driving/ implements up show full?????