It Pays to look under your tractor

okie350 · Jul 12, 2007

I could never figure out why I could never put 5.8 quarts of oil back In when I did oil changes, it would only take 4. So i am under my tractor (L3010) looking for the source of a hydraulic leak, and happen to look at the oil pan and notice that there are TWO drain plugs not just one. It seems that the oil pan is arched around the drive shaft housing for the four wheel drive. so there is an oil drain plug for both sides to drain the oil...... I never knew

, so i guess i have never been getting all the oil out during my oil changes.

Feeling kinda dumb

3RRL · Jul 12, 2007

Don't feel bad.
I found additional drain plugs in the final front drive units (2) on my Kama 554 about a year later. When changing the gear oil, I could only get 5 quarts in instead of 9. I got them this last change though. It would be nice to have ALL fresh oil, but I'm sure you didn't hurt anything.

woodchuckie · Jul 12, 2007

I spotted both plugs before draining my oil. I wasn't sure what I had so I checked the manual.

okie350 · Jul 12, 2007

I did not have a manual, and could see the one plug because I was taking the oil filter off, I also only had to kneel to pull that plug, and I could not see the other plug due to the loader subframe.

Its not like me to miss something like that, actually said to myself "you dumb A%&"

john_bud · Jul 12, 2007

woodchuckie said:
I spotted both plugs before draining my oil. I wasn't sure what I had so I checked the manual.

Ain't that cheat'n? ;-)

jb

MikeD74T · Jul 12, 2007

During my 50 hour oil change I crawled under & spotted the second oil drain plug and a loose loader mount bolt. Ultimately got at least one full turn on all but one loader bolt that I only got a quarter turn on. Now occasionally I pull my Kioti onto a dry spot on the lawn & do an entire bottomside inspection. Found a zerk missing on the last inspection.
My Ford 801 didn't have much that was vulnerable underneath. Seems like the new generation of tractors are designed by automotive engineers that hide vulnerable parts (like filters) where they can only be seen from the bottom. MikeD74T