Replacing seal in the bottom of a bushhog cutter

FarmX3 · May 15, 2011

Dress up the shaft with emory cloth. Coat the shaft with anti seize when putting it back together. This helps the next time.

Ginormous · May 15, 2011

Just ordered 4 tubes of JD Corn Head grease.:thumbsup:

Ginormous · May 20, 2011

Here are a couple pics of the corn head grease in the gear box. I added 3 tubes, which just about filled it. The first pic is when I just added it, and the second is after running the mower for a few minutes. As you can tell, the box is pretty full! So far so good. :thumbsup:

SPYDERLK · May 20, 2011

Cool. ... Too much grease. Probably wont hurt it tho. Just enuf to reach the highest bearing is good.
larry

clemsonfor · May 20, 2011

Ginormous said:
Here are a couple pics of the corn head grease in the gear box. I added 3 tubes, which just about filled it. The first pic is when I just added it, and the second is after running the mower for a few minutes. As you can tell, the box is pretty full! So far so good. :thumbsup:

Theres the mysterious stuff i have heard about but not seen! Thanks for the pics, i to would say to much. Do you have a fill plug in that thing or a fill level hole where the oil should run out of it overfilled?

I just got off the phone and ordered my seal. Really it wasent that hard if you knew what to take apart, which i didnt at first. Well then there is the thing with the powerbar and if yours was put on with a 1" impact or not :laughing:.

If it happens again i will just replace the seal not go the grease route, as i will coat the shaft in antiseeze and just put the bolt on as tight as i can get it, there is no reason this thing has to be that tight it has a cotter pinned castle nut on it.

Ginormous · May 20, 2011

I figured if the case was full, there was no chance of forming an air pocket in a bad place.

There is a small bleed valve in the fill plug, so pressure can escape if it should need to.

BTW, I also replaced the blades (mentioned in another thread) because the old ones had been sharpened a loooong way down. They were quite imbalanced too, like 1/4 inch difference in the front edge -- no, I didn't need a balance to tell me they were off! I suspect the difference in the blades led to the bad lower seal.

Clemsonfor -- if you get bored or happen to be passing through Ohio, feel free to stop by and help me replace my lower seal. :thumbsup:

clemsonfor · May 20, 2011

Yea i forgot about the vent/fill plug.

Hey if you even lived within a couple hours or so id stop by for an afternoon and help. But as you see im quite a ways from you. If i ever plan to be in Oh i will try and remember to look you up. I doubt i will ever more than pass through there though.

Ginormous · May 20, 2011

Clemsfonfor -- I appreciate the thought. I'm hopeful that this gear-box-o-grease will last me for a few years and maybe I'll be braver by then.

clemsonfor · May 21, 2011

Ginormous said:
Clemsfonfor -- I appreciate the thought. I'm hopeful that this gear-box-o-grease will last me for a few years and maybe I'll be braver by then.

Im sure it will last forever! Once you start reading there are a ton of guys that have done this and said its been 10 yrs etc or i bought it that way 5 yrs ago.

Mine i bought new with the tractor 1.5 yrs ago. This little light duty BH has cut a lot of rough stuff in that time. Mowing my fields 4 times or so and the first time cutting many trees down, hitting rocks in a buddies dove field. So it has dents and stuff all in the deck and the back corners were tearing out from the heavy stuff and rocks. I rewelded the cracks and tears i had and did the seal at the same time. The reason really was that i had just recently bought this new and i wanted to fix it right. If it tears up in 7 yrs i might think about it then but in reality the seal is $9 shipped to my house, greease i know would be more $$ than that so i will prolly fix again if needed.

I knew i would put the BH i got to its limits at first in reclaiming my old overgrown fields but i wanted something then and it was only like $350 or so for it. If i buy another if i cant patch this one up oneday i will buy used as you and get a better quality one for similar $$.