RK55 Hydrostatic 50-hour Service: My first big RK post

[ptsg]

Looking for a little guidance - Is there a special tool or method to remove the hydraulic fluid filler plug at the rear of the tractor. Thought I would ask before tearing into it and breaking something. I have never seen anything with that type of head before.

It's meant to be taken off by hand but they have painted all over it so it will be a pain.

Try gently with a channel lock pliers.

 

[BigMark]

Thanks for the quick reply, I’ll give it a try.

 

[markie61]

Try gently with a channel lock pliers.

Echoing ptsg's guidance: it's plastic. But once you get it off the first time, future removal with your fingers will be all that's necessary.

 

[BigMark]

Echoing ptsg's guidance: it's plastic. But once you get it off the first time, future removal with your fingers will be all that's necessary.

Thanks, and thanks for your original post on the service work.

 

[ParisKy]

It just unscrews like a normal cap. I used pliers opened up to the 2nd notch. It should not be very tight

 

[BigMark]

It just unscrews like a normal cap. I used pliers opened up to the 2nd notch. It should not be very tight

Correct, I just went out and grabbed it with my bare hand and it came right off. I was assuming it was steel and on tight for some reason. I should have tried it before posting.

 

[timbowr64]

Just wanted to add my two cents on this initial post. I appreciate all the information everyone shared, and it definitely made my initial service way easier. A couple things I wanted to point out that helped me. When I changed the transmission fluid, I also had a little trouble getting the big filter off with the filter wrench I had on hand. I ordered a nice wide oil filter wrench from Amazon, that used a 1/2 inch ratchet for the handle. It worked great! The oil filter wrench I started out using started to dent the filter, but after getting the one I ordered, it came right off with no damage. I also used two 10 gallon totes to drain the oil into. I took the big filter off first and let that oil drain into the first tote, which filled up just a little more than half way from the oil that drained out of the filter port. Then I put the other tote under the plug and drained the remainder of the fluid. These totes were short enough that I could slide them under the subframe without any trouble, either from the front or from the back. After doing this I then removed the smaller filter, and didn't have any extra fluid other than what was in the filter itself. So that was a really easy process for me. So, again, thanks for everyone putting in the tips and little tricks that helped tremendously.

 

[ukwildcat87]

Just wanted to say thanks to the OP, I had his post memorized by the time I actually started the work. Mine went significantly better, only real issue was holding up the 5 gallon jugs of fluid to fill the transmission. Have some ideas, don't know for sure yet, too cheap to get a bucket pump.

 

[Melancholy Bear]

Approaching my 50-hours. I'm not finding most filter and oil SKUs on ruralking.com. I found only one product. Would these SKUs have changed?

Aside from saving labor cost, what are the advantages of doing the service yourself? Would doing so possibly cause difficulty in getting warranty service in the future?

 

[LouNY]

You can get 4 point sockets from many vendors,
if they are the 3/8" or 1/2" square I have welded a large nut to a short extension to make one.
Also, If it's a plug that I'll routinely be removing and reinstalling you can get hex headed pipe plugs.
One danger with any pipe plug is tightening them too tight, being a tapered thread you can actually split
castings with them.