Rotory Cutter Gear box plugs

[thatguy]

OK.. I had to give up yesterday and just took the gear box top/lid off my LX4 cutter because I couldnt get the fill/drain plugs out or even loosened.

The plugs have square heads - but i could only get an open ended wrench on them and they were on so tight i was starting to round the corners off.. I couldnt find any sockets that would fit due to the square heads.

BTW - Remember to check the oil level more thanonce a year.. Mine was pretty much empty empty - luckily i checked it before i started using it this year.

thanks

Brian

 

[kennyd]

I couldnt find any sockets that would fit due to the square heads.

What you need is 8-point sockets. They are for square head bolts and plugs. Sears sells them...

 

[Kessler Farms]

If you're already rounding the plug with an open-ended wrench, I doubt that any socket is going to have enough surface area to do the job. Put a big set of visegrips on it and smack it with a dead blow hammer. And if your gearbox is losing that much gear oil, I would check the spindle seal. Sounds like a bad leak.

 

[greg_g]

Assuming you get the fill plug out eventually, I recommend you replace it with the fill/vent type. The look sorta like a mushroom with threads. Hot gear oil causes the air inside the tranny to expand. The increased air pressure then looks for a way to get out. All to often it finds the oil seals. If you vent the tranny, the air pressure won't be pushing on the seals. A vent also permits the hot air inside to push out any condensation that may have accumulated. The longer you can stave off the accumulation of condensation, the longer it will be longer before the gear oil eventually emulsifies.

A vent/fill plug typically costs less than one fill of gear oil. I think mine cost three and a half bucks.

//greg//

 

[silverdollar6]

Anyone know how much oil is supposed to be in the gearbox? I think I might have over filled mine.

 

[greg_g]

Anyone know how much oil is supposed to be in the gearbox? I think I might have over filled mine.

If you have a drain plug on the side of the transmission, you fill to that level. Open the top, open the side. Fill till it runs out the side. Replace plugs.

Those side plugs are usually about half way up. So if you don't have a side plug, fill the gear box as close as you can guess to the 50% mark - and quit.

//greg//

 

[thatguy]

Anyone know how much oil is supposed to be in the gearbox? I think I might have over filled mine.

for the lx4 it was .84 of a quart (not that I measered the exactly)- I just added it from the top until it was level with the hole.. But it is pretty much fool proof if you open the lower/check plug you can only put so much in before it starts to run out..


To be really honest.. I think taking the top of the gear box off was a much better way of servicing it - 4 13mm bolts and it was off... the fill/drain holes are not that big, and through the top you can get in to suck it out much easier.. As it gets oil leve gets lower you can sop it up with a rag if you try to get all of it out..

The LX4 does have a vent on the top.. But I will check to make sure it is not somehow blocked..

As of today the oil level has not dropped any.. Which makes me wonder is the vent is blocked and it was blowing out the seals.. I will just keep an eye on it to make sure

thanks for the advise..

Brian

 

[thatguy]

If you're already rounding the plug with an open-ended wrench, I doubt that any socket is going to have enough surface area to do the job. Put a big set of visegrips on it and smack it with a dead blow hammer. And if your gearbox is losing that much gear oil, I would check the spindle seal. Sounds like a bad leak.

Luckily i was watching what I was going and didnt round off the corners, but if i would have forced it much more it would have rounded.. If i wasnt paying attention it would have been get the vise grips.. lol

thanks

brian

 

[thatguy]

It appears that Greg_G is the winner in the 'what is wrong' category today..

I took the vent valve off and it appears that it doesnt work correctly.. i sprayed it with a lubricant, and the ball/spring is moving now. BUT I still cant blow through it by mouth.. Which i assume if i cant blow thru it it, with all my hot air, it certainly isnt going to vent correctly. I was able to get some air to go thru it using the air compressor though.

thanks greg_g for the suggestion, im sorry but not even a door prize is coming your way today, but I appreciate the help

Brian

 

[RalphVa]

I ended up using a vice grip to get the check plug out on my LX4 3 years ago. They use very soft metal in those things. I found a bolt that would fit the threads and have it screwed in there. Had to wrap it with teflon to keep it from leaking. If you completely shear off that soft metal plug top, you should be able to drill it easily and put an easy out in there to remove the plug, or maybe grip the big part of it with vice grips.

The vent on mine was very easy to remove and is the easiest place to add oil, with the check plug removed.

The only time mine has used any oil is when the bolt was leaking. No leakage after wrapping it with teflon thread wrap.

Ralph

 

[thatguy]

Should I be able to blow thru the vent by mouth? Even after spraying it with lubricant (and forcing a lot of crud out of the vent top) I cant. Using the air compressor I can though...

Neither TSC nor Southern States had a vent so I was trying to get this one to work..

Thanks for all the help

brian

 

[greg_g]

I'd soak it in parts cleaner for a day or two. No need to get that crap in your mouth. The test for an operational fill vent is simply to shake it. If it rattles, it's clean.

I have one in the basement that I bought by mistake (wrong diameter). I'm pretty sure it's either 3/4" or 5/8" NPT. I can measure it if you're interested.

//greg//