Oil change on Tuff Torque k46..Now problems!!

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Have a 2005 JD LT190 with the Tuff Torque K46 transaxle in it. Tractor and trans has been perfect no issues all these years. Decided that this year that between mowing season and snow plowing season I would drop the transaxle and refresh the 9 year old trans oil.

Dropped the tranny from tractor drained, refilled with syntec 5w50. Reinstalled and ops checked it. Tractor will now barely move. Apparently it needs the air purged from the hydrostatic unit. I tried the instructions from Tuff Torque with no results.

Here is their procedure:



1 Check oil level.
2 Place vehicle's drive axle on jack stands with wheels off floor.
3 Start engine and operate at low idle speed.
4 Repeat opening and closing bypass (tow) valve while alternately depressing forward and reverse pedal(s).
5 When vehicle starts to move, increase engine speed.
6 Repeat quick starts and panic stops until transaxle gives full response.
7 Remove jack stands while placing vehicle's wheels on floor.
8 Recheck and top-off oil level.


I consider myself mechanically inclined and college educated but I cannot understand these instructions. Particularly step 4.

On step 4 do I depress the forward pedal then while holding it down engage and disengage the bypass lever?? Then depress the reverse pedal and engage and disengage the bypass lever again??
Do I then repeat this several times??

On step 5 how can the vehicle move if it's on jack stands??

On step 6 how can I make quick starts and panic stops if it's still on the jack stands??

If anybody has any info/suggestions on this procedure I would MUCH appreciate it!!

Trying to get this done tonight, before I call Tuff Torque tomorrow. Tom
 
Originally Posted By: daddi
2 Place vehicle's drive axle on jack stands with wheels off floor.
5 When vehicle starts to move, increase engine speed.

I consider myself mechanically inclined and college educated but I cannot understand these instructions. On step 5 how can the vehicle move if it's on jack stands??
I was going to ask the same question. Those instructions were obviously written by someone who has never actually DONE it.
 
I have a K66 in my G110 Deere, but the procedure is the same according to Tuff Torque.

I didn't have mine on jack stands. I put it on the ground, started the tractor, and with the trans in neutral (rear lever pulled out) I pressed the pedals forward and backward. I held them in each position for about 20 seconds with the engine running. I did this back and forth a few times. Then I pushed the neutral lever back in and drove it forward and backward a few times and it moved as it should.

How many quarts does the transmission require? How many did you put in?

Make sure your belts and linkages are hooked up correctly.
 
I have read all the forums and they mainly focus on the removal, rebuild, and install, with little written on the actual purging.

I'm looking for not so much the Tuff Torque's web site method but rather what folks have done to get theirs working properly.

I know it's not a transmission problem as it was working strong before the oil change.

Thanks for the advice on what you did to get yours working...may try that tomorrow morning.
 
Trans holds about 2.25 quarts. Mine took 2.12 quarts to fill up. I'm sure some residual fluid remained in the transmission.
 
Originally Posted By: daddi
Trans holds about 2.25 quarts. Mine took 2.12 quarts to fill up. I'm sure some residual fluid remained in the transmission.


Sounds like you have plenty of oil in there. I would try the steps I mentioned on mine and see how that works. Make sure it is on the ground when you bleed the air out instead of on jack stands.
 
LOL! Those sound like Harbor Freight Tools instructions!

There's no need to have the machine's drive wheels off the ground to "purge" the hydrostat. All you have to do is pull the bypass lever, hop in the seat, start the engine and work the go pedal/lever forward-reverse-forward-reverse. Stop engine. Push bypass lever back in, use machine like you normally would.
 
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