ZTR Hydro Fluid Change

[racer12306]

Did the 75hr break in hydro fluid change on my Gravely ProTurn 52 this weekend. I spent more than I had to on the Gravely 15w50 synthetic hydraulic oil and the HydroGear filters, but I won't be touching them again for 400hrs.

The mower manual I referenced didn't show the vent on the top, the hydro book did, but I was already well into the change. I don't see how someone could get a tool in there to actually loosen the vent and make that process go quicker. Has to be possible as that's what they do at the Gravely dealer, took way too long the way I did it.

I thought that purging the air would be a bigger deal, but maybe it wasn't because I used the super slow method.

Just don't understand how people pay the dealer to do this kind of stuff, cost me $100 in oil and filters. I don't want to know what the whole job would cost for a dealer to do it.

 

[dave123]

My Scag Zero turn nearing it's first hydro change just curious why you didn't run a off the shelf 15w50 M1 or equivalent like so many others do.

 

[NH73]

When I did mine, I got my oil when Advance Auto was doing Mobil 1 5 qt. and filter deal for $30. So whole thing for me was around $65.

 

[racer12306]

Originally Posted By: dave123
My Scag Zero turn nearing it's first hydro change just curious why you didn't run a off the shelf 15w50 M1 or equivalent like so many others do.


The amortized cost is trivial since 400 hrs is probably about 5 years. I just elected to get the Gravely brand fluid.

 

[JTK]

Were these Hydrogear ZT2800 or 3100 drives? Keep in mind for the next time you could mail order the filters much cheaper and use the 40 or 50wt range of the high quality oil of your choice.

I didn't own my Cub ZTR long enough to change the hydro oil (ZT2800 drives), but one of the first things I did was remove and never seize the fill plugs on each drive. They were in there TIGHT.

You would have had to use several feet of tubing along with a funnel or squeeze bottle to refill on that setup.

 

[racer12306]

I have 3200 series drives.

This setup has expansion tanks that are directly above the fill hole with a hose running down and elbowing into the fill plug. Fill the tank, let it run down into the hydro.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: racer12306
I have 3200 series drives.

This setup has expansion tanks that are directly above the fill hole with a hose running down and elbowing into the fill plug. Fill the tank, let it run down into the hydro.


Interesting. My ~2010 model year 2800's had a plastic expansion bottle above each drive, but you were not supposed to add oil that way. You used the fill plugs that were 8-10" above the drain plugs.

Old pic of the arse-end of my Cub Z-Force, but the fill plugs were on the inside of each drive above the output belt sheave you see in center.

 

[racer12306]

These don't have drain plugs, you drain my removing the filter. I could have removed the elbow for the tank hose and I could have filled the actual unit and then just topped up the tank to get the last inch of space and then the tank full.

In this setup, "full" is determined by a line on the expansion tank at cold.

 

[JTK]

Yeah, they must have modified the design over the years. AFAIK, the ZT2800 and up used to all have expansion tanks, fill plugs, drain plugs and filters.