John Deere Lawn Tractor L130 - dying hydrostatic drive

[Ken N Tx]

Originally Posted by nzo

Thanks for all the excellent info folks. I think I'll have a crack at doing the transmission myself, after we find out if John Deere are going to come to the party or not. Cheers to all!

nzo..

Don't be a stranger!!

Click on "Active Topics", at the top of the page, and see what the rest of the Members are talking about!!

[Husqvarnas traktorer]

I think the L130 uses the K46 trans axle if so the Husqvarna rider155 uses the same setup only it is serviceable with a reservoir to show a high and low oil level looked like a brake fluid reservoir. Any way the trans has 2 bolts at the bottom to drain the oil and you refill through the reservoir. This takes 2.2 liters with the reservoir or 1.87 with out the reservoir. When I saw this I thought I would put a reservoir of some type on mine and drill the bottom cover of the trans. I will try to post pics from the owner’s manual to show where to put the drain plugs

[JDFANATIC]

Originally Posted by Husqvarnas traktorer

I think the L130 uses the K46 trans axle if so the Husqvarna rider155 uses the same setup only it is serviceable with a reservoir to show a high and low oil level looked like a brake fluid reservoir. Any way the trans has 2 bolts at the bottom to drain the oil and you refill through the reservoir. This takes 2.2 liters with the reservoir or 1.87 with out the reservoir. When I saw this I thought I would put a reservoir of some type on mine and drill the bottom cover of the trans. I will try to post pics from the owner’s manual to show where to put the drain plugs

HY,

Welcome to the forum! Looking forward to your pics.

[nzo]

I'm wondering if someone who has been-there-done-that with regard to removing the sludge and changing the oil in the L130's transmission can give me some how-to tips on doing this - i.e. how to get at the transmission in order to remove/drain it. To all intents and purposes, the transmission does not exist in the L130 user manual, the only reference to it being something like: Not a user serviceable part. Many thanks for any help! PS: I've PM'd Wally2q

[wally2q]

Couldn't find the original procedure I wrote, so after 18 months, I'll try to do it from memory...

By the way - this was done on the L120; basically the same machine but different engine.

DISCLAIMER: if you break your tractor while following these instructions, it ain't my fault. If you break your tractor while not-following these instructions, it ain't my fault either.

Read all the instructions before you even get up off your computer chair. Then read them again, slowly. Then print them and take them with you to the garage.

It took me 2 hours start to finish to do this.

OK, Here goes:

Refer to pictures below.
Step 00. Put a couple of frosties (Bud, Busch, or Molson Canadian) in the fridge. Or stick them into a snow bank (applicable to Molson only).
Step 0. Jack up the tractor and secure properly on jack stands.
Step 1. Take the wheels off
Step 2. Take the washers & spacers off.
Step 3. Take the belt off, the belt retainer bar, and the pulley & fan off. Reason for the fan, is so you don't break it while handling the transmisson - the blades are quite fragile: I broke 2 blades off the fan, by not doing this while taking my tranny off.
Step 4. Unbolt the torque brackets off the frame. I think there are 2 of them - one on either side. I can't remember if I took them right off, or just unbolted one end (either the frame end, or the tranny end)
Step 5. Decouple the fwd/rev actuator link by removing the spring clip & washer, and removing the pin from the lever
Step 6. Decouple the brake actuator link by removing the spring clip & washer, and removing the pin from the lever
Step 7. Decouple the free-wheeling actuator link by removing the spring clip & washer, and removing the pin from the lever. Then pull the lever all the way out the back, as far as it will go, so it's out of the way
Step 8. Take a break & crack one of the frosties, because the next step, you'll be dropping the tranny.
Step 9. Secure a jack (a hydraulic one works best) under the tranny - use a block of wood between the tranny and the jack. Remove the 4 bolts that hold the tranny onto the frame. Slowly lower the tranny with the jack, while observing for interferences - which you obviously want to clear so you don't break anything.

Once the tranny is out, use a paint brush, and low-pressure air to blow all the dirt off it, before you open any internal cavities. If "one speck" of dirt, or one "blade of grass" gets in the tranny - you're screwed! Wipe the area around the fill plug with a rag, to get all the sticky dirt off.

Take the filler plug out, and stick your (clean) finger in the hole. The oil level should be right near the top. Make a mental note if that's not the case. Invert the tranny to drain out the oil. Put the fill plug back in. Rotate the tranny around to get all the oil out of all the nooks and crannies. Take the plug out, and invert the tranny again to get the rest of the oil out.

Set it down, right side up, and measure the amount of oil you took out.

Replace the same amount of oil that you took out, with a good quality product. If your "finger dip-stick test" showed you were low, then obviously you should be able to get more oil in than you get out. The level should be almost right to the top, but not too full so that if you put the plug back in, that oil will leak out.

If you put in less than you took out and the tranny is full, then obviously you didn't refill all the nooks and crannies. Put the plug in, and twist and rotate the tranny around. Then set it back down, and top it off again.

I did this, and was able to get the same amount of oil back in.

To reinstall the tranny, reverse the 10 steps above. Grease all the hardware while you're at it.

At the end, you may need to bleed the air out of the system. I published a procedure for that too... either here, or on GW. You'll have to find it yourself, because I just ran out of beer, and so my typing has to stop.....

Last step: grab the 2'nd frostie out of the snow-bank, and enjoy it, while wiping grease off your fingers with a shop-rag.

cheers!

[nzo]

Wow wally2q...thank you! That's awesome info. If you were closer I'd send you some beer. Just tell me someone: what is GW?

[wally2q]

GW stands for Garden-Web... another forum for tractors....

[wally2q]

Here is the air-bleed procedure. This came straight from a TuffTorq tech-support guy. Note that it's applicable to various trannies, K46, K57, K66 etc.... but it's done in-situ, so keep in mind when topping off the oil, that it's hard to get to the fill plug without stirring up dirt that's around in that space where the tranny sits... so be very careful. I used a small funnel and a length of soft clear plastic tube - to get the oil in there.....

Also keep in mind that when you first change the oil and start up your tractor, the tranny may not move at all... because of air-lock in the internal hydraulics... so don't be alarmed, and just follow the procedure as below....


1. Jack up the tractor on jack stands so the rear wheels can spin freely, and the tractor is secure.
2. Start engine and operate at low idle
3. With either a weight or a person in the seat, repeat opening and closing the tow release valve (wheel release lever ), while depresing fwd and rev. pedals.
4. Once wheels run at normal speed, increase engine speed
5. Continue by placing tractor on the ground, and doing panic starts and stops at full throttle - until tractor gives proper start/stop response.
6. Recheck oil level and top-off if necessary.

[kml]

nzo,
With the great instructions from Wally2q I have every confidence that you will get your hydro working better than new.

For those that may find this thread in a search that aren't so lucky here is a place that often has affordable (relatively!) replacements. Along with other cool stuff!

http://www.surpluscenter.com/sort.as...s&keyword=PTT1

They currently have TuffTorq K62's for $239 ..New!

[wally2q]

This place:

http://www.smallenginedistributors.net/engineparts.html


has:
K66's for $235
K62's for $208

[Mayor]

Price is right. I would put one on the shelf as a back up.

[nzo]

Superb wally2q - thank you! Thanks also for the links - unbelievably good prices.

[wally2q]

FYI... I bought a K66 from that place once already.... got the unit - brand new... as Mayor said - it's sitting on the shelf as backup - I'm waiting & waiting for the K46 to die... 375 hours and still no change in performance....

...I think I'll swap out my tranny in the spring, because I'm sick of waiting...

[Varmint_304]

That would make a worthy write-up Wally. Be sure to take pics and notes as you make the swap.

(Yes, I just assigned you homework. I'm a teacher; I can do that. )

[wally2q]

oh great!... another assignment!