04 L120 transmission slipping/ 470 hrs

X

xray man

Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2016
Threads
4
Messages
22
Transmission would slip after it got hot, no reverse.
Worked after cooling off.
I had heard that trans wasn't serviceable.
Found a YouTube video that said otherwise.
Removed transmission, drained it ,seperated case- all gears looked good, no metal shavings, just very fine metal stuck to magnet.
Resealed with Permatex Ultra Synthetic
#82135
Synthetic motor oil resistant gasket maker (purple tube)
Refilled with Castrol synthetic 2 qts of 5w-50
and about 1/3 of 32 oz. bottle of Lucas oil stabilizer. (2.3 qts)
Worked great, hills no problem, strong reverse.
So, if your gears ain't shot and there's no worn parts in the pumps (see the videos), your problem may just be loss of viscosity and/or low fluid level of factory filled 10w30 that they put in them because synthetic is about $10.00 a quart.
I might have just been lucky that fixed it but I ain't proud.
It would have been a pisser to junk the mower because it needed a transmission.
I imagine there's been a lot of them junked because the transmission took a dump and folks thought they couldn't be fixed.
Anyhow, thought I'd throw that out there in case somebody runs into the same problem.
But I got out of that ditch and slid in another one.
See my next post (please).
Need some advice.
Thanks
 
C

charliediss

Forum Newbie
Joined
Jun 15, 2018
Threads
1
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4
Good info, thanks. I am thinking about buying a used K46 for my L130 just to go through and keep as a spare as I hear they all end up in the same basket at some point or another.

Thanks again!
 
B

bertsmobile1

Lawn Royalty
Joined
Nov 29, 2014
Threads
64
Messages
24,700
xray man said:
Transmission would slip after it got hot, no reverse.
Worked after cooling off.
I had heard that trans wasn't serviceable.
Found a YouTube video that said otherwise.
Removed transmission, drained it ,seperated case- all gears looked good, no metal shavings, just very fine metal stuck to magnet.
Resealed with Permatex Ultra Synthetic
#82135
Synthetic motor oil resistant gasket maker (purple tube)
Refilled with Castrol synthetic 2 qts of 5w-50
and about 1/3 of 32 oz. bottle of Lucas oil stabilizer. (2.3 qts)
Worked great, hills no problem, strong reverse.
So, if your gears ain't shot and there's no worn parts in the pumps (see the videos), your problem may just be loss of viscosity and/or low fluid level of factory filled 10w30 that they put in them because synthetic is about $10.00 a quart.
I might have just been lucky that fixed it but I ain't proud.
It would have been a pisser to junk the mower because it needed a transmission.
I imagine there's been a lot of them junked because the transmission took a dump and folks thought they couldn't be fixed.
Anyhow, thought I'd throw that out there in case somebody runs into the same problem.
But I got out of that ditch and slid in another one.
See my next post (please).
Need some advice.
Thanks
Click to expand...

The gears never ever wear out on a hydro box.
What goes is the ability of the valve chest to maintain an oil tight seal between it and the valve plate so the oil leaks out the sides.
happens to both the pump ( mostly ) and the motor as they are almost identical.
The groaning sound you hear as they get old is caused by this.
The Lucas was a bad idea.
Just using a heavier grade of oil will usually stretch another few years out of them so a 20W 50 synthetic would have been a better way to go.
And just like adding thicker oil to a smokey car engine, the "fix" will only be temporary.
The most destructive things owners do to their hydros is to run the engine at less than full speed.
If the pumps are turning slower then there is more time for the oil to escape out the sides rather than go through the pump.
This erodes a pathway out the side.
Had a customer who got less than 100 hours out of her Hydro, I replaced it and the new one failed in 3 years. She was using the engine to control the speed rather than the foot pedal.
 
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