How to refill a Murray Hydrostatic transmission.

tommor

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My 1995 14 horse, 42 inch cut Murray has been a good mower all these years. Then a few seasons back the trans. began to run slower and I had to back up some and then go forward again to get it moving. This summer it would not pull up the ditch bank in front of my house. I know Murray said the trans. is not serviceable and to never remove the cap on the top of it. It was either junk it or save it so this is what I did. First, move the seat full forward and tilt it up. Check under the battery box for things that want to sting you. I am right handed, so standing on the mower's right side, I was able to get my right hand under the battery box and removed the forbidden cap. Down inside was a black plastic cup, so I removed it with a finger. Now, clean them both in mineral spirits.

Feel around inside the reservoir with your index finger and you will find two little cliffs on each side of a valley. The cup sits on these cliffs and the valley leads to a hole for fluid to enter the trans. At the very tip of my finger was a very black wet spot. I guessed the fluid should have been level with those cup rests and it was low or out of fluid.
I decided to use 30 wt. detergent oil to refill it. Now, go in the house and without telling your wife, get a small funnel and a measuring cup. About 12 inch of 1/2 inch heater hose was attached to the funnel and snaked down into the reservoir. I refilled it two ounces at a time, feeling with my finger after each. It took a total of 14 ounces before the level reached the cup rests. Replace the clean as new black cup and white cap. Since this refill, I have cut about three hours and this old Murray is moving like it did when new. It may lock up tomorrow but I doubt it. I just came in from cutting about a half acre of thick grass and I going to call it fixed.
 

BlazNT

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Thanks for the info.
 

tommor

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You're welcome. Its still running OK. When moving forward at slower speed, it tends to slip and bog down but by backing up just a few feet it resets and takes off again. At full speed forward, it does great.
 

Pumper54

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tommor
Wonder if you had used heavier gear oil if the slow speed slipping would not happen? Sounds like you have much of the problem solved by adding the fluid.
Tom
 

Pig Iron

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You're welcome. Its still running OK. When moving forward at slower speed, it tends to slip and bog down but by backing up just a few feet it resets and takes off again. At full speed forward, it does great.

Or non-detergent, as motorcycle transmissions will slip with detergent oil.
 

Boobala

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My 1995 14 horse, 42 inch cut Murray has been a good mower all these years. Then a few seasons back the trans. began to run slower and I had to back up some and then go forward again to get it moving. This summer it would not pull up the ditch bank in front of my house. I know Murray said the trans. is not serviceable and to never remove the cap on the top of it. It was either junk it or save it so this is what I did. First, move the seat full forward and tilt it up. Check under the battery box for things that want to sting you. I am right handed, so standing on the mower's right side, I was able to get my right hand under the battery box and removed the forbidden cap. Down inside was a black plastic cup, so I removed it with a finger. Now, clean them both in mineral spirits.

Feel around inside the reservoir with your index finger and you will find two little cliffs on each side of a valley. The cup sits on these cliffs and the valley leads to a hole for fluid to enter the trans. At the very tip of my finger was a very black wet spot. I guessed the fluid should have been level with those cup rests and it was low or out of fluid.
I decided to use 30 wt. detergent oil to refill it. Now, go in the house and without telling your wife, get a small funnel and a measuring cup. About 12 inch of 1/2 inch heater hose was attached to the funnel and snaked down into the reservoir. I refilled it two ounces at a time, feeling with my finger after each. It took a total of 14 ounces before the level reached the cup rests. Replace the clean as new black cup and white cap. Since this refill, I have cut about three hours and this old Murray is moving like it did when new. It may lock up tomorrow but I doubt it. I just came in from cutting about a half acre of thick grass and I going to call it fixed.

Hope this clears up the right type of oil to use in these tranny's ......... see page 71 of the enclosed ( in link) manual.....

1111TRANS.JPG.. read 2nd line under features... EP-90 OIL

http://www.barrettsmallengine.com/manual/tecumsehpeerlessmanual.pdf

OOoops got ahead of myself, .. check this chart for your model #

1111CHART.JPG
 
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Pig Iron

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Re: How to identify Murray Hydrostatic transmission.

How can I determine which Hydrostatic transmission I have and how much gear oil to use?
 
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