314-H Service

[BigRed84 65]

Officially confused after searching and reading many different suggestions.  I even called two local dealers, and was told two different bits of info.  I thought since I don't know when it was done last, and the fluid level is below the add line, I would do a filter change and fluid flush.  

 

My original question was going to be what fluid do I use (possibly the beefier trans because I have the filter under the tank on the side near the rear wheel as opposed to the cap??) One dealer told me if it works properly just top it off and call it a day.  He says he has seen more problems START after someone changes the filter and drains the fluid than if they had just left it alone.  Coming from the muscle car world I feel that urge to do routine maintenance BUT I don't want to cause trouble since everything seems to be working well.  The fluid is a translucent reddish pink.  Looks clean, just very low.  If I fill it, maybe I will find out I have a leak.  Anyways, this dealer also said the new fluid used is no longer the reddish pink color, it's green.  Is this true?  I search here and I see a lot of different suggestions.  

 

So, from 314 or 520 or any other hydro owners....if it even makes a difference from model to model....what should I top it off with, and what's everyone's opinion on not touching the filter since the existing fluid is still clean looking after all this time???

[953 nut 55,860]

The manual calls for a change of oil and filter every 100 hours, five quarts of10-W-30 and a NAPA 1410 filter.

 

Edited May 25, 2017 by 953 nut

[BigRed84 65]

I'm still lost, that's what i've read when I search the forums....but 10w-30 as in motor oil???  I assumed the reddish tint was along the lines of transmission fluid in a car....or hydraulic fluid?  I'm confusing myself with the cars I work on.  I put gear oil in the rear end, trans fluid in the transmission, and motor oil in the engine.  haha  On this specific tractor I have the dipstick that goes directly into the rear end (if i'm allowed to call it that, or is there a specific term for it on our tractors?)  Then I have a filterless splash system for the Kohler engine that I change the motor oil in.  Since this is a hydraulic lift, shouldn't there also be a reservoir somewhere for hydraulic fluid or is that the same fluid that I'm supposed to put into the "rear end"?

 

Kinda feel like an idiot at the moment.  haha   Sorry for my confusion.

[slammer302 2,155]

I know it sound wrong but the eaton trans in your 314-H takes a good quality 10w-30 motor oil. If it has a red colored trans fluid in it then it has the wrong fluid in it. The hydraulic lift runs off the the fluid from the trans.

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

If it truly has a "reddish" fluid in there, hopefully it hasn't been damaged. The transaxle and transmission have been designed to use 10W-30 engine oil. Really! The Eaton 11 can't be flushed like a manual transmission so you will need to dump and fill to get what ever is in there out. I would suggest two or three times with regular dino oil and then the last fill with a decent synthetic 10W-30 (use a new filter at this change as well) which will perform better in winter use. The Eaton 11 does not vent well on its own when filling. Two ways of making filling easier are to: leave the filter cracked and tightening it when the level reaches that point; or remove one of the bolts from the top that go in the casing. After using it double check the level as it will go down as the air trapped leaves.

 

 

[BigRed84 65]

Mind blown!  Haha.   Thanks for the link and replies everyone. 

[BigRed84 65]

Not to beat a dead horse...haha...get it?....But I'm looking for anyone to throw some red flags my way based on the work I started last night.  I'm interested in any kind of "NO DON'T DO THAT!!" type of responses. 

 

So after pulling the manuals you guys kindly linked me to, and searching a bit more for tips and specific experiences, I've gathered what I needed to know to replace the trans oil in my 314-H.  Along the way I've read in certain posts that some people are under the impression that the 314-H has the smaller Eaton 7....so I figured I'd clear that up for any other rookie that might stumble across this thread in their searches.  My 314-H does in fact have the heavier duty Eaton 11, I purchased and replaced the oil filter that is under the gas tank next to the left tire if you're looking at the tractor from the rear.  I also confirmed while draining the oil that it was red enough for me to assume whoever serviced this last did in fact put trans fluid in.  I know for a fact that this has not been serviced for at least 6 years, and we used it for cutting an acre of grass and snow blowing the driveway.  Everything has been operating flawlessly UNTIL the last year or two.  My concern arose when I was recently pulling a plug aerator with roughly 80lbs on it, and the tractor would gradually begin to slow to a crawl on its own.  The RPM stayed where it was, but the motion lever for forward or reverse would begin returning back to the neutral position, requiring me to push it forward again to maintain my speed.  So I bought 11 qts of 10-30.....6 conventional, and 5 synthetic.  Last night I drained the old trans fluid, clean as can be, no chips or flakes or any debris in it.  drained the filter as best I could, and flushed it with 10-30 several times, filling it and dumping the 10-30 out before threading the filter back on.  Then I filled with the remaining 4 qts of 10-30...I started off by loosening one of the bolts as recommended, and didn't quite understand a different post when someone said "but that method can make a mess when it overflows all over the place".  My thought was " how can it overflow at the top, if it's supposed to take 5qts, i'll just slow down around 4.5".....2.5 qts went in with no issues, and approaching the 3rd qt, BAM....oil everywhere!!!  hahahaa.  NOW I understand.  haha.  So I cleaned everything off, and put that bolt back in....20 minutes later I was able to squeeze 4.5 total qts, and assumed once the fluid runs through the lines, fills the filter, and any other air bubbles make their way up, i'll fit the last half qt. in.

 

So there's one question: worried the mix of trans fluid and 10-30 would harm the system somehow, I jacked the rear tires off the ground, fired her up and slowly ran it forward and reverse for a few seconds.  I figured that would help flush the trans fluid left in the lines out with the 10-30 so when I drain it again tonight I wont have to worry.  Does anyone see any issues in doing this?  Should I not run it at all like that? 

 

I have a new filter for tonight, with Valvoline 10-30 synthetic.  The plan was to prefill the filter a little, drain out the mixed trans and 10-30 oil from last night, and then complete the 5qt fill with the new filter.  HOPING that solves the problem of the motion lever moving slowly back to the crawl position.  This weekend I'm going to finish cleaning the dirt out of the vent fins....it really isn't that dirty, its like a thick coating of dirty dust on some of them that I couldn't reach while I had the pan and seat off.  So I'm going to try a wire handle soft brush to try to get the hard to reach area, as I'm not confident enough to completely remove the whole unit. 

 

Any other comments or suggestions will be MUCH appreciated.  I've been building muscle cars with my dad for 20 years, he was always there to answer my questions....I think I'm just having a tough time with my confidence even with the simplest things like this now that he's not around, you would think this entire project would be a breeze for the mechanically inclined.  haha. 

 

Thanks all!

[EricF 589]

The motion control lever moving of its own accord is probably because the friction adjustment on the motion control cam is getting a little loose. Vibration, usage and wear on the washer underneath the nut will gradually loosen its grip. Lift the seat and find the big bolt head in the short slot in the middle of the motion control cam plate. Tighten it slightly to firm up the hydro motion lever's action. A tiny bit can make a big difference. (Wheel Horse manuals say it should take about 6 pounds of force to move the lever; in other words firm but still easy enough to move, but it should stay put against bumps and vibration.)

 

Don't know what year your tractor is, but I learned that the older Wheel Horse manuals described this adjustment in the maintenance section. The later ones completely revised under Toro may not. For instance, for my 1996 520H there's a revision "A" and a revision "B" manual. My serial number works out to "belonging" to the Rev. B version, which is the Toro-designed one. Lots more safety instructions and a different set of maintenance instructions and diagrams. The "A" version is assembled from older, mostly pre-Toro Wheel Horse content. It really helps to have copies of both -- because some things are covered better in one vs the other in the maintenance section. Red Square's manuals section is a huge help!