Billy_The_Kid
Member
Recently I received the following email from a friend, who is also a member of this board. In it are some real nuggets, so I thought I would excerpt some portions and share. In being his usual thorough self, he provided more information than I even knew existed on the topic. Keep in mind we both live in a northern climate where we get plenty of cold and we both have early WDs. I am passing it forward...
So, here is the deal with the early WD:
Engine Oil: mine leaks and burns some. The manual says to use straight non-detergent oil (all that was available) from 10W in winter to 40W in summer. I use 10W30 in winter and 20W50 detergent in summer. The engine will not turn over with the latter in it on a cold winters day. I go through so much oil that I seldom change filters or drain the pan; I just start to convert viscosities as the seasons change. The one time that I did recently change oil was when I got caught with heavy oil in the crankcase during a week of winter weather when my WD was caught outside instead of in her winter stall. My cracked, original oil pressure gauge still works and does register pressure with these oil viscosities and the correct filter (another subject that I trust you have read about. If not, let me know).
Hydraulic Oil: Some guys use universal trans/hydraulic oil here. They may, or may not actually use their hydraulics throughout some or all of the year. Myself, I use hydraulics on the brush hog in summer and a primitive back blade in winter. The manual calls for non-detergent 10W in winter and 20W in summer. I have gone with this regimen in the past, even mixing 10W with 30W to approximate my own 20W. In northern winter, if you do not have light oil in the pump, it will hammer trying to move the thick oil and run very slowly until it warms up. Personally, I choose not to put that stress on my 63 year old un-rebuilt pump, so I have light oil in by the time winter comes. During summer, light oil will seep past seals a lot faster than heavy oil, so I step up. When I found that I could buy gallons of hydraulic oil cheaper than the quarts of non-detergent motor oil, I changed to ISO68 hyd oil for summer and ISO32 for winter. Hydraulic oil can leak forward from the sump into the bell housing and rear ward into the heavy oil chamber if it is thinner than the seals can retain (of course dependent upon which century during which they were last changed, if ever). With that big blade and cylinder and cold weather, you will want to manage your oil properties.
PTO/Wet Clutch/Tranny/Differential: Manual calls for SAE 80EP all year. Here is where some guys make the compromise with the universal lube. It must be lighter than the spec, or the hydraulic pump would not move it, especially in winter. In summer, it will leak past seals all over the place, unless they are in good shape. The seal around the PTO output shaft is the lowest point in this giant reservoir of 4 ½ gallons and will drain most of it with little commotion if at all leaky. There are two plugs to check levels & fill. There are many more leak potentials at PTO actuator shaft, wet clutch actuator shaft, diff output seals and compartment gaskets. If you let the oil get below the level of the wet clutch, the friction disks and brass actuator collar will wear out quickly from being run dry. Dad did this and we had to stretch (split) the tractor in order to replace a bunch of wet clutch parts. I use 80W90 year round and check the level several times a year, keeping the level up to the wet clutch actuator shaft, which leaks badly but I (am not ready to change it). All the leaking oil keeps things from rusting anyway. I suspect that my hydraulic oil leaks rearward into this chamber and keeps it diluted a little. Oil that is so old and thick that it has turned to mud will not allow the wet clutch to work correctly. In winter, heavy oil will cause some drag on the clutch until it warms up some. WD45 is worse than WD for dragging clutch as they squeezed an extra pair of plates into the same space in order to hold the extra HP
Check your oil level for sure. Contrary to some folk lore, it is possible to change gears on the WD using only the hand (wet) clutch provided that the oil is warm, the clutch is adjusted properly, the tractor is stopped dead and you move swiftly and smoothly with the gearshift. This benefits the use of the hydraulic arms (snow blade) if you want to lift the arms at the same time that you shift gears. The hydraulic arms lift only if the foot (engine) clutch is engaged. To shift at the same time, you break the driveline back at the transmission with the hand clutch.
Final Drives: Manual calls for SAE90 in winter and SAE140 in summer. I use 85W120, as I mentioned, and use leftover oil in the big chamber. I like heavy oil here, because I don’t like to get down there to check the oil with my little finger and have to top it up. Nor do I like to run the risk of lighter oil leaking past ancient gaskets and seals. Heavy oil will also cling better to the rotating bull gear by which it is carried up to be thrown on higher bearings. It is a primitive design, but used in other areas, such as the cam shaft, and seems to have worked for decades. Personally, I would not relish the thought of tearing down the rear end because I had used light oil out of convenience. I guess that it is a personal decision. I’ll attach a pic of a gooseneck oil gun. I expect that everyone has one of these to change oil in their car/truck differentials, don’t they? It may make it easy to shoot some heavy oil into the inspection/filler ports on the inside of the final pans that should have a pipe plug in them. The rear ends on the WD are noisy as they have big old square cuts gears (as does the transmission) but they are very rugged (like a WWII tank).
So that's the email. Pass it forward.
So, here is the deal with the early WD:
Engine Oil: mine leaks and burns some. The manual says to use straight non-detergent oil (all that was available) from 10W in winter to 40W in summer. I use 10W30 in winter and 20W50 detergent in summer. The engine will not turn over with the latter in it on a cold winters day. I go through so much oil that I seldom change filters or drain the pan; I just start to convert viscosities as the seasons change. The one time that I did recently change oil was when I got caught with heavy oil in the crankcase during a week of winter weather when my WD was caught outside instead of in her winter stall. My cracked, original oil pressure gauge still works and does register pressure with these oil viscosities and the correct filter (another subject that I trust you have read about. If not, let me know).
Hydraulic Oil: Some guys use universal trans/hydraulic oil here. They may, or may not actually use their hydraulics throughout some or all of the year. Myself, I use hydraulics on the brush hog in summer and a primitive back blade in winter. The manual calls for non-detergent 10W in winter and 20W in summer. I have gone with this regimen in the past, even mixing 10W with 30W to approximate my own 20W. In northern winter, if you do not have light oil in the pump, it will hammer trying to move the thick oil and run very slowly until it warms up. Personally, I choose not to put that stress on my 63 year old un-rebuilt pump, so I have light oil in by the time winter comes. During summer, light oil will seep past seals a lot faster than heavy oil, so I step up. When I found that I could buy gallons of hydraulic oil cheaper than the quarts of non-detergent motor oil, I changed to ISO68 hyd oil for summer and ISO32 for winter. Hydraulic oil can leak forward from the sump into the bell housing and rear ward into the heavy oil chamber if it is thinner than the seals can retain (of course dependent upon which century during which they were last changed, if ever). With that big blade and cylinder and cold weather, you will want to manage your oil properties.
PTO/Wet Clutch/Tranny/Differential: Manual calls for SAE 80EP all year. Here is where some guys make the compromise with the universal lube. It must be lighter than the spec, or the hydraulic pump would not move it, especially in winter. In summer, it will leak past seals all over the place, unless they are in good shape. The seal around the PTO output shaft is the lowest point in this giant reservoir of 4 ½ gallons and will drain most of it with little commotion if at all leaky. There are two plugs to check levels & fill. There are many more leak potentials at PTO actuator shaft, wet clutch actuator shaft, diff output seals and compartment gaskets. If you let the oil get below the level of the wet clutch, the friction disks and brass actuator collar will wear out quickly from being run dry. Dad did this and we had to stretch (split) the tractor in order to replace a bunch of wet clutch parts. I use 80W90 year round and check the level several times a year, keeping the level up to the wet clutch actuator shaft, which leaks badly but I (am not ready to change it). All the leaking oil keeps things from rusting anyway. I suspect that my hydraulic oil leaks rearward into this chamber and keeps it diluted a little. Oil that is so old and thick that it has turned to mud will not allow the wet clutch to work correctly. In winter, heavy oil will cause some drag on the clutch until it warms up some. WD45 is worse than WD for dragging clutch as they squeezed an extra pair of plates into the same space in order to hold the extra HP
Check your oil level for sure. Contrary to some folk lore, it is possible to change gears on the WD using only the hand (wet) clutch provided that the oil is warm, the clutch is adjusted properly, the tractor is stopped dead and you move swiftly and smoothly with the gearshift. This benefits the use of the hydraulic arms (snow blade) if you want to lift the arms at the same time that you shift gears. The hydraulic arms lift only if the foot (engine) clutch is engaged. To shift at the same time, you break the driveline back at the transmission with the hand clutch.
Final Drives: Manual calls for SAE90 in winter and SAE140 in summer. I use 85W120, as I mentioned, and use leftover oil in the big chamber. I like heavy oil here, because I don’t like to get down there to check the oil with my little finger and have to top it up. Nor do I like to run the risk of lighter oil leaking past ancient gaskets and seals. Heavy oil will also cling better to the rotating bull gear by which it is carried up to be thrown on higher bearings. It is a primitive design, but used in other areas, such as the cam shaft, and seems to have worked for decades. Personally, I would not relish the thought of tearing down the rear end because I had used light oil out of convenience. I guess that it is a personal decision. I’ll attach a pic of a gooseneck oil gun. I expect that everyone has one of these to change oil in their car/truck differentials, don’t they? It may make it easy to shoot some heavy oil into the inspection/filler ports on the inside of the final pans that should have a pipe plug in them. The rear ends on the WD are noisy as they have big old square cuts gears (as does the transmission) but they are very rugged (like a WWII tank).
So that's the email. Pass it forward.
