SOS oil question

Lynn Patrick

Well-known Member
I want to replace the filter & oil in my 881 SOS tranny. I plan to order a filter from Dennis Carpenter. I also know you all say use the 134 oil, but my local farm supply store says 303 oil works the same (but I don't think they know anything about this tranny!). What is the opinion of those of you who know more about this than I do (which would be most of you!)?
Thanks in advance!
Lynn
 
There are many different brands of fluid that are labelled as "303". Some of them say on the label that they meet the Ford/New Holland M2C134D specification and some of them do not. If the one that they are trying to sell you does say that on the label then it will be fine. If it does not, then find a fluid that does.
 

I would stay plumb away from 303. That was a spec for 10 and 20 series Deere tractors. I was not aware that any of it claimed to "meet or exceed" the 134. If it actually says that, then go for it. If it says anything else like "will work for" or "may be used for" the 134, run don't walk!

Lubrication is the cheapest part of owning a motorized machine! Why skimp on it, when the wrong fluid could be the ruination of a perfectly good machine!
 
Thanks Larry.
You say,"Lubrication is the cheapest part of owning a motorized machine! Why skimp on it, when the wrong fluid could be the ruination of a perfectly good machine!"
This is exactly why I asked!
 
Larry, you are correct that 303 was originally a JD spec that had nothing to do with the 134D spec, but there are several third party brands of fluid that call their product "303" that do say on the label that they meet the 134D spec,
 
The current spec is the M2C134D spec, but the S-O-S transmission came out before the M2C134A spec even existed. The original oil called for was the Ford M2C41A spec, which was eventually superseded by the M2C134A spec, and then a while later that was superseded by M2C134B, and then M2C134C and finally M2C134D. The newer revisions of the spec just added new properties that newer machines needed, so any of them (A, B, C or D) should be fine in a S-O-S transmission.
 
and 134 D came out ? decades AFTER the SOS went out of production.

134 A is STILL a later oil spec, AFTER SOS went out of production..
 
(quoted from post at 07:47:44 04/18/16) Larry, you are correct that 303 was originally a JD spec that had nothing to do with the 134D spec, but there are several third party brands of fluid that call their product "303" that do say on the label that they meet the 134D spec,

I've never seen one. Are you sure they say they "meet"? Or do they say something like "will work for"?

Please tell me what brands you're speaking of. I'd like to check them out for myself . . . just because I'm not aware of any and am curious.

BTW . . . I'll still stake my brand against anybody's :wink:
 
Larry, I never used to see any "303" oils that said on the label that they met the 134 spec either, but about 6 months ago someone was asking on another forum about a 303 oil from some company that I had never heard of, and theirs said that it did. I can't remember what the brand name was, but if I find it again I'll let you know.
 
I'm not sure on the 881 S-O-S, but from my owner's manual the later 3 cylinder 2000 and 3000 series S-O-S took 12 quarts, and the 3 cylinder 4000 S-O-S took 13.3 quarts. I'm betting that the 881 would also take something less than 5 gallons, and the fluid is so much cheaper in the 5 gallon buckets vs. buying it by the gallon that I would say to go ahead and get one of those.
 

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