303 fluid in WD

tractormiallis · Sep 26, 2021

I put 303 fluid in my WD in 2018. Now, its not used heavily, not daily. Sits a lot and has not been worked hard since doing so. I see the Super trac 303 fluid has a class action against it for not meeting spec. Should i drain it out, consider the fluid garbage,or leave it alone? Maybe just time to change it anyhow to be on the safe side?

504 · Sep 26, 2021

I believe it was just the newer tractors that had problems.

DrAllis · Sep 27, 2021

"303" oil is a lubricant that meets a certain hydraulic/transmission oil spec. The lawsuit is against a certain manufacturer of that particular spec 303 oil, not every pail of 303 oil ever made. So, if what you are using is named in the lawsuit, I doubt that it would ever bother in a WD tractor, but it is suspect. Do as you think is right. The "303" oil spec goes back to the 3010 and 4010 John Deere tractors in 1960, who were the first to use hydraulic oil/wet brakes/ transmission/final drives all in one compartment. These oils have evolved over the years about 8 or 10 times and are currently called PermaTran (Deere) Hy-Tran (Case-IH) PermaTran (AGCO) and on and on. Nothing wrong with it in a WD, except it will probably leak more because it is a 10W-30 viscosity.

tractormiallis · Sep 27, 2021

Yeah, it was the named in suit super trac
oil i used. I guess i will just leave it
for now. Thanks for the information guys.

Traditional Farmer · Sep 27, 2021

Why would you or anyone else take a chance on ruining thousands of dollars of parts to save a few dollars on some cheap oil or grease?

DrAllis · Sep 27, 2021

Well, I'm not sure saving a few bucks was really the issue. I believe the issue was the oil that was sold as a "303" spec'd hydraulic/transmission oil didn't meet the "303" specs, which caused problems in more modern tractors with wet brakes, wet clutches, mega hydraulic systems, etc. If the oil would have actually met the 303 specs, I don't believe there would ever have been a problem or a lawsuit. A bad deal for the buyer, who became the victim of a misrepresented product.

Hockeygoon · Sep 27, 2021

I would not use 303 oil in the transmission of a D17 with the power director. In the hydraulic reserve its not an issue, but the oil bathing the clutches of the power director need to be of higher quality.

Traditional Farmer · Sep 27, 2021

What TSC used to sell branded 303 oil wasn't speced as anything just said not to be used in tractors built after 1974.Which was a slick way to make buyer think it was OK for tractors built before 1974 but it wasn't stated as such.Sort of like labeling a can of water and putting on the label not to be added to gas tanks of tractor built after 1974,well I guess not(LOL)

Traditional Farmer · Sep 27, 2021

I might use it to oil chains if I mixed it 50/50 with used motor oil.

XT180 · Sep 27, 2021

A ? for the Doc, Was the ALLIS 821 oil around in the WD/WD45 era ?? Thanks

Traditional Farmer · Sep 27, 2021

Think the PD compartment originally called for 20W non detergent oil.

XT180 · Sep 27, 2021

Thank TF, we ran a WD back-in-the-day but I was only 8

!!

DrAllis · Sep 27, 2021

Allis-Chalmers 821 oil came out in about 1967 ?? or 68 ?? I know my Dad's D-17 series 4 used red Dexron ATF in the hydraulic system and it was a 1967 model. My Uncles 1968 One-Seventy I cannot remember what it had for hydraulic oil. 821 XL was next generation and in the 1980's or 90's. By the way, John Deere used their 303 oil in their Power Shift transmissions, which were hydraulically applied wet clutch similar to a Power Director clutch in a D-17.

This post was edited by DrAllis on 09/27/2021 at 05:35 pm.

XT180 · Sep 27, 2021

Thanks Doc !!

Hockeygoon · Oct 4, 2021

But the 303 cheap oil sold now doesn't meet the old 303 John Deere spec - its pretty much straight 10W (20w?) non detergent oil - and its not very clean at that. Ever
see the bottom on a 5 gallon bucket of the stuff? You don't want what has settled out of that oil to the bottom of the bucket in your tractor - dirt and scum.

DrAllis · Oct 5, 2021

Let's just say that there are currently a dozen different brands of this "303" formula trans/hydraulic oil pioneered by John Deere from about 1960 being sold today. You yourself personally have purchased ALL of these brands?? and have looked in the bottom of every brands pail?? and have done an oil analysis of each to be able to make this claim?? I'm just asking, because there's only been one lawsuit so far. I'd expect many more lawsuits if what you claim is true, which it could be (I guess).

Jim.ME · Oct 5, 2021

The John Deere "Special Purpose Oil" (formula JD303) contained sperm whale oil as a key additive for wet brakes and clutches in transmissions. With the Endangered Species Act they could no longer get that additive and they moved on to the J14 specification, with a different formulation to fill the needs of those components. If sperm whale oil was a key additive of "JD303" and is no longer available, how can a "303" fluid be made to the JD formula now? The outdated JD14 spec can be replicated as it used different additives. So if the label says it meets "303" and JD14, it should meet the JD14 specs and be backwards compatible for "303" service. The JD specs and fluids are all backwards compatible, but not forward compatible. The current JD20C works for JD20A, JD14, and JD303.

303 fluid in WD

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