Hi E Allison
I'll have a go since no one else has... You can inspect the brake disk wear by pulling off the casting that holds the brake actuating lever - i.e. the lever that goes into the axle housing and moves when you put your foot on the pedal. The casting has 2 nuts, top and bottom. You should be able to work out from the drawings in the I&T manual what you are looking at when the casting is removed. The disks originally are nearly 3/8" thick. If one side's not working well, it could be 1) needs adjusting; 2) oil on linings - dismantle and replace inner oil seal; 3) disks worn out.I agree it's worth finding out what the prob is BEFORE disassembling! Re: old oil and sludge etc. Definitely replace old oil. There's been considerable discussion on this board about removing sludge from the transmission case. THe latest idea seems to be filling with diesel and running the engine for a few minutes (ONLY a few mins!) to pump it all thru the hydraulics and around the casing and gears etc. Then drain diesel and fill with new oil. Search this board for more discussion. I haven't heard about loosened stuff being a problem. The hydraulic system is protected by the strainer (see below). Most common problem is gum deposits that build up everywhere and cause things to stick. The drain plugs (there are TWO OF THEM!) have little magnets inside them to catch gear grindings. When tranny is empty, a good time to clean or replace the hydraulic system strainer (see I&T manual for details), replace leaking gaskets, PTO oil seal etc. I don't know what oil is recommended for North America - someone else will advise, or search this board for the regular discussions about it. IN Australia we use a combo oil for both trans and diesel engine. Haven't heard of Kevlar brake linings either. cheers
David
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