Craftsman 42 inch hydrostat?

[Geo-TH,In]

Friend has a Craftsman 42 inch and the hydrostat is making a noise when you first start out. Put it in reverse and reverse a few times it stops talking and starts moving.

No way to check fluid. Is this a throw away hydrostat?

 

[Moonlite37]

most likely built by MTD and will likely run a long time with no attention. When it stops going junk it or replace transmission from a junk mower.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

How would you give it attention? How would you service it?

 

[Moonlite37]

I do not think they are repairable but there may be a salvage transmission for it if it ever quits. I have a MTD bearing the name Gardenway and Troy built with hydrostat.That are the choices I would use. I know of no other choices

 

[Mule Meat]

(quoted from post at 15:13:42 07/24/18) most likely built by MTD...

AYP builds Craftsman.

Not knowing the model number will only get a "shot in the dark" suggestions for repairs.. With that said here's mine.

Look between the space on the back of the tractor above the plate for the hitch and the rear fender.. If you see a black rubber tube attached to the transaxle. You can add fluid through it. You do not want to add to much, maybe 1/4 cup.

Look for the freewheel lever that disconnects the drive so that the tractor can be push or pulled without damage.. Disengage it (freewheel). Start the engine and move the ground control from forward to reverse a few times. Shut the engine off and reengage the drive. . . This can at times bleed and trapped air in the system.

If it has a Tuff Torq K46. The drain/fill plug is on the rear of the transaxle.. This is the same place where the breather tube attaches on some models.

Sorry for the huge photo. Did not take the time to resize it.


https://www.surpluscenter.com/productImages/image.axd/i.13-1518/a.2/w.1000/h.1000/Tuff+Torq+K46+Transaxle_L.jpg

 

[Mule Meat]

 

[4play]

I've never torn one apart, but you can change the fluid through the top after removing from mower. There should be an axle assy and a pump attached. I don't know the capacities of each but I measured what came out and put that much back in. Axle took 80w90 gear oil, pump took 20w50, I used synthetics.

p.s. fluid was nasty with an est 100hrs service.

 

[Fred47M]

The seals leak on mine, out by tires, i take tbat back plate off where hitch is. Short tube sticks up, i add 5w 20 motor oil in. Read that somewhere I use a wire bent L Shaped to check level. Inch or so from top good enough I do it every other year or so. Noise usually hoes away. Its a hydrogear

 

[T.R.K.]

Well, in that picture its actually the black plug down by the fan that is the fill plug. On some of those, if you pop the top off the upper
plug which is the vent, you'll never get it back on. At least I couldn't.

That said, you can re-fill the transmission. I'm thinking Tuff torq shipped 10w40 synthetic back when we did all those transmission recalls.
But if it was me and the tractor had 100 hours or more on it, I would just put 20w50 motor oil back in.

The neat thing about using the lower plug is you can fill it brim full at the lower plug and there is still an expansion pocket up there
under the vent.

 

[Mule Meat]

SORRY..

What I meant to say is that the [b:bfd48551c8]drain fill is on the front (Plastic cap)[/b:bfd48551c8] of the transaxle that you must pry off.. And to add. It should also have a magnet attached to it..

The plug in the rear at the top is the breather cap.. Some models have a rubber tube about 4 to 6" long sticking up from the same location. You can add oil through the breather cap or tube.. Much easier to get to with the transaxle in the tractor than the front rubber cap..

My manual says to use 5W50 synthetic Tuff Tech Hydrostatic oil (part number 187Q0899000). Of course that is what the factory says to use and not me. I personally use Honda GN4 10W30. It takes nearly 6 quarts to change the oil in my Daughters 2008 Honda Rubicon 4 wheeler and calls for an oil change every 650 miles. So every couple of years I have enough from buying six quarts at a time left over to change the oil in the transaxle of the ole Husqvarna tractor.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Thanks for the pic
My 48 inch hushy varnney is like your pic.
Friends craftsman has a plastic tube located in that location. Oil in craftsman
is black. I wonder if there isn't water in hydro.

 

[Mule Meat]

If it is black it is from normal wear and tear (like engine oil in a car or push mower engine). The oil would be a brownish tan color if it had water in it and could have some light foaming if it were hot when drained.