Maintenance Instructions
LUBRICATION
54
Mower Deck Gearbox Lubrication
NOTE:
These instructions apply to all mower decks
with gear-driven blades. Refer to
Mower Deck
Spindle Lubrication
in this section for the DS42
Belt Drive deck with belt-driven blades.
On gear driven decks, the mower deck gearboxes
(tee gearbox and blade drive gearboxes) are con
nected as a unitized as sembly, and oil flows freely
between them. The gear boxes are permanently lu
bricated (oil filled) and sealed requiring no sched
uled lubrication. Howev er, the gearbox oil seals
should be checked
every 25 hours
for indication of
an oil leak;
particularly the lower seals
on the
blade drive gearboxes should be inspected, since
they operate in a dirty en vironment. If an oil leak is
noted, replace the oil seal and relubricate the gear
box assembly as follows:
1. Remove gearbox cover (footrest). Deck orien-
tation should be the normal operating position.
Blade Drive
Gearboxes
Tee
Gearbox
Mower Deck Gearboxes
(Shown with Gearbox Cover
Removed for Clarity)
2. Clean the area around the individual gearbox
cover plates to prevent contaminants from en-
tering the gearcase.
3. Remove the screws securing the cover plates
on
the blade drive gearboxes.
4. Check the level of lubricant in the gearboxes. If
the lubricant is low, add SAE E.P. (Extreme
Pressure) 80W-90 (API GL-5) gear lube until
the oil level is up to (submerges) the horizontal
shaft in the gearbox (shaft parallel to cover
plate).
NOTE:
In case the gearboxes are completely
drained of oil, approximately 5 fl. oz. (15 cl) of oil
per gearbox is required to refill the gear drive
assembly.
NOTE:
Since the gearboxes are connected as
a
unit by connector tubes, it is necessary to add
oil slowly. Allow a few minutes after adding oil
for the oil to flow throughout the assembly and
the oil level to stabilize before reassembly.
IMPORTANT:
DO NOT
overfill the deck gear-
boxes. The gearbox assembly is not vented,
and overfilling with oil will cause excessive pres-
sure and result in oil leaks.
5. Check condition of the cover gasket and re-
place
if worn or damaged. Reinstall gearbox
cover plates; torque screws to 24 lb
·
in.
(3 N
·
m).
Mower Deck Spindle Lubrication
For the DS42 Belt Drive mower deck, lubricate each
deck spindle grease fitting
every 25 hours.
Use
SAE general purpose lithium or molybdenum base
grease for grease fittings.
PTO U-Joint Lubrication (Tractor)
DANGER
Never perform the following steps with the
engine running.
1. Remove deck from tractor.
2. Position the PTO U-joint grease fitting pointing
up, as shown in
Grease Fitting Location
pho
to. To rotate the PTO, the blade brake will need
to be released by pushing the blade clutch lever
slightly forward while simultaneously turning the
PTO.
