SERVICE
Service - 42
Changing Hydraulic Oil
1. Wash the underside of both the front and rear
transaxles thoroughly.
2. Park the power unit on a level surface and adjust
the steering to aim the power unit straight ahead.
3. Fully raise the front hitch and lower the 3-point
hitch (if equipped).
4. Engage the parking brake and shut off the engine.
5. Remove the key from the ignition switch and
allow time for the hydraulic system to cool.
6.
WARNING
Hot oil can cause severe burns. Allow the oil
temperature to drop from hot to warm before
changing the oil filters.
Place a drain pan (minimum 14 quart / 13.5 liter)
under the front transaxle.
7. Remove the drain plug (A) from the front trans-
axle and allow the hydraulic oil to drain from the
system. Loosen the cap on the hydraulic oil tank
to allow venting.
8.
A
Clean the drain plug and apply pipe sealant to
the threads, making sure to leave the last two
threads bare to prevent thread sealant from con-
taminating the hydraulic fluid.
9. Reinstall the plug into the front transaxle and
tighten 1 - 1-1/2 turns past finger tight (approxi-
mately 35-40 ft-lbs / 48-54 Nm of torque).
10. If the hydraulic filters are being changed with
the oil, proceed to Changing Hydraulic Oil Filters
section before completing the remaining steps in
this section.
11.
CAUTION
Do not over tighten the transaxle plug. Over-tight-
ening can cause the transaxle case to crack.
Add HydroTorq XL synthetic hydraulic oil to the
hydraulic oil tank until the oil level in the plastic
sight tube is within the proper range indicated by
the oil level decal.
12. Start the power unit and let it run at low idle
engine speed for a few minutes. Turn the steer-
ing wheel to the left and right a couple of times to
purge any trapped air out of the hydraulic system.
13. Shut off the power unit engine and allow the
power unit to sit for a minimum of 5 minutes.
14. Check the hydraulic oil level. Refer to the man-
ual section for checking hydraulic oil level.