Came across an interesting item today. Most epicyclic reduction hubs Ive been used to have a centre level plug so you only fill the hub half full of oil, the reasoning I'd been lead to believe is that it stops the drive motor causing pressure inside the hub, therby preventing the seals getting damaged on the hub casing. Anyway, I was servicing one of my Kubota KX080's today and began wondering why its got a strange plug placement on the hub face, with three plugs, and one thats marked Oil L ... which could never be read level while its in the middle of the hub if you see what I mean
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Anyway .. decided to consult an owners manual
.. I mean Ive only had a pair of these 8 tonners for 8 years ... and never checked it once
.. and discovered that this gearbox takes 1.3 litres of oil, which is almost a full box. So Ive been under filling them.
Fortunately I am very particular about changing the oil in these boxes as a failure is very expensive ... so I well exceed the manufacturers guidelines and do mine twice a year to prevent any failures. If your oil is coming out black and smelling of rotten eggs or natural gas, the oil is breaking down and will lose its lubricity and you should be changing it more often .. how often should you do it ? Totally depends on how much tracking the digger is doing .. some sites use them like wheel barrows, and this is very hard on the reduction boxes, which have a lot of gear area surfaces in them, so the oil gets some real punishment in there ... if in doubt .. whack it out
IMG_0154[1].jpg
Anyway .. decided to consult an owners manual
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Fortunately I am very particular about changing the oil in these boxes as a failure is very expensive ... so I well exceed the manufacturers guidelines and do mine twice a year to prevent any failures. If your oil is coming out black and smelling of rotten eggs or natural gas, the oil is breaking down and will lose its lubricity and you should be changing it more often .. how often should you do it ? Totally depends on how much tracking the digger is doing .. some sites use them like wheel barrows, and this is very hard on the reduction boxes, which have a lot of gear area surfaces in them, so the oil gets some real punishment in there ... if in doubt .. whack it out
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