Too clever by half....

Delawhere Jack · June 08, 2014, 06:35:34 PM

Reading an older thread on here by Jim Rogers about the sight gauge on the drive bearing housing on an LT40 got me thinking it's time to change the oil in mine.

Marty Parsons mentioned that it is VERY important that the housing be vented so that heat build up doesn't cause expansion and a seal failure.

I pulled the upper fitting off mine today and found that it was not vented.

Drained the oil and took the fitting home for a little modification.

I had some 5/32" OD copper tubing laying around, so I drilled a hole in the fitting, and soldered the tube in. I then put a small dimple in the tubing near the fitting, and started to pack it with some fine scotch brite pad to act as a filter. Figured I'd slightly crimp the exposed end as well to keep the scotch brite getting blown out or getting sucked in to the housing.

So far, so good. So I lightly pack the tube with scotch brite pad, then I cover one opening with a finger and blow in the other to make sure that it will allow airflow. But I'm feeling air blowing on my lip..... where is that coming from?

It seems the fitting was already vented....... In the one place I did not look...... :-[

drobertson · June 08, 2014, 06:49:28 PM

It, as all lubrication is a critical component, changing according to the recommended timing really should be followed. It's about all we can do to insure we have done our part in the maintenance of these machines. And It's really close to my time as well, thinking tomorrow morning the top of the list is this, not a bad job at all.