[TractorRookie]

Hello again guru's !!
I got this husky when I acquired my 8N a few days ago. Was told it doesn't run I drained the fuel tank charged the battery and it fired right up. BUT once we let it warm up and hit the go pedal there was no go. I checked the rod in the back for pushing it around and it was pushed in like it should be. I then looked at the hydro drive and could see lots of fluid and grass clippings all stuck to it . I am "hoping" that it has a leak and by some miracle I can clean it fix the leak and refill it and it will work. From what I have read these drives can be a little under spec'd and sometimes crap out. Do any of you have any suggestions for a replacement that doesn't cost an arm and leg?
Thank you all !!

 

[TractorRookie]

So the drive turned out to be almost out of fluid I took it off drained it cleaned it refilled it and bled it out and it’s working well at the moment. Fingers crossed it keeps running well. The entire drive was caked with dried up wet grass and oil that must have burped out of it from the heat. We cleaned it up and put the recommended 5w-50 (I think) synthetic oil in it. So far so good.
Going to do the bearing in the front wheels upgrade since the dang ole clip popped off and the wheel fell off. If it turns out to be a slick and long lasting mod eventually the other mower will get the same mod.

 

[TractorRookie]

Yep.... Heat is the #1 killer of transaxles. Those little cooling fans on top are always undersized and if you let mowing debris build up, clocks ticking on a failure. Both Hydrogear and Tuff Torq advise against pressure washing their units, so your alternative is compressed air

Wish I would have known it was frowned on to pressure wash them since I pressure washed it. I figured what can I really hurt since I was changing the fluid anyway. I think if in the future we blow the clippings off every now and then it might just survive a while.

 

[TractorRookie]

Most Tuff Torq axles have a recommended oil change interval of after the 1st 50 hours of operation and every 200 hours. There's also a filter inside the transaxle that you have to split the case to access..... They're not really keen to tell owners that little tidbit of information..... Here's a You Tube video on servicing the oil on a typical K46 in a John Deere. 12:51 in the video shows you the internal filter. Notice how dark the filter looks from the heat of the oil and manufacturing debris shedding. I've split them and found that little filter so plugged up it had collapsed. Tuff Torq is proud as hell of that tiny filter also, it usually runs around $25 from a Tuff Torque Dealer, but if you shop around E-bay you can find OEM for $10-$12

Tuff Torq Filter #TUF-1A646088211

Excellent information thank you very much!! I wish I knew about the internal filter I would have replaced it.