There’s a lot of maintenance that has to be done whether you have a Komatsu final drive, John Deere final drive, Yanmar, or any other brand in order to ensure it keeps running smoothly. One of the most important parts of that maintenance is making sure that there is enough oil in it, and that it’s changed regularly, regardless of the brand. The oil in a new final drive should be changed after the first 50 hours, and then every 250 hours or once a year for the life of the drive. You can follow these tips for changing the gear oil in the final drive below.
Drain the Oil When it’s Warm
The first step in changing your oil is to drain the final drive’s gear oil. It’s recommended that you do this when the oil is still warm because it will be easier to drain it this way.
Rearrange the Plugs
Next, you will want to rearrange the final drive plugs so that they are at the three o’clock (or nine o’clock) and six o’clock position.
Remove Any Debris
After setting the final drive plugs, you should go through and remove any debris. Next you will loosen the final drive plugs. If you have problems with loosening them, carefully use a high-torque wrench.
Remove the Plugs
Once you are done removing any debris, remove both final drive plugs. The plug that is arranged at the three o’clock (or nine o’clock) spot is used for venting. The oil will then drain out of the six o’clock spot. To do this properly, remove the bottom plug of the final drive first, then remove the top plug very slowly.
Check for Metallic Parts
When the gear oil is being drained, check to see if there are any metallic parts in the oil. There will likely be fine metallic materials in your first change of the break-in oil of a new drive. Going forward, if there are any larger particles of metal in the oil, then there could be an issue with condition of the gear hub, so check it more frequently to see if it clears up after the next oil change.
Rearrange the Openings
Before you add new oil, move the positions of the final drive openings to the 12 o’clock and three o’clock (or nine o’clock) positions.
Never Mix Oil
It’s also important to know that you should never mix different types of gear oils for a final drive motor. This can cause some serious problems with how your final drive runs.
Add the New Oil
When you are ready to add the new oil (we recommend full synthetic gear oil), do so at the 12 o’clock opening till it starts to run out of the three o’clock (or nine o’clock) spot. The goal is to have the drive filled halfway of the cover plate – do not overfill!
Check for Leaks
Another tip for changing gear oil in the final drive is to check for any leaks in the mail hub mechanical seal. Leakage can be a sign of a major issue with your final drive, so make sure you get it inspected if you notice this.
Replace the Plugs
After you have added the gear oil to your final drive, the final step is to replace the plugs. While you should check your gear oil frequently, you will usually have to complete this process once a year.