Tech Tips – Water Elimination Procedure

Due to the resultant flooding from the recent hurricanes, your transmission may have accumulated water internally.  This will cause the transmission to fail very quickly.  As a customer service driven organization, we offer the following recommendation(s) for those who were affected by these natural disasters.  The vent valve on the transmission is a two-way valve which allows air to vent as the transmission oil expands and contracts.  If the transmission was submerged for any duration of time, it is likely that water entered the transmission.  This can cause considerable premature failure to the transmission due to rust build-up within internal metallic components.

 

The following water elimination procedure pertains primarily to transmission model K46, however the same procedure may be used with little variation on most of Tuff Torq’s products.

 

Draining the Transmission

  • Remove the transmission from the tractor and inspect the outside.
  • Clean the outside of the case and axles using a rust preventative like WD-40. Be sure to put the rust preventative on all the shafts and axles.
  • If you can remove the rubberized steel cap under the pulley and the fan then skip to step 1.4. If you can’t remove the cap under the pulley and fan, remove the pulley and fan first. Clean off all removed components.  Lightly coat the input shaft with a rust preventative.
  • Carefully remove the rubberized steel cap (cap-30) by slowly prying around the edges with a thin-edged flathead screwdriver.
  • Remove the magnet that is under the cap, and then carefully flip the transmission over and allow it to drain for about one hour. Allow the transmission to drain at various angles throughout this process, and preferably under direct sunlight.

 

Flushing the Transmission

2.1.      Fill the transmission with a couple of quarts of low cost oil such as 10W-30.  Do not use a solvent, as it could damage rubber components and cause other problems.

2.2.      Carefully pick up the transmission and move it in a circular rocking motion, allowing the oil to “swish” around and access any residual water and debris that may remain in the transmission.

2.3.      Thoroughly drain the transmission as done before in step 1.5. Allow the transmission to drain and dry for approximately 2 hours.

 

Refilling the Transmission

3.1.      Fill the transmission with our new Tuff Tech oil.  Reference the service guide or the instructions on the bottle for the correct volume of oil to put in the transmission.  This oil has been specially formulated to run in our transmissions, and may even extend the life of your transmission.  This oil may be purchased from our distributors Gardner or Dixie Sales or directly from the Tuff Torq Service Department.

3.2.      Place the rubberized steel cap back on the transmission by carefully tapping around the edges with a rubber mallet.  Rotate the transmission to ensure it doesn’t leak.  If it does leak, then the cap was likely damaged during removal and should be replaced.

3.3.      If the fan and pulley were removed, thoroughly place MOLY grease on the splines of the components and input shaft.  Place the components on the shaft in the correct orientation.  Place the nut on top and torque to 39-46 Nm.  If it had a snap ring on the top of the shaft, this needs to be replaced with a new one.

3.4.      Reinstall the transmission on the tractor.

3.5.      The transmission needs to be purged of air before it is ready to perform “Tuff” work.  Run the transmission at a low idle speed, and cycle the bypass by freewheeling lever several times.  See the service manual or visit Tuff Torq’s service website for the full procedure.

3.6.      The oil level may need to be checked after the transmission has been run for a while to ensure it was filled properly and no oil has leaked.

 

REMEMBER:

  • It is recommended to replace the oil every 150 to 200 hours, or more often if you have steep terrain.
  • Also, please refer to all the great tech help and useful information located on the “Need Help” tab on the Tuff Torq service website at www.tufftorqservices.com.
  • If you need anything clarified or need additional help, you can always call the helpful service technicians at Tuff Torq at 1-866-572-3441.

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  • Grant says:

    When will the tufftorqservices site be back up and running? It hasn’t resolved for quite a while.

  • What is the purpose of the cap on top of the vent valve on the tuff torq trans?

    • ggraham says:

      Hello,
      It is a dust cover to keep dirt and grime out of the vent valve and ultimately out of the transaxle.

  • Terry O’Dell says:

    Replacement hydro for: 7a646084630 SN:46DV0000991

  • James Nordrum says:

    What does it take to remove the vent valve 15? The rubber top is toren off. I do have the part # needed. Thank you.

    • ggraham says:

      Try a flat screwdriver under the lip of the cap. You might need a hammer to get the screwdriver started under the lip but then you use the case as a fulcrum to pry the cap up.

  • Neil Willman says:

    HELP!!!! Please,
    I had ordered parts to replace the pump shaft on my LT150 JD, transmission # K46C/ser. No. 00001-0106949. Had it apart 3 times to see if I put it together wrong and it seems that “No Way can you do so”. When I have it in the lawn tractor and I step on the FWD peddle it goes backwards, fast. Step on the backwards peddle it goes FWD slow.. Is there something I’m not putting together right? The control lever goes fwd when pressing the fwd peddle and visa versa. Is there something in the center case that makes this happen? On the center case there is only plugs that don’t move or come out.

    • ggraham says:

      Hello Mr Willman,
      You have installed the motor housing upside down. You will need to flip it 180 degrees and the transmission will run correctly.

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