Any input on how to change out the hydraulic fluid on a Lx885 ? Service manual is vauge.

[busted_knuckles]

Ive got the service manual for my exact machine, its vague, I can not find the operators manual, not that I know there is even any info in it for changing out the 10-30 for the hydraulics. Im at 1995 hrs, previous owner changed it at 1000hrs, Im about to run the wheels off it, and wanted to change the hydraulic oil and filter. It appears there is no drain on the reservoir, manual tells you to drop the back panel and remove the return line and let it drain. But is that going to drain down everything else too ? Ive spent hours combing the web, and this forum, the most Ive found is remove a pressure check port on one of the lift cylinders and attach a hose and start it up. Is this the way to do it ? I thought about hooking onto one of the high flows, being that I already have a QD and hose to do that with. Good idea, bad idea ? The other thing I wonder about, what about the fluid in the drive system ? Does it just stay in the machine ? or is so little of it in that system, that is just does not matter. Any special procedure for starting it up after refilling ? Id like to get as much fluid as possible out. The service manual does not tell me the capacity of the system, so I dont know how much to expect. I thought I read it held 8 gallons once but dont trust my memory. I do know there is a thread on here on an Lx8xx or an LS180 on changing the oil, but I can not find it using the sites search tool or google, try as I may. Thanks in advance for any input, BK.

 

[Mike10]

There is no drain plug for the hyd reservoir. On the small machines I use the hose at the cylinder method but on the large machines you have access to the large return lines at the bottom of the engine compartment. If you remove the plate that you remove when you change engine oil you should get enough access to the lower hyd return lines. Depending on the vintage of the machine there may be just lines connected together or there may be a manifold block there. Either way just loosen one of the lines to drain the oil. It is virtually impossible to drain oil the oil from the system without tearing the machine apart. You will have oil trapped in the cylinders and lines along with whatever is is the hydro pumps and motors. If the oil is not contaminated with water or debris, then don't worry about it and drain what you can out of it. Draining uncontaminated oil from the reservoir through the return line is acceptable and no need to squeeze every drop out of the machine. The reservoir will hold slightly less than 5 gal. It is more important to change the hydraulic filter regularly than to worry about the oil left behind in the circuits.

 

[busted_knuckles]

There is no drain plug for the hyd reservoir. On the small machines I use the hose at the cylinder method but on the large machines you have access to the large return lines at the bottom of the engine compartment. If you remove the plate that you remove when you change engine oil you should get enough access to the lower hyd return lines. Depending on the vintage of the machine there may be just lines connected together or there may be a manifold block there. Either way just loosen one of the lines to drain the oil. It is virtually impossible to drain oil the oil from the system without tearing the machine apart. You will have oil trapped in the cylinders and lines along with whatever is is the hydro pumps and motors. If the oil is not contaminated with water or debris, then don't worry about it and drain what you can out of it. Draining uncontaminated oil from the reservoir through the return line is acceptable and no need to squeeze every drop out of the machine. The reservoir will hold slightly less than 5 gal. It is more important to change the hydraulic filter regularly than to worry about the oil left behind in the circuits.

Thanks Mike, that is what I needed to know !