Chain case oil checking?

[Reds Skid Steers]

Excuse my ignorance, but can anybody give me information on how I check my chain case oil on a Bobcat 742B.

 

[brdgbldr]

There is a plug on the front of the chain case. On level ground, remove the plug. If you put your finger in the hole, to the first knuckle, and you touch oil the level is good.

If this has not been done in a long time I would recommend pumping some of the oil out to see if it needs to be changed.

 

[cdmccul]

How do you know if it needs to be changed?

 

[brdgbldr]

If it looks milky it has water in it. The chain case will collect condensation over time. Sometime there has been so much condensation that when the plug is removed the watery oil will spill out.

You can also remove the front access cover that is on top of the chain case to look inside and inspect the oil for water or debris. The water, if not mixed into the oil, will settle on the bottom. It's just a little more work and there is a gasket involved that will probably need to be replaced.

 

[dfb]

My machine had a lot of water in the chain case that was getting in through 2 of the 3 access cover gaskets. If you do find significant water in there, consider locating the source of it. I used low air pressure{with a smoke generating machine....just low air pressure should work also}} to find both of the bad gaskets. Also, propped the machine up in the rear and flushed out the chain case through the front access cover with kerosene in a pump sprayer til all the milky mess was gone. I drilled an d tapped another hole below the fill/check hole at the bottom of the chain case to make draining it more convenient.

 

[cdmccul]

I like the idea of the retrofit drain plug. I'm assuming they didn't put one from factory so it could never leak there, and also never get caught on something. But, I still think it's a great idea!

 

[dfb]

Yes, my 742 from the factory only has fill/check plug. I put it below the one there on the front vertical section of chain case. Measure carefully to get it as low as you can. I considered putting it in the floor of it but did not want to risk it getting damaged if underneath the machine.
First time changing it I used a pump to get the mess out, adding the drain plug makes future service much easier.