Have my deck off so good time to grease it up. The top two outer pullies have zurks. The center one does not but a box is on it. Am assuming its a sealed oil system but not sure. Posting a pic. Also, when I turned it over, the shaft housing has a hole but no zurk. Posting a pic of this to. Is this a type of drain or should there be zurks?
Mower deck greasing
- Thread starter Bearcatrp
- Start date
85Hokie
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Staff member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
BX-25D ,PTB. Under Armor, '90&'92-B7100HST's, '06 BX1850 FEL
THERE is a zerk for the center and the tension pulley too.
Clean off everything and take another look.
Clean off everything and take another look.
That black box is a gear box. 2 screws on the side to check or drain. That is over the center blade. But the holes underneath by the blade has me wondering if its some kind of drain or should there be zurks.
fried1765
Well-known member
Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Gearbox directly drives the center blade, via long shaft that runs all the way from the box to the blade.
There is usually a grease nipple on the center spindle, but it's usually buried. Sometimes they're on the bottom of the pulley area, sometimes they're "remote" (not "on" the spindle housing), kind of off to one side or another and often covered up with clippings/dirt/rust/poo.
Lot of times when I see a gearbox failure it was not due to the box failing, it was due to the lower spindle bearing getting loose/worn and then that long shaft-which is the gearbox's output shaft-gets to flopping around, takes out the oil seal, oil leaks out and the gearbox lasts about 30 minutes with no oil in it--and when it's gone, it's gone. They're rebuild-able but the parts ain't cheap.
So yes, look closely for the fitting and grease it up.
There is usually a grease nipple on the center spindle, but it's usually buried. Sometimes they're on the bottom of the pulley area, sometimes they're "remote" (not "on" the spindle housing), kind of off to one side or another and often covered up with clippings/dirt/rust/poo.
Lot of times when I see a gearbox failure it was not due to the box failing, it was due to the lower spindle bearing getting loose/worn and then that long shaft-which is the gearbox's output shaft-gets to flopping around, takes out the oil seal, oil leaks out and the gearbox lasts about 30 minutes with no oil in it--and when it's gone, it's gone. They're rebuild-able but the parts ain't cheap.
So yes, look closely for the fitting and grease it up.
Looks like a BX mower. Yes, there is a zerk (= grease nipple where I come from) on the centre, from memory it was down near the bottom of the gearbox and off to one side (080 on the diagram above). There's also usually one or two on the drive shaft, and I think I recall one on the belt tensioner (but that might be only on my B - looks like 130 on the diagram above). Don't forget to grease the treadle pedal while you're at it.
I just looked again. There is no zirk on that gear box. My manual shows the zirk next to the two screws where the fluid is. I will keep checking. Everything else got a few shots of grease.
You may have lost the zerk itself, and it may therefore need replacing. If so, there should be a hole where the zerk is supposed to be, and that might be leaking grease/letting water and crud in.
Not sure which deck you have; I attached my deck manual which addresses all variants for the 70 series BX. I see you have an 80 series BX; I’m guessing what you have might be similar…see page 22
I don't see a zirk on your diagram either. I will post a pic of my manual tomorrow.
Section 22 / page 31 clearly shows a grease nipple/zerk near the base of the gearbox, on all variants. My BX was a 50 series and also had this. I'm not aware of any recent model that is different. It is there, or it's missing. If it's missing, it needs replacing as otherwise that spindle isn't getting grease.
It sounds like everyone has said what needs to be said. My zero turn deck is similar. I have a zerk for my gear box. Your gear box also holds oil and should be checked. I can use UDT or 10W30 in my gear box. The holes on the spindles under the deck are a grease weep hole. You are supposed to grease the spindles until grease runs out the holes. They can hold a fair amount of grease. I have started to grease mine every time I cut grass as they get dry quicker than you think, more than anything else on my mower.
I haven't said everything that could be said, but I'd get banned for saying it. And they're zerks, dammit, not jirks, or zurks, or any other BS you want to call them. OK, maybe "grease fittings."
Zert, saw that one on here last week. The simpler the question, the greater the number of replies. And I’m making it a self fulfilling prophecy.It sounds like everyone has just about said what needs to be said.
