Decided to do my 50H service today. Started with the engine oil and filter. What I found is a 17 mm socket will not go on the oil pan drain plugs(paint?), but an 18mm socket is a bit loose. Well, it's a drain plug, so it shouldn't take much to back out the drain plug. I was right. Drained the oil. While draining, I start studying the oil filter and running all the complaints about how hard it was to get the OE filter off. First of all, just getting a strap wrench on it on the LX2610SU is a total PITA. UNLESS, you remove one little bracket that is actually a guard for the lower radiator hose. THIS:
View attachment 55804
While protecting that hose from the fan belt is a wonderful idea, perhaps rounding the edges of that piece is a much better idea. That thing is sharp as a razor on the edges. And it's there to protect rubber. Am I missing something? Ennyhoo, yanked the bracket off so I could lift the bottom rad hose, got the filter installed, put the bracket back on, oil in, fired up and checked oil pressure. Recorded the service thusly:
View attachment 55805
Please excuse my chicken scratch. The filter was wiggling like the Sharpie was tickling it, I swear.
Then, I took on what I knew was going to be a task that is not for beginners. Now, I'm no beginner at servicing vehicles. But I predicted an oil bath when I did the tranny and hydraulic filters. I was not wrong. Fortunately, my predictions predicated proper preparations and while piss-poor-performance was precluded, I was not really successful. I eyeballed the HST filter in the book, and I eyeballed the filter, and I eyeballed the location on the tractor. The filter I had in my hand CLEARLY said HST filter on it, but the one that didn't really tell me where it went (said SUCTION FILTER) on it looked to be the correct one. I double checked what I was about to put the strap wrench on in the book, looked the filter part number up on the web, and was absolutely sure I had the right filter for what I was about to do. Put a little UDT2 on it to wet the seal. Broke the OE filter loose, and got the one I was going to put on very close buy, expecting some oil to come out. Umm, and did the oil come out. I don't know how many of you know the story of the monkey trying to put the cork back in, but I was the monkey. A FLOOD of oil was coming out of my precious! And I couldn't get the new filter to start on the threads where I took the old one off. I had just uncapped the aorta of my tractor, and needed quick damage control. I knew I was fast approaching a gallon of leakage, and a gallon was all I bought for topping off, according to the book and the dealership. All I can say, is that their mechanics must be FAST, and they probably know the book is WRONG about which filter goes where. My gut feeling told me to put the longer filter (with the recessed threads) down there, but who am I to question what I read in the book as well as the description of the filter? The one I had in my hand had a protruding thread flange, and REFUSED to go on where the other came off. Good thing, probably, because I was losing oil very fast. Fortunately, I'd managed to get the OE filter off without damaging it, and just dropped it on my drain pan for the swap, so grabbed it and put it back on as fast as possible. I was right, I lost just over a gallon of UDT2, and I still don't have the filters changed for the HST and Hydraulics. The one that goes down on the lower right side of the tractor, should say SUCTION FILTER somewhere on it. The one that says HST filter actually goes where the book sends you to change the Hydraulic SUCTION filter. So, tomorrow, I'm stuck with going to get more UDT and see if I can be successful on attempt #2. I may try the filter on the LH side of the tranny first this time since I've already nearly drowned it with UDT2. Gotta love the part in the book that says "Spin the filter on quickly." That doesn't quite do justice to the flood of hydraulic oil that comes out of the tractor when you spin the filter off on the right side by the axle. Live and learn. My hands are VERY soft from hydraulic fluid, though. I'll probably have cancer next week, but hopefully a less eventful filter change between now and then.