Hello, im looking for some help, i have a 450B case and dont have a clue where the trans. filter is, and what oil runs in the trans. Thanks for your info.
Hi Case crazy, There are two trans filters. The main pressure line filter is located in under the cover with the grab rail on the operator's right. Remove the cover and the trans filter is the lower one, (the one hanging from the top is the hydraulic filter). The second filter is the suction line filter located near the starter motor on the operators right at the rear of the motor. If you have engine guards, remove the right side and you will see the suction line filter. The pressure filter will need to be replaced, the suction filters is a metal screen type that can be washed. The oil is listed as "Case TCH" oil, the Castrol equivalent is CASTROL TFC 410 Castrol TFC 410 is a transmission lubricant especially formulated to satisfy the requirements of Allison C4, Caterpillar TO-4 and Komatsu Micro Clutch. Service Refill Capacity: 30 Litres. The Hydraulics use the same type of oil as the trans and has around 30lt capacity as well. Hope that helps.
Heres pics of what to look for. As Baz says, 10 grade transmission oil is probably the pick especially in a cold climate. In a warmer climate like Australia - many use 15w40 engine oil. Be sure to check the suction screen (#7) @ RHS engine cover
For a powershift transmission I would personally stay away from a 15W/40 engine oil as it will not have the required additive package for transmission clutch service. Look for a single viscosity oil meeting TO-4 specification. So long as it does not get too cold in your area an SAE30 should do you fine. In really cold climates it might need and SAE10.
Ok, thanks for the info guys, i have located the filters now. Thanks
Re using the engine oil - I know it sounds wierd Nige & on paper it should not be good for transmissions. But i have seen with my own eyes that it works well - on Case crawler transmissions anyhow. I have a customer who bought a 455C new back in the 80's, he always had cavitation problems when machine was new. I was still on the tools for the Case dealer at the time & lots of time & effort went into 'fixing' the problem, new pumps,hoses, thorough testing of all steel lines etc etc (using case tch oil in those days) - could not stop it. Well just before the 4yr warranty was up transmission was rebuilt - hard facing was missing on crownwheel & pinions, 2 sp gears - all parts replaced. When he got machine back from repairs, someone told him about using engine oil & he tried it - cavitation problem gone! Machine ran better - less noise, smoother - more viscosity in oil. He has always used engine oil since, well a few yrs back, I pulled a final drive off this machine - with near 30,000hrs on it - I expected to see stuffed crown & pinion for sure - they were like new! I couldn't believe my eyes & if I hadn't seen it, I would never believe it. I have recommended using engine oil to all my Case crawler customers for many years, cause when a machine is using it & when servicing the transmission suction screen - you don't see anywhere near the same quantity of metal flake as with machines that don't - so the wear is just not happening. Seeing that old 455C tranny only convinces me more. Don't get me wrong, using a SAE30 tranny oil I'm sure would give similar results - the benefit is in the viscosity - 30 will cling to the gears better than 10 - goes without saying. Using the engine oil is just simpler - less types of oils to purchase, & for operators to carry for topping up. Some of my dozer customers even use engine oil in their hydraulics, & have done so for many years. I wouldn't recommend using the engine oil to HEF members, or the whole internet community, without the experience to go with it. But as I said above, if you are in snow type climates (of which I have 0% experience) the lighter oil would be better. :drinkup
Thanks for the input, i have never herd of using engine oil but what you say makes sense, i will keep that in mind, thanks for your help
I understand and agree with what you're saying completely. First to cover the "easy" topic of using 15W/40 engine oil in hydraulic systems. It was (and still is) approved by manufacturers like Caterpillar for many "older" models of machines. This would take us back to the 80's to what you are referring to. In fact I just looked at our current range of machines (all latest models) and 15W/40 is approved in every case as an option, maybe not the "preferred" option but an option nevertheless, as an oil for the hydraulic system PROVIDED that it is not a system that includes brakes, for example the torque converter & brake cooling tank on a truck. A lot of people use 15W/40 in hydraulics because it means that you don't need to stock a spearate hydraulic oil in addition to an engine oil. Now the subject of engine oil in transmissions. Here we have to first differentiate between transmissions like Clark (for example) that were designed to use ATF as a fluid, and those that were designed to use a dedicated power train oil. Those that recommend ATF are a different animal altogether, I want to talk about "the rest". A lot of engine oils going back a 20+ years as well as meeting what were at that time the current API standards for engine oil could also meet the requirements of the old Cat TO-2 (aka transmission oil #2) specification. This was originally a Cat specification but later became an industry standard. Therefore most transmissions built in the 70's/80's time frame could use an engine oil because it met TO-2 standard for transmissions. Later the TO-2 specification was replaced by TO-4 and this is where the 2 oils diverged. It's impossible for an engine oil to meet TO-4 specification. However if you're running a transmission that only requires TO-2 oil then you can happily still use an engine oil in it. Personally I would never even consider using an SAE10W power train oil in a transmission unless I was working in ambient temperatures well below freezing point, and even then I would think long & hard about what happens to the oil once the transmission warms up. I've used TO-4 SAE 30 in transmissions on jobs where the ambient was consistently below freezing with no ill effects whatsoever. This backs up what you saw as regards wear in your Case transmissions way back. I suppose here I should also mention that when you talk about SAE10W oil most people think "hydraulic oil". Well there is a big difference between an SAE10W hydraulic oil and an SAE10W power train (TO-4) oil, despite the fact they are the same viscosity.
Good equipment for Dozers