I have a Case 550 LT 1990 year I think. It's a 3 stick. One for forward and reverse, and 1 for each track high and low. Getting it ready for a job and checking fluids. How do I check and fill the transmission? I cannot find a dip stick or sight glass. There is a red plastic plug on the left side that I found on the case with the side cover off the engine compartment. I could see a gear after removing the plug. No oil was visible. Is that the fill/check plug? If so, what oil? Thanks in advance.
I'm not sure how similar that is to my 850D, or the 450C that I had, but both have dipsticks for checking the transmission fluid. One is accessed from the rear, below the batteries, and the other from the right side access panel, just behind the blade controls.
Also, I run Case hy-tran in mine. Any pics of your machine?
The only dipstick I found was on the right side under the hydraulic tank. It's for the rear.
Open the door on the right side of the machine just below the blade controls. There will be a long dipstick in there, this is for the transmission, rear end and torque converter, they all use the same sump. Use Case TCH fluid only, Hy-tran is an acceptable cross for the Case backhoes, but due to the power shift transmission Case still only calls for TCH in the dozers. My dealer is adamant about this and the literature from Case says likewise. Only other fluid is the hydraulic tank which has a sight glass on the back. Any good grade tractor hydraulic fluid is fine, all its running are the blade controls or rear mounted attachments.
That's how my 450C was set up also, but I wasn't sure if the 550 machines are the same. The dealer I've bought parts from says they no longer make TCH and Hy-tran is the replacement
Thanks. I guess I need to drain that out now because I thought that big dipstick was just for the rearend. I poured a half gallon of 80/90 weight in to get the level up on the stick.
The 550 was basically just a 450C with a few minor upgrades and a larger counterweight. I just picked up some Case TCH a few weeks ago from our local dealer, it's actually a few dollars cheaper than Hy-tran. Hy-tran probably isn't the worst thing to put in it, but FWIW up until the mid 2000's the Case TLB's came with Hy-tran and the dozers came with TCH from the factory. When they went to hydrostatic drive on the dozers I think they went to something else. Yeah 80w90 definitely isn't good, not sure what it'll do to the friction material in the clutches but I'd drain and refill ASAP.
What is that capacity. I need to know how much oil to buy for when I drain it.
At least I haven't started the machine since topping off.
Around 8 gallons. Also you should probably pick yourself up an owners manual, there are usually some available on Ebay.
Thanks.
I drained 4 gallons of ugly oil out. It supposedly holds about 8. I didn't pull the plugs on the finals. I got the machine back to work. When I get it back to my shop I'll drain it again including the finals and change the hydraulic and trans filters. It's ready for a good pressure wash with the skid plates off anyway.