My 1990 590d leaks a bit of rainwater into circle area which mixes with the grease and makes a kind of soup. Since I discovered this last year I've been trying to keep the grease reasonably solid by sucking out the liquid stuff. I use red grease which seems to resist mixing with water the best,so some of the sludge is actually straight water. If I don't keep up on this, it seems like the sludge gets into rotek bearing,whitish mess drips out onto carbody,which I suspect is not that good. I over grease everything so I don't suppose it's fatal or anything. Anyhow I wonder what best way to clean sludge out of pan is. I've tried oil change pump and shopvac,neither seemed to do what I wanted. The access thru inspection cover is not much bigger than an inch by maybe 2 inches so options are limited....
Underneath the center of the main track frame there is the same shaped cover and gasket as the top side. Position the machine and lift the front slightly so the cover is the high point to avoid getting yourself covered in slime. With the cover removed position the machine with the opening as the low point and let er drain. The rain water is likely getting into the swing gear cavity by a cracked rubber seal boot at the rotary manifold.
If you have the typical amount of debris and stuff around that boot, it makes the problem worse by keeping that rainwater there. If you get it really clean and then park it so it runs to the easiest way out, that might help. I don't recommend pressure washing as it blasts it all back at you and puts more water in the cracked boot. I got in there and scraped it all out and used a shop vac to suck up what I could. I made do with lath and other things to extend my reach.
(during a repair in winter) I put a bullet heater blowing under the the frame, and a heavy tarp over the body and tracks, it got warm enough the grease melted and ran out nicely thru the drain hole. I had the swing motor off, so I was able to wipe the remaining out pretty well, but it would have been fine without that.
Great stuff.Thank you! I'll find that bottom plate. Need to remove belly plate of course so that'll be a delightful chore as always.
If you look closely under the base of the boom cylinders there is a hole cut into the car body, it's usually filled with grease and other debris but cleaning those out will keep water from setting on the floor.