420 transmission? whine

[Paul Buhler]

Hi: My 420 has a whine in the transmission/bell housing that sounds similar to that in the middle of the attached video. In that I don't hear this noise in other 420 crawlers, I'm wondering how concerned I should be. Thanks for any thoughts. Paul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeCBP27X ... re=related

[Lavoy]

No, they shouldn't whine, but they will. If it is a bearing going out or bad, that needs to be fixed. Otherwise over the years, they can develop a whine due to the wear pattern changing on the teeth, or other things. Make sure to drain and flush the transmission thoroughly. Running 85W-140 gear lube may help, as well as an additive like Lucas oil stabilizer.
Lavoy

[Paul Buhler]

Thanks, I drained and flushed the transmission and refilled with the recommended JD oil during the summer; I didn't notice any change in whine. I'll be monitoring it (can't miss it), and go from there. I'll try isolating the noise better with a stethoscope so I can figure out which parts are causing the noise.
Things that had stiffened up while the machine was parked/stored by the prior owner are now starting to loosen and the accumulated wear is becoming more evident. Still a good machine; it will just need ongoing TLC and commitment to keep it in reliable shape.