Algae in the transmission fluid JD 550G

[davidblackburn1]

JD 550G Dozer

We have had this machine for a couple of weeks now. It appears that we have algae in the transmission.

This machine had very limited usage for the last 7-8 years. As in some years it was just started but not driven.

When we clean out the transmission screen it is plugged with what looks like Algae. Most of the time we have to replace the expensive transmission filter as well.

The machine is slow in shifting and ultimately will not move due to the plugged screen and filter (can't build the 180 psi for everything to work).
Before we bought the machine a mechanic cleaned the screen and replaced the filter.
1. Machine ran about an hour and plugged again (could not unload from the truck delivering the machine).
2. We cleand the screen, drained the transmission (but not the 4000 winch?) and put a new filter on. Machine ran for 2.5 hours. I also added Sea Foam Transmission treatment to the new oil (forgot to added to the old before draining).
3. We again cleaned the screen and replaced the filter. After this change the machine ran 16 working hours without any issues, after that we had delayed shifting and no shifting. At 20ish hours I have cleaned the screen and will replace the filter again. I expect to do this a few more time.

My questions are:

1. Does the 4000 JD winch actually share the transmission fluid? If yes, I did not pull the plug in the transmission when we drained the machine.
2. Where can I find the link to the 4000 JD winch service manual2. When i search in the manual area of the JD site I can find the tractor manual but not the winch manual.
3. Looking at adding 2ish ounces of Biocide to the transmission fluid (there is 21.2 gallons of transmission fluid). This is a treatment for Diesel fuel that some on other forums say is ok to use on a limited basis in transmissions. Some argue the temperature of the transmission fluid should kill the algae, but I am not sure that is happening.
4. we have the high capacity filter for the 550G transmission, but it looks to big to fit in the space and there is a mention of a mounting bracket change to make this filter work. Does anyone know anything about this alternative filter?

Thank you

[Jim B]

Hi David,

Look what I found on eBay! https://www.ebay.com/itm/JOHN-DEERE-Com ... 3849640687

I expect you are using this JD site to check for the manual: https://www.johndeeretechinfo.com/ . I did some looking as well, and didn't find a 4000 winch manual. I did find a Component Technical Manual for the 4000S winch, CTM166_TW. It looks like they put the 40, 4000, and 4000S winches all in one parts catalog (PC2295). Using the CTM25 number on eBay in the Search Term (center) Box on the JD site the manual comes up. For some reason it doesn't during a search using 4000 as we know. At the bottom left of the JD site homepage there is a help box. Click that and there is a phone number you can call. I would suggest doing that and see if someone there can give you the answer on a 4000 winch service manual and if the 40 and 4000 use the same Technical Manual as the 4000S now, or if not showing the CTM25 is an error.

I think the winch oil is a separate system. I say that as I found an operator's manual for the 450H, 550H, 650H series machines and that says they had the 4000S winch and it has its own oil system. So that and the 3 winches in the same parts manual head me towards separate oil from the transmission.
HTH. Jim

[LeonardL]

I'm glad Jim jumped in and answered your winch questions. That is one component that I had very little to do with. So I wouldn't have been any help to you on that.

Your algae however is actually a microbe or a bacteria. Algae needs sunlight to grow and where this stuff is located it can't get any sunlight. It has a name as long as your arm and it loves dark spaces with a puddle of water and tasty petroleum to feast on. I have dealt with this goop a lot over the years. It needs two things to support a colony and that is water and petroleum. Usually found in diesel fuel, it can also be found growing inside hydraulic systems, engines, transmissions and drive lines.
Machinery in general likes to condense moisture. Especially in high humidity environments or areas where there is lots of moisture. Enough so that it will produce a lot of water in the deep recesses of these machines. I have drained literally gallons of water out of machines that have sat for as little a few months.
I would say that since your machine sat around a lot it most likely got moisture in it from either condensation or being left out in the elements or maybe a combination of the two. This microbe occurs naturally and is most likely floating along in the fuel and other petroleum products we buy just waiting to get poured inside one of our machines. Once it finds a puddle of water to settle in it isn't long before a whole colony is growing. The more water that settles into its environment the more room it has to grow.
This is yet another good reason to keep machines covered while out in the elements for long periods and to change your fluids and filters on a regular basis. Even if you haven't put a lot of hours on the machine. It is for the most part the only real defense against this bug. As the old saying goes you have to nip it in the bud every chance you get.
These other forums that have told you that heat from the machine would get hot enough to kill this bacteria are only partially right in what they said. The right kind of heat will kill it. However this particular bug likes it hot. So I doubt seriously that normal operating temperatures will be hot enough to kill this particular bug. It is pretty much invigorated by the heat. I don't know the actual temperature it takes to kill this thing but I know we had to use steam cleaners to blast inside our fuel tanks and reservoirs to hopefully get rid of the thing. Even after doing that however we still pushed our operators to make sure they kept their machines maintained.
If I were to recommend any course of action it would be to drain everything on the machine that has oil or fuel in it. Clean those reservoirs as good as you can and then use the additive you mentioned at least for a while. Changing the filters often is also a good thing. Even though you had to do this out of necessity it really is a good thing to get as much of this bug out of your machine as you can.
I hope this helps a bit and good luck!!

[JWB Contracting]

The winches on G series Crawlers are common oil. There is a high pressure supply and return along with a case drain bottom middle of the winch back to the tranny.

I would pull the winch and the back cover on the transmission and then clean it with an appropriate solvent.

Your transmission filter is either under the floor boards or behind the access door on the hydraulic tank ( both hydraulic and transmission). If there is only one filter in this compartment then the tranny filter is under the floor boards.

[Jim B]

Good morning Jason,

Thanks for providing him with the right info. I am glad to have the correct info as well. As I posted the info I found was for the H series with a 4000S. That showed separate reservoir, pump , filter, and dipstick. Servicing in the OMT182515 Operator's Manual I found described servicing it as a stand alone unit. So I made the mistake of assuming the 4000 would be like the 3325 and 4000S, both sides of it being self contained. Is the pressure supply from the transmission, so the 4000 winch on the G series doesn't have the internal pump? Or does it have the internal pump to boost the pressure? Is the 40 winch common oil or self contained? I'm interested in the changes, not that I expect to ever move up to anything newer than the 450E I have.

Best regards,
Jim

[davidblackburn1]

Thank you everyone.

Good information, I will try to call JD and learn about the 4000 service manual and post what I find here.

Makes sense that it is not algae, but a microbe or a bacteria. The fluid was brand new that we emptied out (no discolorization and no visible water), but I think that the winch did not get drained either time the previous owner did it nor the time that I did it. Will do it next time (which will probably be soon).
I am going to put a little Biocide in it and run it for a bit before draining it again.

The Transmission filter on a 550G is on the pressure side of the pump and is below the floor boards. I tried putting on the extra capacity filter last night and finally had to give up. It is a much bigger filter and I am glad no one had a camera of me trying to get that thing put on... Finally had to use the normal filter. The angle under the floor boards is barely wide enough to get two arms down there on the small filter. Anyone have experience with the larger filter or know why Deere even developed the option? it is one inchish bigger in diameter and about 2 inches longer than the standard filter.

[LeonardL]

Let me say first and foremost that I do not know your exact answer. However that being said, if I were to make an educated guess it would be that Deere has a serial number break on your filter in question. It should either show that in a current parts book or parts break down and Deere should be able to tell you by using your serial number off of your machine. They should be able to tell you where that filter is installed and what it fits.