John Deere 290

[crosswind]

The other day I was tracking arond a pond with my 290 and after making a hard turn, I noticed a strong gear oil smell. I jumped out and looked my under carriage over and noticed just a real small amount of oil had came past the seal on the inboard side of the drive sprocket. It did the same thing a few weeks later. It just lets a very small amount go by.
Can anyone offer any insite as to why this is happening.
I also want to check the fluid level for that drive motor but do not no how to do that, looking for help there also.
Thanks.
I am some what new to owning an excavator, bought a 1989 JD 290 last year, to use around the farm. It has been an outstanding piece of equipment and I absoluty enjoy operating it.
This site has been loads of help, I don't post much, but I read it alot. I have not done enough to be of any help/info for someone else but hope to get there someday and be able to contribute some useful information.

 

[Jam]

Hows it going... did you check the level in the reduction to make sure the drive motor oil isn't filling it up causing the seal to leak out? The motor itself is lubricated with hydraulic oil which is returned through the case drain circuit so your alright there. If the motor is ok and you dont use the machine much, you might be as well with an alen key/gallon oil gear oil behind the seat

 

[DGODGR]

If you are leaking gear oil (which you said you could smell) than that would come from the final drive or planetary gear, not the drive motor. As was stated the motor is filled with hydraulic oil so it would leak that type of oil. To check that you would check the main hydraulic tank level. If you want to check the oil in the final drives it can be done pretty easily. If you look at the outboard side of the gear cover (sticks out from the sprocket) you should find a cap that will accept a 1/2 drive from a ratchet or breaker bar. Many final drives will only have one cap for both check and fill. Often one of these caps will have a notch or a line with the word "level" in raised letters. Rotate the drive until the cap is at either 9-o-clock or 3-o-clock. The raised lettering should be in the correct position for reading (letters are right side up). Gear oil is thick so it may take a while to settle to it's correct level. When you remove the "level" cap the oil should be even with the bottom of the hole. If it is not, simply fill it until it is. It is not unusual for the level to be slightly higher than the hole (heat expansion) but if it is much higher than you may have a leaky drive motor (leaking into the planetary). If the motor is leaking than it may sometimes create enough pressure in the final drive to allow some oil to pass by the seals.

 

[cummins05]

Dont stand infront of the plug I have seen them over pressure and pop off with a bit of force and if it caught a certian male part it could cause some discomfort:drinkup:drinkup

 

[crosswind]

leak

Thanks guys, I appreciate the info.It is definitly gear oil that leaks.
The outside cover of the 290 final drive actually had three plugs.One is directly in the center.One is on the outboard edge.If I rotate the one on the outboard edge to the 6 oclock position, the other plug would then be at 11 oclock approx. 2 inches inboard from the edge. I have never seen a multi plug set-up like this before.
I am fimiliar with filling rear diffs. and gear boxes and such. I have never seen a set up like this. I could not find any instructsions in the technical manual.

DGODGR- I will check tonight when I get home to see if one plug reads level.
This forum is a great help.

Just a little history on the machine. It is in real good shape. It has 7500 hrs on it, runs like a top. Does not leak any oil at all. I have put about 200 hours on it and this is the first issue I have had with it. I talked with the mechanic that maintained it for the company I bought it from and he spoke highly of it and said the company spent the money on all their equipment when it needed repaired.There was a complete log of the maintainance performed in the cab of the excavator upon purchase.

 

[BarnStarFarm]

Our TB070 has 3 ports on the finals (brand Hy-Dash) as well- one to drain, which if that one is at 6 o'clock, also has a level check port directly above and a supply port at 11 o'clock. Drain the gear oil through the drain (removes using an Allen wrench- 8mm on ours), wrap white pipe thread tape on the plug, replace it, then take out both the level and supply plugs. Fill in the supply plug until the gear oil starts to come out of the level hole, replace level plug (again white thread tape) and supply plug (white thread tape). The gear oil drains much easier if you run it for a few minutes before you drain it- but be careful of the hot oil. Because the drain is only a few inches above the rubber track I have a small funnel with a hose attached to a catch basin that I rig up and make sure to park the excavator so that I can drain down hill to cut down on the spillage. Hope this helps....

 

[crosswind]

Our TB070 has 3 ports on the finals (brand Hy-Dash) as well- one to drain, which if that one is at 6 o'clock, also has a level check port directly above and a supply port at 11 o'clock. Drain the gear oil through the drain (removes using an Allen wrench- 8mm on ours), wrap white pipe thread tape on the plug, replace it, then take out both the level and supply plugs. Fill in the supply plug until the gear oil starts to come out of the level hole, replace level plug (again white thread tape) and supply plug (white thread tape). The gear oil drains much easier if you run it for a few minutes before you drain it- but be careful of the hot oil. Because the drain is only a few inches above the rubber track I have a small funnel with a hose attached to a catch basin that I rig up and make sure to park the excavator so that I can drain down hill to cut down on the spillage. Hope this helps....

BSF thats makes sense to me now. Do you know if the Hy- Dash were OEM or is it possible they have been changed?

 

[BarnStarFarm]

BSF thats makes sense to me now. Do you know if the Hy- Dash were OEM or is it possible they have been changed?

Sorry- have to plead ignorance on that one... it's grey market, a '99 and I bought it out of PA in 2008 with a few thousand hours on it. My guess would be OEM because the Hy-Dash name is in the tech manual with parts numbers, pictures, specs, etc. It has been an adventure learning on it and learning about it. Have fun with yours!

 

[finaldrive]

The TB070 came with a Hy-Dash GM09 from the factory.

The 290 does have an issue of blowing the motor shaft seal, which will fill the gearbox with hydraulic oil and cause the mechanical seal (aka floating seal) to seperate and leak.
Catch it early as it sounds like you have, otherwise the gear oil will be replaced with hydraulic oil and you'll start losing bearings and then gears.

 

[BarnStarFarm]

The TB070 came with a Hy-Dash GM09 from the factory.

Good to know- thank you

 

[gmjones420]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the info.It is definitly gear oil that leaks.
The outside cover of the 290 final drive actually had three plugs.One is directly in the center.One is on the outboard edge.If I rotate the one on the outboard edge to the 6 oclock position, the other plug would then be at 11 oclock approx. 2 inches inboard from the edge. I have never seen a multi plug set-up like this before.
I am fimiliar with filling rear diffs. and gear boxes and such. I have never seen a set up like this. I could not find any instructsions in the technical manual.

DGODGR- I will check tonight when I get home to see if one plug reads level.
This forum is a great help.

Just a little history on the machine. It is in real good shape. It has 7500 hrs on it, runs like a top. Does not leak any oil at all. I have put about 200 hours on it and this is the first issue I have had with it. I talked with the mechanic that maintained it for the company I bought it from and he spoke highly of it and said the company spent the money on all their equipment when it needed repaired.There was a complete log of the maintainance performed in the cab of the excavator upon purchase.

gmjones420- try filling with check plug at 4 oclock insted of 3 oclock. this works on front wheel drive john deere tractors. this is what jd shops are doing in most places

 

[watglen]

crosswind, don't get too worried yet on that motor seal. I watched my volvo leak gear oil spontaneously from the final drives for seemingly no reason. Since then i have kept a close watch on the levels, and they are perfect. I think it had something to do with extreme cold, and powerwashing.


So keep a really close eye on the levels (drive center plug is the level plug) any you may find the same thing happening to you.

Good luck

 

[crosswind]

crosswind, don't get too worried yet on that motor seal. I watched my volvo leak gear oil spontaneously from the final drives for seemingly no reason. Since then i have kept a close watch on the levels, and they are perfect. I think it had something to do with extreme cold, and powerwashing.


So keep a really close eye on the levels (drive center plug is the level plug) any you may find the same thing happening to you.

Good luck

Will do. Thanks guys.

 

[crosswind]

An update on my 290. Well I guess the reason for the leaking seal was due to a failure internal to the final drive.The spocket to the final drive broke away from pump side.The pump is working fine but the sprocket and drive assembly fell off.LOL. So now the repair job starts. I have removed the track. Removed the pump. I can only see one broke part everything else lokks to be fine no worn or chipped teeth no dry bearing or anything like that.
My question is what hold these two components together ??? Is that the ring gear???

 

[Jam]

Im guessing the locking tab is probably after falling apart letting the preload nut wind off? Are the stub shaft threads damaged?

 

[crosswind]

We have not disassembled the unit yet should get to that today, but by looking at the theards that I can see, there is just a real slight amount of damage. I felt it right away when it let go so the machine didn't travel but just a couple of feet. Not really knowing what I am looking at though, that was my thinking, was there appeared to be no broken parts, no chipped teeth, no dry/worn out bearings etc. If I am lucky enough to have it just be the locking tab, what would the recommendation to proceed with this repair be. Replace the locking tab and also any seals that I can?????
Thanks for the advice, this forum is a ton of help.

 

[watglen]

Sorry to hear your troubles crosswind.

I recall when i took mine (volvo, not deere) apart there is a heavy steel ring with a pile of high grade bolts inside. I think it bolts up after the final drive case and bearings are in place. That is what holds the final drive case to the machine.

Then the gear train goes in and is held in place by the outer cover.

One thing i remember thinking is how simple the whole thing is once you get it apart.

Putting it back together didn't require any preload adjustments like, say, a differential. Very simple really.

So i would suggest carefully and thoughtfully disassembling the final drive. I would be looking for shim packs etc. Also, the failure may have been caused by improper shimming, so i would look into that on reassembly.

Good luck, I really hope it works out inexpensive and simple.

 

[crosswind]

Thanks Watglen, It sounds like Jam is correct. I can see where there two pieces are thearded and have come apart, but I have not disassembled it yet. I will pay particular attention when I do that.

 

[Jam]

Hey crosswind with a bit of luck a good thread file, a new nut and youl be away... The seals and bearings will more than likey be damaged though so check carefully. Where the input shaft comes from the drive motor, it passes through the sun gear,there is normally a circlip at the outside of the gear. To say your assembly has come apart this must have cracked so check carefuly for the little bits before reassemby.

 

[crosswind]

290 final drive

Well I took the final drive apart over the weekend. I found that the nut that screws to the pump side spindle came off allowing the sprocket and asembly to fall away from the pump side of the final drive.

Looking at the manual I have, it looks like the nut is held in place by a pin after the nut is tightened the pin has three different locations it can be installed in depending on where the play is gone in the bearings etc..
Well this machine had everything intact, nothing wore out, no metal shavings, bad brearings or any bad gears. What I did see was that this not was obviously removed inthe past, reinstalled with the pin and then was welded around the lip off the spindle/nut after it was threaded on.
The weld was a poor job with not much or any penetration, and it failed, the nut backed off and allowed it to screw itself off.

My question is. Is this method off tack welding the nut on common or acceptable.
I still don't understand how it backed off with thte pin in place, but it obviously did.
Any help would be appreciated.