# JD 513 Rotary Cutter Oil



## DForal

I have a 513 cutter that transferred with the property we bought last summer. I'm doing my spring maintenance and was checking the oil in the gear box for the cutter. This is my first time doing this. Manual says remove the check plug and oil should seep from hole. That is not what happened!

A white/brown (milky brown) fluid poured from the check plug hole. After getting a container, I let it flow for a bit; after a while, the fluid started looking like oil. I then took the cover plate off - oil just about fills the entire gear box. I stirred the oil with a screwdriver and the white/brown material is on the bottom. Also, my cover appears to have what I would guess is a breather port; my manual does not show that.

Pictures are attached.

I need some advice and input please:

1. Is the off-color oil normal? What causes it?
2. Per the manual, the gear box is overfilled. What is the result of overfilling - frothing the oil?
3. Should I just drain and replace the oil? Or just drain it down to the check plug level and go mow 
4. There is no gasket on the cover; is that normal?


Thanks for the help. Dave


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## Upper5Percent

The milky color is due to water contamination...drain it completely...and refill with proper fluid per your manual...

Capacity of the gear case is .8 qt or .75 l

By the way, per the manual you should be checking the gear oil level every 10 hours of operation and at the beginning of each season...

Remove check plug on side...oil should seep from hole.

If necessary. remove plug on top and slowly pour oil (John Deere EXTREME-GARD or John Deere GL-5 Gear Lubricant) into gear case until oil seeps from check plug hole.

Replace both plugs.



If you have slip clutch...make sure to properly condition it each season BEFORE you mow


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## DForal

Paul, thanks for the info; that is what I suspected, but have never seen water contaminated oil before. Now I'm wondering how it got contaminated? If you look at the 2nd picture, the "drip plug" looks to be just above the gear attached to the blade shaft; there is a lot of extra fluid in this reservoir. I'm hoping that the previous owner just overfilled it. The top plate does not have a gasket; wondering if that is how water got into it? Or just condensation over time? I'll change the oil out today (hopefully) and report back on how it went. Dave


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## DForal

I drained, sucked, sopped, etc the old contaminated oil out of the gear box. Too bad there is not a drain plug on the bottom - took me a long time to get as much out as I could. I did not want to leave much of the old oil in there. I ended up using my compressed air to blow the oil out of the bottom bearing/seal area as best as I could. Pictures of the empty gear box are attached as well as the "oil" that I took out. I still don't know how the water got in there; I'll keep checking it. I filled with GL-5 to the appropriate level. Also, I need to get some gasket-in-a-tube to seal the top plate better - any suggestions on what kind to use? Thanks. Dave


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## Upper5Percent

Check your pressure relief in the plate that is not in any of your pics...you could be getting moisture in through it if you left it outside and did NOT cover your mower with a waterproof tarp


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## DForal

PaulChristenson said:


> Check your pressure relief in the plate that is not in any of your pics...you could be getting moisture in through it if you left it outside and did NOT cover your mower with a waterproof tarp


Paul, I did check the pressure relief valve; I could not suck any air backwards and the spring loaded ball bearing did move outward when I pushed on it. The unit is kept in a shelter when not in use, so I'm still at a loss as to how the water got into the oil. Thanks for the input


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