# Bolens 1225 - Holy Crap, did I wreck my transmission?



## gengwall (Apr 3, 2014)

Last fall when I was backing my Bolens off the trailer and into the garage, it started spewing transmission fluid from around the filter seal. Worse yet, the fluid looked like Pepto Bismal, which I think means I had water in the transmission. Even worse yet, as winter settled in I forgot about it. That's right, it spent the whole MN winter with that fluid in the transmission including over a month of below zero temps.

So, this week I finally got to it. I drained and refilled the transmission fluid and fixed the gasket on the filter, which had a little kink in it causing the leak. The tractor started up just great and wasn't making any screeching noises or anything. But when I put it in drive....nothing. No forward or reverse. Also, the implement lift isn't working (is that part of the transmission???) BUT, the PTO is working just fine. So I'm not sure what to think.

Also, the accelerator peddle seems to have no tension in it. It basically flops up and down with very little pressure. So maybe it is just a linkage or something.

Also, when the tractor is in park, it rolls freely. I'm thinking that isn't good at all. But maybe that means my park/drive lever is bad.

Anyway, I'm going to get the tractor up off the ground and take a look at all of the linkages if there is hope that it's something simple, but if I cooked the transmission there's no point wasting my time. So I'm looking for some trouble shooting help. Any way to know for sure what I did? I'm not terribly mechanical so I really don't know where to start. If this were a 64 channel sound system I'd be all over it but tractors....not so much.

Any thoughts or help or suggestions are welcome. I'm prepared for the worst so don't hold back doctor.


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## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

It is very possible that it still has air in the system.
I would suggest you run from forward to reverse several times,and then check the fluid level.
It may take a while to work out any air in the system. The implement lift should also be worked,as well,since many of them are a part of the drive hydro system.


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## gengwall (Apr 3, 2014)

jhngardner367 said:


> It is very possible that it still has air in the system.
> I would suggest you run from forward to reverse several times,and then check the fluid level.
> It may take a while to work out any air in the system. The implement lift should also be worked,as well,since many of them are a part of the drive hydro system.


Boy I sure hope so. Is there a way to "bleed" the air out of the system? There is a screw plug about half way up on the rear of the transmission. I took that out and there was no fluid there. I think I saw on a diagram or read somewhere that that might be a air release. Sorry for the ignorance but should I be doing something with that?


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## film495 (Nov 1, 2013)

are you sure you got all the water out?

if your transmission is like mine, I think you have to run it to get the fluid warmed up, and some of the air would bubble naturally out a vent. then you top off with more fluid. then start working the transmission slowly into forward and reverse, stop and top off fluid. rinse and repeat. If it is just air that seems lucky.


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## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

Got to this site,and download a free owner's manual :

http://sonnys_bolens.tripod.com/manuals/tubeframe.htm


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## gengwall (Apr 3, 2014)

The more I work on it the more I think it has something to do with the linkages. I got the tractor up on blocks so that the rear wheels are free. No matter what position I put the shifter lever in, the rear wheels spin freely. It is like the tractor is in perpetual neutral. I'm going to get underneath it tonight and follow that lead. Boy would it be nice if it were something as simple as a pin popping out somewhere.


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## gengwall (Apr 3, 2014)

gengwall said:


> Boy I sure hope so. Is there a way to "bleed" the air out of the system? There is a screw plug about half way up on the rear of the transmission. I took that out and there was no fluid there. I think I saw on a diagram or read somewhere that that might be a air release. Sorry for the ignorance but should I be doing something with that?


Thanks jhngardner367 for the link. I had been looking everywhere for a manual.

That plug I mentioned on the back is the differential oil filler plug. Like I said above, nothing came out when I removed the plug. I'm guessing THAT's not good either. So I'll top that off tonight as well. I guess I just put oil in until some spills out since there really isn't a resevoir or dip stick or anything. Just a hole in the back of the transimission.

I should probably mention that I bought this tractor VERY used last year. I ran it just a little up at our property before parking it for the winter. This is my first lawn tractor so I am a complete noob when it comes to troubleshooting and repairs. I can do the "routine" maintenance just fine but that is as far as my experience takes me.


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## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

Hydros are like the auto trans in cars. When they get low.....they don't go.
From the manual,it looks as though the lift is a part of the system,too,so you might have to add fluid,then cycle it,and add more,until it takes.


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## gengwall (Apr 3, 2014)

What a difference a day and getting the wheels off the ground make. Once I had the wheels free I could see that they were very slowly spinning when I moved the pedal forward and back. Then, following jhngardner367's advice, I started working the transmission then turned the engine off. Sure enough, I could hear a big gurgle of air being vented. So, lather, rinse, repeat and after 5 or 6 cycles and a top off of fluid, everything seems to be working swell. Now all I have to do is deal with the other problem I discovered while crawling underneath the tractor - a big mouse nest up on top of the hydrostatic drive.


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## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

Use an air gun,or a cat ! LOL!
Just blow it out,and keep the fins clean,and it should be fine.
Glad I could help.


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## gengwall (Apr 3, 2014)

Well I don't know if the critters are still in there or if they have moved out now that spring is here. I was starting the thing up and working right around the tractor for about an hour and nothing jumped out. Still, gonna have both the cat and dog out there. Should be a free for all if there is anything alive left in there.


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## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

I had a mouse run out of an engine I was working on,one time. The little ba***rd ran up the inside of my sleeve,and I had a heck of a time gettin' him out!


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## Paul40 (May 29, 2011)

When I read the original posting, I though that it might be something similar to an experience I had a while back, one that left me with egg all over my face.
I have a Craftsman DYS 5500 with a hydrostatic drive. It had run out of fuel just outside the quonset. It was supper time, so I just pushed it inside. There is a knob in the rear of the tractor, to allow it to free-wheel, and I pulled it to disengage the drive.
The next day I fuelled up and started it up, but it wouldn't move. I tried all kinds of things, checked the belt, pulleys, linkages, kicked the tires, etc. No success. The warranty had expired shortly before, and I hadn't extended it. I saw dollars going bye bye, as I consider that part of the tractor beyond my expertise.
Luckily I have several backups, so I just left it sitting there. A few days later I wanted to move it out of the way a bit more, and went to pull the knob, to disengage the drive. It was then that I discovererd that I'd never reengaged it the first time. Sometimes complex problems have simple solutions. Never told the wife the full story. She thinks I'm a genius for having fixed it.
Hoping to be able to mow lawn and till the garden soon. Right now I've got pumps all over the place, trying to dry things out from the 4" - 5" of very wet snow we had yesterday, pretty much all of which melted today, leaving a lot of big puddles. Hope that was the last of the season.
Happy tractoring.
Paul


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