Into the Garage

So, I got the OC-3 into the garage and slowly started giving it an inspection. I usually only worked on it for 45 minutes to an hour a few nights a week. After we got the kids into bed, I would go out and tinker. The first order of business was to drain the fluids. I tackled the engine oil first. It was filthy black but other than that it wasn't remarkable.

What was remarkable? The blade had to go away for awhile. Crawling around, up and over the blade was getting old. If serious work was to be done - the blade had to seriously go. . . (notice the puddles of oil on the floor because I was too busy crawling over the blade and frame to get to the pan in time).

Removing the blade took longer than I thought it would. In the end it came off with all of the framework that bolts all the way back to the drawbar. I dragged it out of the garage moving it 6-8 inches at a time and my back was sore the next day (see picture). Eventually the blade was winched up onto the snowmobile trailer and dropped in the tree-line out back. I'm sure the neighbors appreciated me cleaning up the miscellaneous scrap iron.

As the inspection continued eventually the hood came off as well as the fenders in an effort to access and see things a little better. At some point I decided to start wearing my old Green Giant bump cap when working on the beast. While crawling around and under I banged my head twice - the type of head banging that makes you stop and take in a breath to keep yourself from crying. . .Everything on this machine is big, heavy and it does not give way for your melon.

By taking the blade off, access to the drawbar was readily available. It had to go as well - so I could get to differential/transmission drain plugs. The drawbar like everything else is heavy - I'm guessing about 80 pounds. Note to self: Put it somewhere where you can't trip on it or break a toe.

The next fluid to be changed was the transmission/differential case. It is supposed to hold 2 gallons of GL-1 gear lube (80-90w). I got to learn a bunch about GL-1. GL-1, to borrow a tomato term, is an "heirloom" oil. Modern gear lube is GL-5 (you even see some GL-6 out there) and it has been infused with additives and hypo-additives. These things are great for modern equipment but they cause problems for the cotton-woven break bands that are used to steer the OC-3 (see picture). GL-1 is not easy to find and after making stops at all but one place in town I found GL-1 at the Tractor Supply Company (2 gallons for $25). They list it as Ford 2N, 8N, 9N gear lube. Apparently the Fords use it in their trans/diff case?

With GL-1 in hand I felt ready to drain the trans/diff case. I pulled the plugs and got 1.5 gallons of water and about a quart of sludge after the water came rushing out. I'm not talking milky oil - I'm talking WATER. Well, that made me wonder - eventually I would need to pull the rear trans/diff cover to take a look. . .that was a job for another day.