New Holland TC24D Spring Refresh

jwstewar

Senior Member
Staff member
I'm at almost 700 hours on my 2003 New Holland TC24D. That means hydraulic fluid change. I started this 2 weeks ago on a Saturday. I had hydraulic fluid on hand so I just needed all of the filters. Drove to the dealer and picked up 2 oil and 2 fuel filters (one each for later in the season), hydraulic, hydrostat, and outer air filter. Also got a bearing kit for one of the mower wheels.

So came home and got started. Backed the back tires up on ramps and picked the front end up with the loader. I then set the front axle back down on jackstands. I proceeded to start draining the hydraulic fluid from the rear. While this was draining I looked at the rear of the tractor. The springs that suspend the mower deck had almost worn the cotter pin and washers out that hold them on. I then decided to fix that. I took a pry bar and pushed those to the center to remove pressure from the cotter pins. I put new thick washers on a replace the cotter pins with bowtie style hair pins like I use on the deck. Everything else was pretty uneventful except for the fact the hydraulic fluid was draining slow and so I pulled the plug on the fill port. It then completely over shot the drain pan and I had oil going everywhere - I mean everywhere. Started refilling all of the fluids. Well turns out the 5 gallon bucket of fluid I had, only had about a gallon in it. So that along with the 2 1/2 gallon jug I had weren't quite enough to get the fluid up on the dipstick. So I was done for the night with hydraulic.

Decided to move onto the oil. Drained it and removed the filter. Pretty uneventful. Tried to get the fuel filter off. Couldn't get to it with the loader in the way. So just went on to finish changing the oil. I then moved to the MMM, took the gear box off and drained the fluid out of it. Gave it a fresh bath of Shell Rotella 80w140 oil and put it back on the deck and retensioned the belt.

Fast Forward 2 weeks. (It got cold and the grass wasn't growing and I got a little under the weather)Tractor still up in the air, so I finally had another jug of NH 134A to give it some juice. Finished topping off the hydraulic/hydrostat and moved on the the front axle. Had to chip some mud off the right side, but no biggy.

So finally the tractor is able to move again, I take it off stands and the ramps. I back it out of the garage and the tractor sputters. Kind of confused I remembered that I had started to change the fuel filter. I had shut the fuel off, but hadn't turned it back on. So I had to bleed the fuel lines and fire it back up and finished backing it out of the garage. I then moved the MMM over to where I can pick it up with the tractor. I then remember that winter came up quick (or I got lazy:p ) and I hadn't cleaned the underside. I then took a pry bar and proceeded to clean the old grass from under it. Took the blades off and gave them a good sharpening with the DeWalt angle grinder. This is probably the last time I'll be able to sharpen them, they are getting in pretty rough shape and need to be replaced. Put the blades back on. I then replaced the bearings in the one wheel that had gone bad. Looks like I damaged the wheel itself, so I'm not sure how long it will last, I'll keep an eye on it and yank it pretty quick so as to not ruin the new bearings. Took the other front wheel off and repacked the bearings on it and put new washers on the wheel to hold the bearing in (which is what damaged the other wheel, the washers wore out and let the bearings come out). I then picked the front of the tractor up with the FEL and put the slid the mower deck under. I reattach the mower deck and put double bowtie clips on the front of the deck. I then proceed to take the loader off. Get it off so that I can change the fuel filter. Did my usual fight with it to get it off. I used the trick of removing it from the tractor, but it still fought me. Finally got it off. Brought it in the house to clean it out and get the new filter back on.

Finally after several hours of work, I'm finally able to go mow some grass. Of course it is now 9 PM at night, but I still wanted to make sure that everything was good since I had so many things apart. So I mowed a few strips and what do you know, looks like everything stayed together. Now if it'll stop raining and snowing I'll go mow the rest of the grass before the yard gets declared a grass land area. Of course, at the height it is, I might have to use the bush hog anyway.:eek:
 

Doc

Admin
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Welcome to NTT. I'm glad you joined up!!!!

What an ordeal. Sounds like me, really! Nothing ever seems to go easy.
 

BoneheadNW

Member
Everything else was pretty uneventful except for the fact the hydraulic fluid was draining slow and so I pulled the plug on the fill port. It then completely over shot the drain pan and I had oil going everywhere - I mean everywhere. Started refilling all of the fluids. Well turns out the 5 gallon bucket of fluid I had, only had about a gallon in it. So that along with the 2 1/2 gallon jug I had weren't quite enough to get the fluid up on the dipstick. So I was done for the night with hydraulic.
I have had that exact same thing happen to me. Seems like the faster you need to move the oil pan back under the drain, the longer it takes. What a mess!
Bone
 

thcri RIP

Gone But Not Forgotten
I usually do all of my fluids in the fall except for the fuel filter I do both spring and fall. And I usually make a big mess of it. This spring I know I have to really go over my mower. The belt seems to be ok, just an adjustment to tighten but I think I have one of the bearings gone.

murph
 
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