What kind of oil?

I just dumped the oil out of the tranny on my cub. What kind of oil should I put back in there, and how much? The manual I have calls for 1 3/4 quarts, that doesnt seem like it would hardly cover the bottom. Also what should a person use for engine oil in a cub out of curiosity?

Gear oil for the transmission. Whatever volume the manual states will be correct. Biggest single reason for old tractors leaking is folks over filling gear boxes.

Any goog engine oil for the crankcase.

If your like me, with a 70 year old tractor. For the crankcase, I go to walmart and buy the cheapest 30 w oil I can find. But I change it often!

The tranny has a plug on the left side, that is the full level when it runs out. A good 90wt. gear lube, the good stuff doesn't cost much more just for 2 qts. and you don't change it much.

If unsure about the history of the previous engine oil used I would go with a non-detergent. I think these tractors were meant to run straight 30 wt.

[30 wt detergent oil for the engine, 85w140 for the transmission. If it is a number series Cub, 154, 184, 185 use Hytran in the transmission.

Jack: When these tractors were built multi-grade had not yet been developed. Nothing wrong with multi-grade for these old tractors.

In the mid 70s I was running 7 tractors, (4 diesels, 3 gassers) size from a SA up to a 1066, two gas skidsteers. four GM gas trucks, MF diesel combine, one Olds 88 gas and 4 cycle lawn mower. I was keeping 3 kinds of oil; one for diesels, one for gas tractors and a 3rd for cars and trucks. Several employees were constantly getting these mixed up, not using oil I had selected for a specific purpose. I got fed up and swithed everything to 15W-40 diesel grade motor oil. Since that time I've never rebuild a diesel much under 10,000 hours, gassers roughly 4,000 hours, those GM V8 all went 300,000 miles, even got 500,000 miles out of a 6.2 diesel and the 4 cycle lawn mower lasted 35 years, doing about 1/4 acre on average. Actually the engine on the lawn mower was the only thing original when I sent it off to the scrapyard. Had to put a head gasket in the SA about 10 years ago, and we discovered, pistons and sleeves were original. I had only owned it since 72.

Try as you may, you will not convince me to use anything but the very best diesel multi-grade motor oil. I've never tried synthetic, when it first came on the market, I was already exceeding it's claim on engine life.

85-140 in the trans if not a number series cub.
Use 15-40 diesel grade oil in the engine because Cubs are notorious for loosing oil pump prime, and a bit thicker oil is easier to keep suction. Modern oils are a primary factor in today's engine life. Use detergent oil (it is unlikely that the prior owner used non detergent, and it will not be the best practice) If the oil becomes real black within 10 hours of running change it again and keep track of the color till it stays nice for 1/2 year. JimN

A good 80-90weight gear oil in the transmission and rear end along with the final drives . as others have said there is a level plug on the left side of the transmisson for correct fluid level . As for engine oil for best results and engine and valve life then Case I H low ash 30 for the engine . The oils off the shelf at the big box stores and the blister pack auto parts stores are for CAR AND LIGHT TRUCK engines of today and they do not have the Zink additive in them anymore as they are now for the roller camed engines that are being made and your cubby engine has flat tappets and the new oils of today will not give enough protection to the cam and lifter. A diesel oil is made for DIESEL engines and not for gas engines . For best power myself i would not run reg pump gas i would bump up to the 89 on a cub unless at some point in time some one put the 184 pistons and head on it then i would move on up to the 93 .

I fall in with Hugh MacKay, even though I don't have quite the experience. I'm sure you're aware but, the detail that has the most effect on your engine and transmission is how often you change the oil. Even if it's a low-use tractor, you need to keep changing the oils.

Vet: I'm not going to argue your point on diesel oils for diesel engines and gas oils for gas engines. The industry calls it what they want to call it.

What I am saying in the 1970s I had five, 6 cylinder diesels in four tractors and a combine. I had 5 gas tractor engines as I'll class those 4 cylinder Case engines in skidsteers as tractor engines. I had 5 GM V8 gas engines and one 4 cycle lawn mower. I also had 6 to 8 employees handling vehicles and oils. I was not concerned about mistakes in the gassers, but I was concerned about wrong oils getting in my diesels. I'm sure you will agree, screwing up one of those diesels would have cost a lot more than any one of the gassers. Example in 1980 I bought a complete 427 drop in for a 70 series GM highway tractor for under $1,000. The professional IH dealer rebuild of my 656 diesel that same year was roughly than 5 times the cost of truck engine. Thankfully the 656 had roughly 10,000 hours. By the way both truck and tractor included new clutch assemblies. Not TA though.

Seeing is believing and I have been using 15W-40 diesel grade oil in every gas engine ever since and have exceptional results. I believe it's more a case of diesel grades exceed the needs of gas engines.

80-90 gear lube.

change the oil every other year due to condensation
every year or more often if it sits out in the rain
Hy Tran or 75-90 or 90wt or 80-140 just keep some type of oil in there and the water drained out
Ron

Not to jump into the oil debate but yesterday I found some of my grandfather's records for his tractors (BN, A & 200). The thing I found really was amazing was the oil he used. Everything from 10w-30 to straight 50w, and it wasn't like he ran one type in one tractor, he ran everything in every machine.

15w-40 seemed to be a favorite, as it is on this board.

I guess what I'm saying is these were the primary tractors on the farm up until he passed away in '99, the 200 was used daily. He also sold oil (Agway) so it wasn't like he didn't' have choices.

I've still got the BN and the A. The BN is a bit tired but it has seen a overhaul in MANY years...if ever.

K