Oil Drain Sleeve

[Jett Rink]

Gentlemen,
My father-in-law picked up a gently used lawn tractor for me. What a guy! Yardmachines brand, with a Briggs & Stratton engine on it. I've been itching to mow with it, but we've had something of a drought lately, so the grass isn't growing. When you want to mow and the weather is right it doesn't need it, but when you'd rather now, it is ankle high out there. Such is life..

So I thought I would prepare by changing the oil. This is the first tractor or riding lawn mower I've ever owned. There is a drain plug under the hood on the side of the oil sump. If you remove that plug, oil is going to drain all over the side of the mower. So I checked the manual. To get around this problem, it came from the manufacturer with an attachment. I found the manual online and it is called an "oil drain sleeve." Basically it is a little trough that you fit under the drain plug hole. The oil then drains out of the engine, into this trough, and gravity takes its course moving the oil to the drain pan. Well, my second hand mower did not contain this attachment. I checked the yardmachines website. I cold order it for $2.76, but they'd want $8 or so for shipping.

I am sure I'm not the first person who has faced this problem. Is there something y'all are using as a substitute? Can you get a generic one at Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.?

Thanks in advance.

 

[tripleM]

@ AAP, they sell disposable papper funnels that may work for you. You can have it drain into a milk carton.

 

[Jett Rink]

good idea, triple M.
i guess there would be two ways to do it that way.
1. remove the drain plug and quickly put the paper funnle unter the drain and let it run off into the jug.

2. cut the funnel from end to end where it folds out into a trough, put it under the drain, and remove the plug.

i knew some BITOGers would have an obvious solution to this rather than paying alot for some plastic attachment.

i might mow a little bit of my neighbor's back yard this evening. his needs it, my yard doesn't.

Interestingly, the manual calls for:
1. SAE 30 for temps above 40 degrees F.
2. 5w-30 or 10w-30 for temps below 40 degrees F.
3. Synthetic 5w-30 or 10w-30 for all temp ranges.

All I have ever used in lawn mowers is SAE 30, changed once a year before mowing season starts. Interesting, but not unexpected that BITOGers are using all kinds of oil in their lawn equipment.

 

[edhackett]

You can also use tin foil to form a trough or extension. I often do this to keep gear oil off of cross members and such.

Ed

 

[dwendt44]

It might cost a few bucks but I have an 8hp with a small pipe threaded into the drain plug location, and a cap on the end. The pipe clears the frame enough so oil drips into the pan.
Just a thought.

 

[Bill Kapaun]

Kohler has a kit that consists of a flexible tube that screws into the block and has a valve on the "free" end. Briggs may have the same (3/8"?) drain plug.

 

[Jeepster_nut]

I use one of these. Cut a hole in the end for the oil to come out of and into your catch pan, and stick the open end under the drain on the mower when you remove the drain plug. I got mine at home depot in the gutter/downspout section.

http://www.windows101.com/shop/images/gutter-scoop2.gif

 

[Bill Kapaun]

I imagine for some applications, an automatic transmission filler funnel (car type) would do the job.

 

[dgreen]

My previous mower was a Cub Cadet with a B&S engine. It too came equipped with the drain sleeve, which is actually a piece of clear flexible tubing. The sleeve fits over a fitting on the drain plug. To drain the oil, you had to rotate the drain plug 1/4 turn and pull the plug towards you. This action opens the drain for the fluid to escape through the tube into your pan. If your system is the same as mine, you can easily pick up about 18" of the right size hose at Lowes or Home Depot. I considered replacing mine with hardware store stock just because mine wasn't long enough. Good luck.

 

[JTK]

Quote:

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My previous mower was a Cub Cadet with a B&S engine. It too came equipped with the drain sleeve, which is actually a piece of clear flexible tubing. The sleeve fits over a fitting on the drain plug. To drain the oil, you had to rotate the drain plug 1/4 turn and pull the plug towards you.

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The plastic 'quick drain' wasn't quite so friendly on my Cub Cadet 2544 w/ Kohler 20hp. I actually had to loosen the engine mounts and jack the engine up to gain enough clearance to remove the factory drain and install 3/8" pipe & fittings. Here's what I did:

Joel

 

[javacontour]

Quote:

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It might cost a few bucks but I have an 8hp with a small pipe threaded into the drain plug location, and a cap on the end. The pipe clears the frame enough so oil drips into the pan.
Just a thought.

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This is the solution I was thinking of. Then you don't lose the oil drain sleeve.