Two days ago I dropped the rear plate and drained all the old fluid out of my newly acquired 129. I then replaced the IH-395789-R2 filter with Stens compatible replacement filter. I then replaced the gasket and filled it all the way to the hole with Traveller® Universal Tractor Trans/Hydraulic Fluid. Then test drove it and put it up.
Now, the problem came today a while after I had begun mowing my yard. I had been mowing for a while (approx 1 hr to 1hr. 15 min), when all of a sudden, no-go. No forward, no reverse. Speed control handle now had full range of motion, forward and reverse, with no resistance and no results, whether the mower is running or off.
I checked all linkage all the way back, and everything appears intact, despite the obvious slop/play in the armeture.
I checked the hole in the rear plate, and despite having to add a small amount more of fluid till it ran out of the hole, it was almost full.
The other day when changing the filter, there was lots of gunk around the filter opening, which may have led to some getting into the filter opening. Could gunk slipping into the system have caused this immediate loss of motion, or did I screw the pooch by not putting Hy-Tran in the pumpkin?
After all this, I hit the dump relief valve, let it set a while, went back and tried again, and No Joy.
Any suggestions?