"First Start" with no Hydraulic Fluid?

[Dale Finch]

I am probably going to get the new-to-me Loboy running today, after cleaning the carb overnight, but am concerned about damaging the hydraulic pump with no fluid in reservoir. This tractor had a Wagner Loader on it with an external reservoir which I do NOT want to refill, since I plan to sell it. Will the lack of fluid ruin the pump since it uses fluid for lubrication?

[Eugene]

Yes, on ruining the pump.

Unbolt, remove the hydraulic pump before starting the engine.

[Mike in Louisiana]

you con cut a piece of 1/4 plywood and cover the hole or take the gear off the end of the pump.

[Dale Finch]

you con cut a piece of 1/4 plywood and cover the hole or take the gear off the end of the pump.

Thanks Eugene and Mike...it had suddenly broken through the foggy brain...good thing, eh?

One more thought...I ASSUME that the external reservoir would need to be FULL in order for the TC block to be full? So I couldn't just add a "little" fluid? I'm not trying to be cheap, just don't want to waste good Hytran when I would be removing the loader stuff later.

[Eugene]

Check the elevation of the external reservoir above the touch control block. It could be that the external reservoir is empty and the TC full.

But I wouldn't take a chance. I would assume that if the external reservoir was empty, so is the TC.

Bucket to catch any remaining hydraulic fluid when you break the lines.

[Dale Finch]

THX! May just start un-plumbing the loader lines...not sure if the buyer of the loader is interested in the Loboy too. If not, the hoses, etc would need to be removed, anyway. He can always reconnect, if he wants both!

[Matt Kirsch]

You could just disconnect the reservoir from the fill pipe on the TC block, and fill the TC directly with a bit of oil.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

I was in a hurry to get one of my cubs back together to take it to Cubarama one year, and finishing it the night before I forgot to refill the TC before I started it. It ran about a minute before I realized what I had done and shut it off, but that was enough to ruin the o-ring. After mowing the yard the following week I had to remove the pump and replace the o-ring, plus change the engine oil.