Cummins Marine Diesel Repower Specialists Forums Marine Transmissions zf 220A Over dipstick level when filled with recommended amount

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  • #37504

    Dan Kealy
    Participant
    Vessel Name: White Ice
    Engines: 6BT 210hp
    Location: Brisbane
    Country: Australia

    Hi all, thanks for your help in advance – I appreciate it.

    I have changed the transmission oil in the new boat – ZF MPM IRM 220A serial number 91.7969C.

    My paperwork calls for 4 litres (4.2 US quart) of fluid, but by 3 litres I’m way past my high mark on the dipstick.

    Now I have it all in and have run the engine in gear for a couple of minutes the level is reading 6cm (2 3/8 inch) below the level of the top of the dipstick hole.

    I drained the transmission to check the volume of fluid and it is the 4 litre.

    Is my volume of fluid wrong? Or are my dipstick marks wrong? Or have I overlooked something?

    Thanks again, Dan

Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
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  • #37847

    Rob Schepis
    Forum Moderator
    Vessel Name: Tenacious
    Engines: 6BTA 5.9 330's - "Seaboard Style"
    Location: Long Island, NY
    Country: USA

    Affirmative on the 22MM drain plug

    #37836

    Rob Schepis
    Forum Moderator
    Vessel Name: Tenacious
    Engines: 6BTA 5.9 330's - "Seaboard Style"
    Location: Long Island, NY
    Country: USA

    22 sticks in my head

    Funny timing on your follow-up post here. Last night I went to the tool chest to grab my 36MM custom socket and what was sitting right next to it? …. a 22MM socket. Heading to the boat in a few minutes for an oil change on my 220’s…

    #37833

    Bill Desmarais
    Moderator
    Vessel Name: Extremist
    Engines: Cummins 6BTA 370
    Location: Portsmouth, NH
    Country: United States

    22 sticks in my head

    #37730

    Rob Schepis
    Forum Moderator
    Vessel Name: Tenacious
    Engines: 6BTA 5.9 330's - "Seaboard Style"
    Location: Long Island, NY
    Country: USA

    btw, I owned a pr. of ZF 220A gears. I recall a 36 mm socket for the filter screen plug and a 22mm socket for the bottom drain plugs…Yes ? No ?? Been a few years.

    You got it on the 36mm. Don’t recall the bottom drain hex size but I’ll know this weekend when I do the gear oil. Here’s my prior post on that 36mm

    https://www.sbmar.com/community/topic/removing-the-magnet-screen-hex/

    #37729

    Bill Desmarais
    Moderator
    Vessel Name: Extremist
    Engines: Cummins 6BTA 370
    Location: Portsmouth, NH
    Country: United States

    This past weekend I changed the fluids in my 6BTA 370 and ZF63A gear.
    15w-40w T4 Rotella in both the engine and the gear.

    I use a Jabsco Water Puppy for a pump.

    To drain the gear, a short piece of 3/8’s fuel line straight down the tube @ the base of the filter housing will go to the bottom of the gear. IMO most ALL the fluid is pumped out of the gear this way.

    I replaced the gear oil with 3.90 qts….yup I kept track of the exact amount back in the gear.

    Fired the engine up…shifted in and out of gear a few times @ the dock with the boat tied up and shut it down. Checked the level with the plastic screw in dipstick..plenty of oil.

    A week later I rechecked the level. Obviously all the oil had a chance to drain back from the gear oil cooler and lines.

    With the dipstick “resting on the threads” the level is a “whisker” below the FULL mark.

    To finish the project I will suck out some oil from the dipstick opening with a syringe and tube and get the level smack in the middle of the L/H marks on the dipstick. I’ll keep track of how much oil is sucked out.

    My guess on fluid needed after draining the way I do with the pump….maybe 3.25 qts. next fluid change.

    Just my 2 cents.

    btw, I owned a pr. of ZF 220A gears. I recall a 36 mm socket for the filter screen plug and a 22mm socket for the bottom drain plugs…Yes ? No ?? Been a few years.

    #37699

    Rob Schepis
    Forum Moderator
    Vessel Name: Tenacious
    Engines: 6BTA 5.9 330's - "Seaboard Style"
    Location: Long Island, NY
    Country: USA

    According to the documents we have on our site it does read 4.2 US Quarts but who knows!

    And to the contrary – see attached – right from the ZF Repair Manual and Operation Manual…

    #37697

    Corey Schmidt
    Forum Moderator
    Vessel Name: Rebel Belle
    Engines: Cummins
    Location: Oxnard, CA
    Country: USA

    According to the documents we have on our site it does read 4.2 US Quarts but who knows!

    https://www.sbmar.com/docs/ZF/DS-ZF_220_A.pdf

    #37685

    Dan Kealy
    Participant
    Vessel Name: White Ice
    Engines: 6BT 210hp
    Location: Brisbane
    Country: Australia

    Thanks Rob, did exactly what you said and it seems the required volume is 3 litres.

    To contribute to the pile of conflicting information I’ve attached the how-to sheet I’ve been using. Apart from the wrong volume of fluid, it was quite handy….

    #37505

    Rob Schepis
    Forum Moderator
    Vessel Name: Tenacious
    Engines: 6BTA 5.9 330's - "Seaboard Style"
    Location: Long Island, NY
    Country: USA

    I could post multiple documents here, all on ZF paper, that some show 3 litres, some show 4 litres. Drain it 100%. Add 3 quarts and start the engine and put her in/out of gear a few times. Now shut down and check and shoot for the middle of the stick.

    Another ZF inconsistency: How to read the stick – sit it on the case? or reinsert it? My m.o. is to reinsert a push in stick and but a threaded stick just sits on the top of the case to take the reading.

    1 user thanked author for this post.
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