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John Deere 35G Mini Excavator, 500 Hour Service Interval Tasks – Part 5

Written by Luis Montes Updated On  March 05, 2026

A heavy-duty mechanic points at the final drive on a John Deere 35G excavator

In the last step-by-step guide, we explained how to service the water separator on a John Deere 35G.

Next, we’ll cover how to change the final drive oil as part of the 500 hour periodic maintenance tasks.

On the Tekamo HD YouTube channel, you can watch Keith, a heavy-duty mechanic expert, do the task.

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If you don’t have the time to perform the service yourself or want to enroll in a preventative maintenance program for your heavy equipment, contact Tekamo HD to schedule a heavy-duty mechanic.

Table of Contents

Preparations Before Draining the Final Drive Oil

Arrows point at the plugs on a John Deere 35G final drive

Drive the excavator or turn the track in the air until the plugs are aligned in a straight-up-and-down formation: the fill plug at the top, the level check in the middle, and the drain plug at the bottom.

The tools you’ll need for this task are a drain pan to catch the oil, a ratchet, Allen/HEX sockets, and, optionally, a dead blow hammer.

One more thing we had to consider was the rain. If you have no other choice but to change the final drive oil while it's raining, make sure water doesn’t contaminate the oil. The same goes for open gear cases, engines, oil pails, etc.

Drain and Refill the Final Drive Oil

We recommend starting with the top plug to relieve any pressure in the system. Sometimes material builds up in the Allen plugs (dirt, paint, etc.), and you’ll need a hammer to drive the socket. Tap gently on the socket and turn it counterclockwise to loosen the plug.

An arrow and dashed box highlight the oil that comes out of the check hole of a John Deere 35G final drive

Next, undo the middle one to check the oil level. If some oil comes out, it’s fine to assume it's nicely level. On the other hand, not enough oil could mean there’s a leak. Call a professional mechanic.

Finally, remove the drain plug. Once the oil is done draining, reinstall the drain plug.

Comparison of a wrong and correct final drive plugs formation when filling oil

To avoid a false reading while filling the final oil drive, turn the fill plug slightly so it doesn’t stay directly above the level plug. As you pour oil, it’ll go straight down and won’t come out the level hole.

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Check the Fortis HD tool section for high-quality bit socket sets, ratchets, ratchet & socket sets, and hammers to thoroughly service your heavy equipment.

A dashed box highlights a 0.26 gal. container of SAE 80W-90 oil

We service heavy equipment frequently, so we buy oil in bulk and use a pump. You can use a 0.26 gal. container of SAE 80W-90 oil. Each final drive has a capacity of 0.2 gal.

Pour oil until it reaches the level of the check hole.

Wipe off the check and fill plug and reinstall them. If you tend to overtighten screws, here are the recommended plug tightening values for the John Deere 35G:

PLUG TORQUE
Drain and fill 36.9 lb-ft
Check 11.8 lb-ft

Next Post

The next task we’ll cover is changing the engine air filters on the John Deere 35G mini excavator.