Oil & Fuel Oil drip

   / Oil drip #1  

DIRTCUTTER

Silver Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2006
Messages
180
Location
New Mexico
Tractor
CK30 HST
My ck30hst/bh is my first tractor. I now have 400 hours on it, I would consider it hard hours. Since most of that time time was clearing big boulders. Its starting to drip hydraulic fuild. The drip is coming from under the right side of the engine, there is what looks like a pump, its grey in color. Since this is my first diesel anything, are small leaks like this common on diesel engines.
 
   / Oil drip #2  
Check around your hydraulic oil cooler. Older units have had problems. Newer units were equippped with flexible connections and the older ones can be upgraded at your expense to possibly avoid a cracked cooler. 284 hours on my old style CK30hst and no problems........yet.
 
   / Oil drip
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Now am scared. I still have a hydraulic oil drip. But when I check the dip stick it reads full. I take a reading before and after I use my tractor. Is there a sealed reservior or ?? that contains Hy oil.
 
   / Oil drip #4  
How bad is the drip. One drop of oil can make a good size spot on concrete. plus there is alot of oil in the hydraulic system on a tractor. Several quarts/gallons
 
   / Oil drip
  • Thread Starter
#5  
bkheur said:
How bad is the drip. One drop of oil can make a good size spot on concrete. plus there is alot of oil in the hydraulic system on a tractor. Several quarts/gallons
It leaves a spot about the size of a small plate
 
   / Oil drip #6  
Your hydraulic pump is back there. Is the leaked oil hydro oil or engine oil? Smear the fresh drip from the leak on a white paper and see what color it is. Engine oil should be much blacker. If it isn't obvious then dribble dipstick oil on the paper from the respective sumps to determine the source.

My hydro pump hasn't leaked in 600 hours. There are several hoses that route oil to the pump that are routed down low in harms way. Maybe one of the hoses was disturbed and it loosened from the connection with the hydro pump.

Clean the pump off and run the engine to maybe find the source.
 
   / Oil drip #7  
My money is on the hydraulic cooler. When I bought my CK30 it was raining so I couldn't tell what was going on leakwise on my tractor. The previous owner said that there was an oil leak at the oil filter. After I ran the tractor and it stopped RAINING (gotta love Western Washington Winter weather) I saw what the previous owner was talking about. It took a while but I traced the leak to the hydraulic cooler. The worst of the oil was actually on the front of the engine and it dribled down from there. That had me worried because I thought I might have a seal/gasket leak that would require me taking something off of the engine. When I found the drip at the bottom of the cooler I was actually relieved. The fan sucks most of the leaking oil through the radiator and onto the front of the engine. So when the engine is off and cool run your finger on the bottom of your hydraulic cooler specially if it has metal non-flexible lines going in and out of it. There is no good reason for the bottom of the cooler to be oily. Since I have changed mine it is bone dry. If that is where the leak is coming from give your dealer a call and ask him about a warranty replacement with the new flexible lines.
 
   / Oil drip
  • Thread Starter
#9  
I still cant find where the leak is coming from, but its hydraulic oil for sure. Its starting to rain around here so this may be a good time to take it to the dealer. I have another question. When your tractor is down for a long period of time does the hydraulic fuild settle to the bottom. Because when I check the fuild level when the tractor has been sitting its low. Then when I run the tractor, shut it off then check the level its fine.
 
   / Oil drip #10  
DIRTCUTTER said:
I have another question. When your tractor is down for a long period of time does the hydraulic fuild settle to the bottom. Because when I check the fuild level when the tractor has been sitting its low. Then when I run the tractor, shut it off then check the level its fine.

A number of people have reported this same phenomenon. I'm not sure exactly what the explanation is but it is likely related to cooling of the hot oil after the last time you used it with some sort of vacuum lock phenomenon and subsequent false levels of oil in the dipstick tube. Usually after starting the engine the measured hydraulic fluid level is correct.
 
 
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