Oil & Fuel Full oil level cause rear main seal leak ?

[Arky217]

I have a L4200. When I got it, it had 707 hrs. on it.
I changed all the fluids and when I changed the engine oil and filter, I put in the specified 6.3 quarts. After running it a few minutes, the oil level was just barely above the low mark. I kept adding oil until it reached the full mark. It took a total of 8 quarts. Other 4200 owners have said that they also use 8 quarts for an engine oil and filter service.

Until yesterday, I have ran the tractor only about 6 or 8 times for no longer than about 30 minutes at a time. But yesterday I ran it for about 4 hours and at the end of the day I noticed an engine oil leak coming down from the rear of the oil pan. I assume the rear main seal has started leaking.

Could I have brought this on myself by putting the oil level at the full mark instead of just using the specified 6.3 quarts (which is just slightly above the low mark) ?

(I wonder that because I just read a past post where a owner also thinks that running his tractor with the oil level at the full mark caused the rear main seal to start leaking and that now he says he runs it with the oil half between the low and full marks and has not had the problem anymore.)

Is there any way to slow this leak down without replacing the seal ? Would draining some of the oil back out to the 6.3 quart level help now or is it too late for that ?

Is there any oil additive that would slow down the leak. (It,s not really bad yet, but I'm sure it will get that way, now that it's started.)

I have never really got a good answer from anyone, including Kubota, just why 6.3 quarts is the specified capacity when it takes 8 quarts to bring it to the full mark.

If I have to replace the rear main seal, once the tractor is split, does the seal come out from the rear, or is it necessary to drop the oil pan ?

Thanks,

 

[luc]

are you 100% sure that it is engine oil leaking?

 

[mustangsallysdad]

I have a L4200. When I got it, it had 707 hrs. on it.
I changed all the fluids and when I changed the engine oil and filter, I put in the specified 6.3 quarts. After running it a few minutes, the oil level was just barely above the low mark. I kept adding oil until it reached the full mark. It took a total of 8 quarts. Other 4200 owners have said that they also use 8 quarts for an engine oil and filter service.

Until yesterday, I have ran the tractor only about 6 or 8 times for no longer than about 30 minutes at a time. But yesterday I ran it for about 4 hours and at the end of the day I noticed an engine oil leak coming down from the rear of the oil pan. I assume the rear main seal has started leaking.

Could I have brought this on myself by putting the oil level at the full mark instead of just using the specified 6.3 quarts (which is just slightly above the low mark) ?

(I wonder that because I just read a past post where a owner also thinks that running his tractor with the oil level at the full mark caused the rear main seal to start leaking and that now he says he runs it with the oil half between the low and full marks and has not had the problem anymore.)

Is there any way to slow this leak down without replacing the seal ? Would draining some of the oil back out to the 6.3 quart level help now or is it too late for that ?

Is there any oil additive that would slow down the leak. (It,s not really bad yet, but I'm sure it will get that way, now that it's started.)

I have never really got a good answer from anyone, including Kubota, just why 6.3 quarts is the specified capacity when it takes 8 quarts to bring it to the full mark.

If I have to replace the rear main seal, once the tractor is split, does the seal come out from the rear, or is it necessary to drop the oil pan ?

Thanks,

With no crankcase ventilation system, overfilling can cause pressure to build up and it has to go somewhere...I leave my dipstick a little loose to vent the crankcase.

 

[kuboman]

With no crankcase ventilation system, overfilling can cause pressure to build up and it has to go somewhere...I leave my dipstick a little loose to vent the crankcase.

All engines have a crankcase breather so unless it is plugged it will vent.
And yes running an engine over full can make the rear seal leak.

 

[Arky217]

Yes, it is definitely engine oil.

Why the specified amount of 6.3 qts. does not match the full mark is a mystery to me, but as I mentioned, other owners have experienced the same. I figured that as long as the level is not above the full mark, there should be no problems, so that's why I brought it up to the full mark. On every engine that I've ever heard of, the amount of oil to reach the full mark is the amount that should be in the engine.

I did drain out enough oil so that the level is now half way between low and full, but alas, it is still leaking.

Not that it's leaking enough yet to be a significant expense to replace, but I dread that it will get on the clutch.

Has anyone had any success with an additive to slow the leak on a rear main seal ?

 

[Arky217]

I might add that when I bought the tractor, it definitely did not have a leak and the old oil was all the way to the full mark.

The tractor had been sitting for several months, if that may be a contributing factor.

 

[kuboman]

I might add that when I bought the tractor, it definitely did not have a leak and the old oil was all the way to the full mark.

The tractor had been sitting for several months, if that may be a contributing factor.

Over full oil will not always make it leak but it can contribute to a seal leak. As for yours who knows could be just one of those things. Crap Happens.
Dipsticks and oil quantities never seem to coincide. About 50% of time it is usually the manual that is out.

 

[Reg]

This is a long shot and I mention it ONLY because a friend's girlfriend had it happen to a used CAR that she bought.

Pull the dipstick, wipe it off and take it with you to the dealer's parts counter.
Ask for a new dipstick, when they lay it on the counter pull yours out from your pant leg and compare.

What seems to happen is that people check oil, find it low, get all caught up in putting a quart or two in .....and a month later figure the dipstick must have got left out.
I would not be at all surprised if you have a wrong year or wrong model dipstick (-:

 

[rdsaustintx]

I did drain out enough oil so that the level is now half way between low and full...

After dealing with a few blown oil seals when I was young, I NEVER fill a crankcase to the full mark. I'm old now, but none of my motors drip oil.

 

[mustangsallysdad]

All engines have a crankcase breather so unless it is plugged it will vent.
And yes running an engine over full can make the rear seal leak.

Kuboman...Where is the crankcase breather located on my tractor engine?