1910 Milky hydraulic oil/transmission housing crack

Another round with the Ford,
Every year I drain a combined total of a pint of water out of the three transmission/rear axle drain plugs. Today it is cold so the three point hitch won't lift. The hydraulic oil looks like vanilla yogurt because of the moisture in it. Every couple of years I change the oil, but the moisture keeps returning. I can't find any holes/openings that are letting water in. In three years time, I have put about 30 hours on the tractor with the current oil. The suction line must be frozen over that the pump can't draw any oil to lift the 3 point hitch. So where is the moisture coming from?
The transmission case has a crack directly above where the clutch/brake shaft crosses under the transmission. The crack goes underneath from side to side and almost two inches up each side of the transmission. I put two giant turnbuckles underneath that put tension between the loader bracket and the draw bar frame. Just something to look for on 1910 Fords.

Bob

I guess I'll be looking under my 1710 shortly, but for me I've suffered the same moisture issues as you and I believe the was is coming through the shifter on top of the transmission as the boot does not seal tightly.

Are you getting all the contaminated oil out.If there is that much moisture in the system you need to get all of the oil out. This includes the oil in the cylinders for the loader. There is also another drain plug for the rear axle that is hidden by the draw bar on my 1900.You have to remove the draw bar to find it. If this plug is overlooked you are leaving about 2.5 gal of oil. This is the lowest point on the system and where most of the water will be.
Bill

When the oil gets to the milky stage it often takes about three changes to clear. You are not putting enough time on the machine under warm conditions or with the transmission hot to evaporate the condinsation.

The crack, while that has been a problem with loader mounting with the Shibaru chassis that NH and CaseIH uses.

Thank you fellas for your ideas. The drawbar is laying under the work bench, so I am aware of the with the drain plug at the rear. First thing I did when I got the tractor ten years ago, was take the loader off. The tractor loader does not compare to my skid steer loader. After looking at it today, the column shift lever going into the transmission might be the place that is leaking.

The transmission case is necked down(up actually) above the clutch/brake shaft. Therefore it is weakest at that point. The previous owner had the loader and a three point hitch backhoe on the tractor. I am certain that they were using the 1910 as a rubber tired bulldozer and excavator. I would not recommend repeatedly load testing(abusing) any CUT. Any color machine can be broken, and it will be expensive to fix.

Oh, I know where there is a 770B loader complete with 1910 brackets for sale.

Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SixHoeBob

Another round with the Ford,
Every year I drain a combined total of a pint of water out of the three transmission/rear axle drain plugs. Today it is cold so the three point hitch won't lift. The hydraulic oil looks like vanilla yogurt because of the moisture in it. Every couple of years I change the oil, but the moisture keeps returning. I can't find any holes/openings that are letting water in. In three years time, I have put about 30 hours on the tractor with the current oil. The suction line must be frozen over that the pump can't draw any oil to lift the 3 point hitch. So where is the moisture coming from?
The transmission case has a crack directly above where the clutch/brake shaft crosses under the transmission. The crack goes underneath from side to side and almost two inches up each side of the transmission. I put two giant turnbuckles underneath that put tension between the loader bracket and the draw bar frame. Just something to look for on 1910 Fords.

Bob

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You don't have to have water leak into the transmission fluid. Condensation regularly occurs and adds water to the transmission fluid. It's particularly bad IF you live in a humid climate AND you hardly use the tractor or use it for only a few miutes a day. Working it hard for several hours will raise the fluid temperaure and evaporate some of the water off. Do this every day and you won't have a problem.

This phenomenon also occurs in the fuel tank, too. That's why you should try to keep the tank topped off.

I follow the concept of the condensation. Over the years I have been around many tractors operated about as often as the 1910. I doubt any of them ever had the transmission/axle oil changed. The oil always looked like oil, so why change it? Of course since I have become an equipment owner, I try to follow a preventive maintenance program. I am just not wild about spending $70.00 again for hydraulic oil to get another 35 hours use over three years. Of course that works out to $2.00 an hour just for hyd. oil. Proving once again that if the tractor is running, somebody needs to be paying me. The best part of this project is that the tractor is paid for, so my operating cost is only $3 or $4.00 per hour.

The 1910's were good at taking in water. Two things you mentioned would probably hit the mark. One is the shifter shaft, the other is the cracked housing. If the loader is used hard, even worse with a BH, the "buckle up" joints between the axle/trans and the trans/bell housing loosen and break the gasket seal. Also happens to the trans top cover. Ford even came up with a subframe kit that mounted from the rear axle to the loader mount to help reinforce this area.

If there is any evidence of oil weeping from these joints, or, if the hardware is or was loose, water will get in very easily. Unfortunately, retightening the hardware won't fix it. Usually the housings need to be removed, scraped clean, use a special sealant (NOT RTV!) and class 10.9 bolts.

this happened to my tractor it got water in it there when i bought it to eager i had time to change it but i never did ==cost me the seal between the tran and clutch filled the starter full of oil and got all over the clutch water can cost you a lot :(:(

Ive got milky hydro fluid as well. I plan on pulling the plugs and letting it drain for days...until I can get back to it. I will take all of the hoses loose and blow them out and drain the lift cylinders as well. No other way to do it. Seafoam is supposed to work to help eliminate the moisture as well. I'll soon be an expert at removing moisture from a 1920. :)