Axle bearing seal leaking

   / Axle bearing seal leaking #1  

DaveNay

Platinum Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2003
Messages
811
Location
Waterman, DeKalb County, Illinois
Tractor
John Deere 855 MFWD; Oliver 1850 Gas
Well, I guess this is a very good argument for keeping your equipment clean. After washing muck off my tractor today and then parking it, I walked past a few hours later and saw this. Checked the gear oil on the MFWD, and it is nearly dry. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif I am hoping that it is only the seal blown, and nothing more severe.

Dave

P.S. Yes, I know the oil is very dirty looking. Spring maintenance hasn't happened yet. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 

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   / Axle bearing seal leaking #2  
Wow - I'm glad you saw it now, and not when you started hearing that aweful grinding noise. Good lesson learned for washing!
 
   / Axle bearing seal leaking #3  
My experience has always told me that if there is enough to still leak out, that there is usually enough to have kept it lubed enough to not do much damage unless it was under a load. Considering that a tractor doesn't go very fast, I don't think that is a problem. Once you pull the wheel, you will be able to get a better look at it. Considering the amount of oil that is leaking out, my bet is a damaged seal, such as something having torn away at it. Just hope that you didn't get any grit into the spindle to tear up the polished surface. If so, consider one of the stainless steel sleeves that you can press on for a new seal mating surface. They have saved me more than once.
 
   / Axle bearing seal leaking #4  
Many ,Many years ago ,I had a good friend whose family owned a very large Cat Dealership in Sacramento ,Ca.
I was fortunate enough to go on a tour of the place and was amazed at how much information they supplied to the local State and County Transportation Depts. I "set in" on a "operator preventive maintenace meeting" and will never forget what the speaker said . "If oil can get out then dirt can get in " .Most people just assume that they lose a little oil and never think about the dirt that might be getting in to the gears . I still go by that rule and oil leakage is first priority for repair in my book .
Big Al
 
   / Axle bearing seal leaking #5  
How long have you had this tractor, Dave?
 
   / Axle bearing seal leaking
  • Thread Starter
#6  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( How long have you had this tractor, Dave? )</font>

Just a hair under a year.
 
   / Axle bearing seal leaking #7  
I have had similar problems with my 4400. It seems to occur after getting it stuck up to the axles in this south Texas sandy soil. Replacing the seal (at least on the 4400) is easy if you have a shop press and not very expensive ($7-8.00). I am now paying more attention to keeping the axle joints clean.
 
   / Axle bearing seal leaking #8  
That is true to a extent.... dirt gets in once the oil stops getting out usually. If you are talking about a gaping hole, then it is a two way street. If it is a wheel bearing seal failure, the likelihood that dirt has gotten in while the oil was coming out, is unlikely. When he takes it apart, it will be contaminated with dirt, so it will need to be cleaned. You also have to consider how long it has been open. There are too many variables to make specific conclusions, other than it needs to be fixed no matter what.
 
   / Axle bearing seal leaking #9  
I'd like to see where the oil is coming from. At the wheel shaft, or the pivots.
My 855 leaks a bit both sides where the front wheels pivot, but nothing like what you have. I check the level frequently and have to top it up about every 6 months.
My dealer said it was typical at the age of my tractor and not to worry about it unless it got worse. However, if it gets like yours, I'll be fixing it PDQ.

I don't know about others, but I'm reluctant to use the pressure washer on anything other than plain painted metal. I figure 1500 psi is just as likely to blast dirt and water into places it doesn't belong as out of them. Makes me wonder how much damage is self-inflicted? What do others think?
 
   / Axle bearing seal leaking
  • Thread Starter
#10  
I still haven't had time to take the wheel off and dig into the problem. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif I have been traveling for my "real job" for the last two weeks. I will make sure I take pictures and describe the problem as accurately as I can for you.

Dave
 
 
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