Lost plug - leaking hydro oil

[nh1520]

I had a "near hydro death" experience with my 1520 this afternoon and I'm looking for advice. When I got back to the barn after brush hogging, I'm ready to fuel up and take the rest of the afternoon off. I shut everything down and my heart sank when I heard something running. I looked underneath and saw that one of the plastic plugs in the bottom case - near the pto shaft - had been punctured and was leaking hydro oil pretty steady. I must have backed over a stick when I was mowing and - lucky me - it must have came up and hit the plug. I freaked and tried to remove the plug but only managed to push it inside the case and then the hydro oil really started coming out. I'm running around like an idiot trying to find something to stick in the hole to prevent losing all my hydro fluid and ended up ramming a cork in the hole to stop the leak. The cork is holding and I won't be running until I get it fixed. Question is - what should I put back in the hole (maybe 1/2" diameter) that will take some heat and fit tight and where do I get one? After I got the cork in there, I started cussing the plastic plugs until I got to thinking that since I ended up pushing it inside I'm probably better off than a metal one.

Thankfully I was almost finished when I nailed the stick and only mowed maybe 5 or 10 minutes. I back tracked and could follow the oil trail the whole way back to the barn. I ended up losing 1 1/2 gallons of hydro - but it could have been much worse if I would have punctured the plug when I was just getting started. I'm settled down some now - thanks to the cork and having a couple gallons of hydro oil in reserve. Thanks for the advice and help.

 

[Slamfire]

Well I did something very similar, but my plug was bigger. I managed to fit a ball cock for a toilet into mine, with a whole bunch of glue.

 

[Lou_B]

You are going to have to find the thread size of that missing plastic plug. I think that the cork would not take much vibration before giving you another near-hydraulic death experience.

If the plug was a typical tapered pipe plug, it might be either a 1/2 or more likely a 3/8 NPT thread. You might want to pick up a plug that looks close and give it a fast trial fit. When you determine the right thread size, you can get a plug made of the right material for your tractor. I'd look hard at a brass plug since it would be twig-resistant and would not rust in place.

Things must have been *very* exciting! How you managed to find a cork that fit before all the hydraulic oil drained out is beyond me.

Lou Braun

 

[AndyMA]

I've had a bunch of Ford / New Holland tractors and have never had a plastic plug fitted into any hole that wasn't designed to mount an accessory and keep the threads clean. None of the holes with plastic plugs had fluic behind them. I suspect it is a threaded hole (probably not pipe thread) intended to mount something. I've find out what size thread and put a bolt with lock washer and teflon tape in the hole. Your dealer's parts book should be a big help.

Andy

 

[nh1520]

I found the cork in my junk jar - probably left over from some school project and it was a perfect fit. I had a rag stuck in the hole while I was running around looking for something.

I'll check with my dealer for sure to see if it is a threaded hole and what insert I need. I had my little finger stuck in the hole several times (like the little Dutch boy and the Dam)while I was trying to think what to do and I don't recall feeling any internal threads. The plastic plug above it in the pictures looks like the same size. Its almost like a soft plug that just taps in. I hope it is threaded so I can thread a bolt in it and keep it tight. If it is threaded inside how do they thread in a plastic plug? Thanks for the advice so far.

 

[mrcaptainbob]

No expert here, but judging by the place that plug is, so close to that u-joint, I'd bet that it may be an oil fill plug. Can't imagine any fitting with a tube coming that close to the pinion yoke.