Cub Cadet 1210 Garden Tractor Hydro Trans Problem

[Fishinguy]

I have an older Cub Cadet Garden Tractor that I recenty had my service guy talk me into having the Hydrostatic Transmission fluid changed. My father gave me the tractor and I was not sure if he had ever changed it, so it sounded like a good idea. I noticed transmission fluid on the driveway shortly after. After using it twice the oil on the dipstick was significantly low. So I took it back to my service guy and he called back to say he had bad news and to come by to take a look. He showed me where it was leaking which is on the right side about 2/3 up. I pulled the schematic and it appears the a washer / seal is leaking. The part numbers are SU-9008000-6701 and SU - 9009625-6904. The serial number is 14952-0100. I asked him why it was leaking all of a sudden and his only reply was that he cheaned off a bunch off sand from the area. My reply was that it did not seem reasonable that sand was preventing it from leaking. He did previously say he uded gasoile to clean the outside of the transmission up. What could have caused this all of a sudden? My first thought that it was overfilled and the increased pressure may have caused it. I am not an expert or I would not have taken it there. Any feedback sure would be appreciated.

 

[art]

I don't know why either but chances are there might be a reason!

A few years ago my son bought a VW golf and wanted to clean up the engine compartment. He steamed it out at the shop and was happy with the job till he saw oil on the ground where he parked it. We didn't waste to mcuh time and had a new front seal installed. Then a new pan gasket! Then we started looking and there was a little hole that we probably blew the paint off that was the leak. JB weld filled it nicely and never leaked again.

I don't think yours is as easy!

 

[zman007007]

I may be wrong again [lol] but I would say that possibly him using gas on a seal area may have caused the seal to deteriorate. Gas isnt good on seals especially old ones. zman

 

[Bob_Bainbridge]

One plausible explanation is that the oil level was low before he changed it (unless you know for a fact it was full) and now it's full and started leaking. Often when the oil level drops below the height of the seal it will stop leaking. My 1450 acted like that so I didn't keep it completely full until I finally split the unit and replaced a $2 seal.

Bob B.

 

[Texas Blues]

I agree with Bob. The level may have not been full to begin with, and now that it is, it may be leaking. Its worth considering at least. It is unlikely a bolted together flange gasket started leaking because he cleaned it, or used gas on it. How high up the case is the leak/seal/gasket? Maybe the leak is above and is running down the case. The over filled scenario might be possible as well. You could tell that by the amount of fluid on the stick, if the level on the sticks keeps dropping past the full mark, it likely was not an over filling scenario. My 1811 had problems with the pressure bypass valves leaking when running. They started leaking badly one day out of nowhere. Does it leak when just sitting there not running, or leak only when its running? Good Luck, TB

 

[Texas Blues]

I went to the cub cadet parts website, those seals do not look like they are designed to hold pressure. They look like regular lip seals, they are probably hardened and have shrunk up and are no longer making a tight seal around the shaft. Bobs original opinion is still probably the best reason it is leaking. The case was probaly not full to the level of the seals. Let the level drop and see if it levels out once it is lower than those seals. The guy could have cleaned off a layer of gunk that was holding back the leak, but I doubt he caused damage to the seal its self just by cleaning it. Good Luck TB