Hello from a New User here.
I recently noticed a large amount of oil coming from the rear drain hole on the bottom of the starter motor on my YM195. .........SNIP
I pulled the starter motor and see nothing obvious. The clutch housing isn't full of oil or anything like that. The starter motor does have two obviously milled into the motor during it's manufacturing process, fluid drain holes. SNIP
There are no holes in the engine housing and I see no oil coming from the bolt holes or around the gasket of the starter motor. Also I don't notice any oil leaking from the small gap created by the junction of the engine and clutch housing. SNIP
I carefully replaced the starter and made double sure that the gasket was in good shape.......
Thanks in advance,
Torx the Orx
Several things. Firstly, there are no drain holes in the starter. I don't know what you are referring to. Maybe someone added them. Second, there is no gasket when mounting the starter. Again, it sounds like it has been added.
If oil is getting into the starter and not into the clutch housing it has to be getting there from a leak from the pressure oiling system.
There is a 1/8" tapered pipe plug that Yanmar puts into the back face of the block to seal the boring that they do at the factory to connect those feeds to the main bearings. The main bearing feeds also connect to the outside world on the onside of the block both fore and aft to provide a point to take oil up to the rockers and to mount a pressure gauge sender. Back to the tapered plug .... You can't see that hidden plug without splitting the tractor because the plug is covered by the flange that the starter mounts to. I suspect that someone did some clutch work, removed that tapered pipe plug, and then forgot to replace it. Then decided to try some hokey fixes like gasketing the starter and adding drain holes in the starter instead of splitting the tractor again.
It's a long shot explanation and some speculation, but not having that tapered plug (which is right next to the starter mounting)
could provide a leakage path for engine oil to travel into the starter body via the starter or mounting bolts. I don't see another possibility that explains oil in the starter and none in the clutch housing. Since you don't see oil in the clutch housing that pretty much eliminates a rear seal problem. And Yanmar rear main seal problems are very rare.
Ask the seller if they did any clutch work...and maybe ask why he didn't tell you about this problem that it looks like they tried to fix and had to know that they failed.
And consider posting details about the seller so someone else doesn't get burned.
good luck, rScotty.