Sorry to hear about the leak…but you found it before you buttoned it all up. Hopefully it’s an easy fix
Before it's buttoned up? Not exactly. The only things left on the floor were the floor mat and the two side braces for the loader mounts to the rear axle housings.
Another update (for anyone who still cares). I took a break from it for a few days to let my attitude clear. I find that with projects like this if I jump back in the next day while I'm still mad at it, things don't usually go well.
I got a late start on it today, but five hours later the clutch housing with the unit still bolted inside is hanging on a hoist. It's up at shoulder height where I can peer inside from all directions, angles, up, down, and sideways to see if I can determine where it's wet, where it's dry, and so forth. I was glad on one note, the very front of the unit was dry. The propeller shaft (gotta love that term) is still in there dead center under the unit, I can clearly see the front two thirds of the shaft and the lower portion of the unit case are dry as toast. I say I was glad of that fact for this reason. I had an "oh ****" moment earlier when preparing to remove the steering column assembly and noticed that there are the two holes in the top of the clutch housing where the first overflow tube comes out, and goes back down into the second overflow tube. I knew the holes and tubes were there, but hadn't remembered that the steering valve was above and just slightly forward of that spot. Removing the hoses from the valve dribbled some oil onto that tube area. I'm pretty sure that area was dry when I began removing plastic from around the column, but I couldn't help puckering at the thought. What if I didn't get all four lines tight, one of them leaked, oil ran into the holes and came out the bottom? Could THAT be all it was? I thought better and moved on. Later on the hoist I see that wasn't the case.
Okay, so I move on. I'm looking for evidence at any (or all) of the gaskets I can't replace for signs of fresh oil that don't appear to be anything I spilled in the process. The two smaller ones, one on top of the bore containing the servo piston appears to be dry. The one on the side plate containing the control shaft appears dry. That leaves the big one at the very back of the unit where the body containing the relief valves, wear plates, and all that stuff meets the main case, I cant see under it yet, as that is where the unit mates up to the clutch housing. I can stick a mirror into a couple places and try to get a view of the joint but not really very much. As I'm doing this I notice a drop of oil on the mirror glass. It was dry when it went in, but as I move it around more and more drops seem to be showing up on the glass.
It still doesn't add up. When I removed the overflow tube up at the top front, I could see the oil down in the hole the tube came from so the case is still full. The area between the two housings is dry, so none of the new seals are leaking, it must be something on the unit itself. Well, tomorrow the unit comes back out of the clutch housing and hopefully something will show up that makes sense.
One thing is certain. When it goes together the next time, a little creative plumbing and wiring will take place. It will start, run, and (hopefully) move, but the floor plate, steering column, and all that other stuff will still be in a pile on the floor.
I have been there before! Sometimes jobs just fight you the whole way. Next time same situation and goes together no problem. Thanks for the update.
