Leak from front axle holder

[tomf]

My B2400 has a small leak. It appears to be coming from the front axle holder. Looking at the parts diagram, I don't see any seals, just a collar and o-ring. Does anyone have any experience with this? Would replacing just the o-ring stop the leak or are there other internal parts that need to be replaced to stop the leak?

 

[AceDeuce]

Had this issue with my BX. Don't know how similarly the B-series is set up but I can tell you one thing... it was a real pain to fix (sorry to be the bearer of bad news). I replaced the o-rings initially and it slowed the leak but eventually I had to replace the bushings pressed into the axle housing which had become wallowed out. There is no easy way to drive out the bushings. They had to be split, edges curled inward, then pulled out. I ended up dropping the axle and taking the entire thing to a local shop to do the work. The good news is that it fixed the leak and I did not have to replace the pivot pin (mic'ed it for roundness). Unfortunately from what I hear, I'll probably end up doing it again every 500 Mrs or so.

 

[tomf]

AceDeuce, Thanks for the info. When you say bushings what part are you talking about? Can you list the part number from the below diagrams? My parts manual or repair manual do not list any bushings just a bearing and collars. Are you referring to the collars (thrust collars)? BTW, I don't know what a collar is. Do you? Can you explain?

Of course if it's as bad as you say I'll probably just wait until the leak gets more severe.

 

[NEALP]

I don't know if you have gotten your issue resolved yet, but I have had this same problem on my B1700. There are no bushings on our older B series. It is just the "o" rings that you mention. I replaced mine 2 years ago and found a lot of galling of the upper portion of the support castings that hold the front axle assembly to the tractor and on the upper areas of the tubes that stick in these castings. It worked for that summer then leaking again the next spring. Replaced both castings and held until now, leaking again. Hate to think I need a new axle housing, but don't know what else to do. How did yours turn out?

 

[tomf]

I'm still waiting until it gets really bad because it looks like a difficult job. Thanks for the new information. Always glad to get more information because the first time anyone does something it is hard. So the more tips the better. If anyone else has any insight I'll be thankful if you posted your experiences.

I'll post whatever I do but I doubt I'll do anything yet this year. Depends how motivated I get.

I just replaced a seal on my King Kutter rotary mower today. Took me several hours but wasn't too difficult.

 

[amigauser]

The "fix" my dealer uses is heavier oil in the axel. Switching from UDT type to gear oil. The leaking is a known issue.