1988 Ford 1720 leaking oil around shifter

[copotay]

I have a column shifter for 1,2,3,R on left of the steering wheel. I noticed that once the tractor runs a while and I use the shifter a lot to go forward / reverse spreading dirt, oil is leaking out from around the bottom of the shifter rod that goes into the transmission. It is hidden behind the console plate which I removed and whenever I use the shifter, especially moving it toward the steering wheel causing the rod to come up and out of transmission a slight bit, oil is coming out around the shaft. I have tried looking at parts diagrams but I see no o-ring or bushing that could be replaced.

I thought maybe there is not one and the transmission might be building pressure causing it to ooze out of its path of least resistance around the shifter rod. But I cannot find any type of Trans or hydraulic vent/breather on the tractor.

Has anyone had this problem, it's losing a lot of oil so something must be amiss.

 

[copotay]

I thought I would add a few pictures. You can see where the shifting rod goes in and out of the transmission, that is where the oil is coming out of the transmission. As I said I am not sure if there is a bushing in there or I have a blocked transmission breather/vent on this tractor causing high pressure inside the transmission forcing the oil up and out of this location.