Ford 445 power reversing transmission leak

mjmcdonald21 · Dec 10, 2015

Under normal conditions the tractor will drive around the farm all day without getting warm or leaking. However, once I start to work it hard (moving trees, dirt, etc) then the temperature slowly climbs up and it will start to leak until there is a steady stream of hydraulic fluid and I shut it off. I've noticed that once it's hot and starting to leak the tractor has noticeably less power and struggles with climbing hills.

The fluid leaks out of this weep hole? in the bottom.

Any idea what's going on or what I should check?

Also - the return oil fitting in the first picture beside the shifter tends to leak ever so slightly after a while. I've replaced all the o-rings on the fitting but it still leaks.

mjmcdonald21 · Dec 10, 2015

I've been reading through the repair manual but can't make sense of their explanation:

Condition: Oil transfer from transmission housing to rear axle center housing and/or oil leakage at blocker valve access cover bolts.

Cause: Non-vented transmission. Install vent plug in transmission cover top.

What is a non-vented transmission? What's the vent plug that I'm missing?

TractorTech · Dec 10, 2015

First, the line on the top of the transmission is the cooler return line. Probably a nick in banjo fitting face.
The oil coming out of the weep hole is coming from the transmission seal. The torque converter is probably worn out. Reseal and rebuild of shuttle recommended.

mjmcdonald21 · Dec 13, 2015

It's still fairly easy to get the one or both of the rear wheels to spin when there is too much in front of the tractor. Would the fact that these wheels are still turning lead you away from a slipping torque converter?

RickB · Dec 14, 2015

mjmcdonald21 said:
It's still fairly easy to get the one or both of the rear wheels to spin when there is too much in front of the tractor. Would the fact that these wheels are still turning lead you away from a slipping torque converter?

The T/C doesn't have to be failing in order to develop a seal leak. A T/C stall test is simple and easy to do and will help determine the condition of that component.

mjmcdonald21 · Dec 14, 2015

I've read in the manual about performing the stall test and believe I understand how it works. Brakes are put on fully, tractor put into highest gear and slowly rev engine until RPMs no longer climb. This represents the stall speed of the torque converter - the maximum speed the TC can spin before it must engage the transmission? However, this tractor doesn't have an RPM guage so I'm exploring using a laser tachometer instead.

Another thought - I've replaced both air cleaners within the past year but they appear to need replacing again. They aren't caked in grease/mud/etc but I would have little hesitation to replace them. Do you think this could prevent the engine from developing full power and partially mask the loss of power?