Oil & Fuel Hydro. oil coming out gear box vent cover.

   / Hydro. oil coming out gear box vent cover. #1  

otsegoman

New member
Joined
Jan 8, 2005
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3
The tractor is a DF354 with common sump.Oil is coming out of the gear box vent, the vent is a 3x5 port with a louvered cover located in front of the brake pedals.It comes out pretty good at rpms above 1200.I changed the sump oil,cleaned the filter screen even disconnected the loader with no change.I do sometimes get bucking in the loader,but it goes away with use.Do you think im getting air in the system somehow,and it is causing back pressure. Everything else seems okay,the only weak links I can see are the two hoses that feed the hard lines that feed the pumps. Im out of ideas,I hope someone can help.
 
   / Hydro. oil coming out gear box vent cover. #2  
3" X 5" port with a louver? That sounds like a air vent in the side of the clutch bell housing... Do you have a picture you can post so we all know exactly what you are talking about?

Edit:
Is this a pic of the vent you are talking about(lower pic)?
http://www.eastwindtractors.com.au/imagestractors/df354elarge.jpg

Not being specifically familliar with your machine, that does look to me like it is far enough forward to be an air vent for the clutch bell housing. Can you take the louver off and look inside? Most tractor clutches(most vehicles in general) use dry clutches, so oil comming from this louver may mean that you have a leaking engine rear main seal and engine oil is being slung outward on the flywheel to arrive at this vent. Slinging would increase with engine RPM. Or it could be a leaking transmission input shaft seal and oil is finding it's way along the shaft and being slung by the pressure plate assembly toward the air vent.

Can you tell what type oil it is? black carbond-up diesel motor oil, or relatively clear/clean hydraulic/gearbox oil?

Is there a drain hole on the bottom of this case? They are usually found directly below the clutch at the lowest point on the bell housing(furthest forward) where it meets the rear of the engine block. Sometimes they are a cast in hole, sometimes just a notch in the front edge of the casing, sometimes they have a rubber plug. They are there to allow oil and or water to drain out of the bellhousing so the clutch stays dry. Take a look inder there, sometimes they are painted over on these china tractors or have been clogged by rust or slung off grease from the inside. Poke around down there and see if you can find it and make sure it is clear by pushing a small wire up into it. If you find one, I bet you will find that there is oil comming out of it.

At any rate, if that louver is the bellhousing air vent, then oil will eventually find it's way into the clutch plates and the clutch will start slipping. If this is as I suspect, the only way to fix it is to split the tractor in two and replace the seals, and probably the clutch disk's while you have it apart.

How many hours you got on it, how old? Any chance of a warranty?
 
Last edited:
   / Hydro. oil coming out gear box vent cover. #3  
That is the clutch inspection cover. You must ahve a leak in front tranmsision seal or possibly rear main seal of engine (dependong on which oil is leaking).
Be sure your trans/hyd is not overfull and be sure the vent is open and that you are not pressurizing the sump. Just a little oil in the bottom of the bellhousing can be slung by the flywheel with the engine at speed and cause oil to drip out the louvers. If it is engine oil, your clutch is probably still dry as the oil will run down the backside of the flywheel. if it is from the trans, it has probably already oiled the clutch.

There is even a possibility that it is hydraulic oil but coming from the engine if a hydraulic pump seal is leaking...

Look for the drain as was mentioned. sometimes they have a cotter pin in them to keep them open, and be sure it is open. then monitor your oil levels closely to find out which seal is seaping. Dont overfill.
 
   / Hydro. oil coming out gear box vent cover.
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Thanks for the fast reply.It is hydraulic oil and yes the seep hole was clogged.I found it,and cleared it with a wire,a lot of oil came out.I drained it well and removed the louvered vent cover and ran it for a half hour to blow the oil out.I dont have any clutch slip but I still find an ounce or so of oil in the catch pan after I run it.Ill keep an eye on it for a couple of days and if it keeps up ill have to get it to a machanic.Thanks again.
 

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