Oil & Fuel Leaking fluid & hot axle!

[Zenothink]

Just finished mowing an overgrown hillside with my BX2230. When I got back to the house, noticed a burnt smell, and stopped the tractor to investigate. I noticed the inside of the left rear wheel was sprayed with fluid, and the axle case (the big block right ahead of the trailer hole) was burning hot and actually had burned some of the gray paint off of itself. The tractor had been running fine, and I had no loss of power or strange noises. I eased it into the garage (10 feet or so) and let it sit. It continues to drop a medium amount of fluid (hydraulic/trans?) onto the floor of the garage.

Th dealer is coming to pick it up today, but I am completely confused. I had only been mowing, no ground engaging work. I had used the diff lock a few times to crawl up the hill, but always in a straight line. I had the 4wd on, but I use that quite a bit. And I was only mowing tall weeds. Nothing woody or dense.

The tractor has 270 hours on it, and I bough it used with about 230.

What did I do to it!?!?

 

[oldnslo]

Is there a chance you some how had the hydraulics running at system pressure while you where mowing? This would cause the oil to get real hot and potentially blow a seal like you are describing.

Roy

 

[blueriver]

I don't own a Kubota but would think the hydraulics would not be related to the front axle ... had you checked the fluid level lately? I'd quess it was low and overheated causing the leak ... or a bearing got hot and again I'd think that would come from low fluid level.

 

[Zenothink]

Is there a chance you some how had the hydraulics running at system pressure while you where mowing? This would cause the oil to get real hot and potentially blow a seal like you are describing.

Roy

I suppose it's possible, but as it was a bit of an overgrown area, I pretty much had the MMM all the way up the whole time.

 

[Zenothink]

I don't own a Kubota but would think the hydraulics would not be related to the front axle ... had you checked the fluid level lately? I'd quess it was low and overheated causing the leak ... or a bearing got hot and again I'd think that would come from low fluid level.

It was the rear axle with which I had the problem. I admit I hadn't checked the fluid level that day, but a week ago it was normal, and I keep it parked on a garage floor, so I hadn't noticed any leaks.

 

[blueriver]

It was the rear axle with which I had the problem. I admit I hadn't checked the fluid level that day, but a week ago it was normal, and I keep it parked on a garage floor, so I hadn't noticed any leaks.

I missed that "rear" deal ... whats the fluid level now?

 

[oldnslo]

I suppose it's possible, but as it was a bit of an overgrown area, I pretty much had the MMM all the way up the whole time.

When raising the mower if the lever does not spring return properly to the center position that would cause this problem.

 

[Zenothink]

I missed that "rear" deal ... whats the fluid level now?

It's below the dipstick. The dealer is coming to get it this afternoon, so I guess we shall see. My only hope is that it was still working fine, so perhaps there is no serious damage.

 

[moored4]

I think that if it "was burning hot and actually had burned some of the gray paint off of itself" then you have a bad bearing some place!

 

[V1Rotate]

On my BX1500, if the lever that raises and lowers the deck sticks in either the up or down position, (doesn't return to center) I can here the hydraulic bypass valve screeching quietly. If that lever were to stay in that position, I would think that the hydraulic fluid would get hot very quickly.

Maybe thats what happened to you?