My Kubota L4200 is leaking oil out of the front axle wheel seal. Before I try to replace the gasket I've thought about just filling it full of grease. That would stop the leak and I don't use the FWD but in spots, no long term use where I would need the cooling effect that gear oil provides. Anyone else out there try the grease pack to keep their front FWD axle case from leaking? Any thoughts? Tucky
Putting grease in a leaking front axle?
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DrRick
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Use "corn head grease" from the deere house . It is thinner than regular grease but doesn't leak out much. I use in my crawler tracks that used 30 weight until the seals went. It is a stop-gap measure - but it seems to protect fairly well.
rick
rick
Soundguy
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As Rick said.. the bandaid of choice for gearboxes with leaky seals is a nlgi #0 grease.. JD cornhead is one of the more popular ones.
Obviously the right thing to do would be to install new seals ( check bearings and sealing diameters on the shaft ).. etc.. as many times a seal dieing is telling you you are getting slop in a bearing.. etc...
good luck. for intermittant use.. i imagine you will be good to go.
Might drill and tap the drain plug with a grease zerk. Be carefull to let air out as you fill.. don't want to hydraulically push the remenants of the seals out.. etc..
Soundguy
Obviously the right thing to do would be to install new seals ( check bearings and sealing diameters on the shaft ).. etc.. as many times a seal dieing is telling you you are getting slop in a bearing.. etc...
good luck. for intermittant use.. i imagine you will be good to go.
Might drill and tap the drain plug with a grease zerk. Be carefull to let air out as you fill.. don't want to hydraulically push the remenants of the seals out.. etc..
Soundguy
DieselPower
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Will it work, probably but for how long and how well. The best thing to do is to repair it and use the proper lubricant.
RickB
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If you had any idea how many dollars worth of shafts, gears, bearings and housings made up that front swivel hub and axle assembly, you would fix it right, soon. It just isn't worth risking a parts failure due to improper lubrication. Not using 4wd makes little difference, the axle still has to carry the tractor around, and I'll bet you have a FEL on it as well. Seal replacement is relatively cheap and easy.
montejw
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tuckybill said:
There are probably radial ball bearings in there that won't get properly lubed unless the proper lube is in the gear cases. I don't know what #0 or JD cornhead grease is, but if it doesn't at least act like a liquid and flow, those bearings will probably run dry after a while.
Soundguy
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If yuo looke dup the NLGI specs.. you'd know that those greases mentioned are flowable greases. Lighter weights are available too.
The cornhead greas, as it's name implies was usefull as it woud reflow betweent he gear teeth when given a chance, instead of packing away from the gears and leaving a dry cavity like a #2/4 grease would/could.
Soundguy
The cornhead greas, as it's name implies was usefull as it woud reflow betweent he gear teeth when given a chance, instead of packing away from the gears and leaving a dry cavity like a #2/4 grease would/could.
Soundguy
HayDR
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All the dealers I know that have that problem on a unit that is out of warranty put EP-0 or EP-00 in the front axle and the problem will go away for good.tuckybill said:
RickB
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I think that is a band-aid approach to what is commonly a simple seal replacement. And if there is more wrong, why wait to shell out a shaft or housing to find out. Most manufacturers have moved away from gear lube to UTF in 4wd axles due to lubricity issues. Makes little sense to go the other way. Kinda makes me wonder how those "other dealers" handle real problems.
