Sounds Expensive

[JerryG]

Kubzilla,
This is just a guess from reading you posts but that is all any of us are doing I guess.
I you don't have a hose or o-ring blown or If you don't have a seal blown on the filter and If you don't have a seal/gasket blown to the outside of the tractor then. You have to have a passageway plugged up or a seal inside blown to cause the mass amount of fluid that you are having show up every where.
A lot of ifs but if you start with the first one and eliminate them as you go like I have them listed, you will be on your way to finding out what is wrong. The outside ones will easy to eliminate yourself.

 

[KubZilla]

Kubzilla,
This is just a guess from reading you posts but that is all any of us are doing I guess.
I you don't have a hose or o-ring blown or If you don't have a seal blown on the filter and If you don't have a seal/gasket blown to the outside of the tractor then. You have to have a passageway plugged up or a seal inside blown to cause the mass amount of fluid that you are having show up every where.
A lot of ifs but if you start with the first one and eliminate them as you go like I have them listed, you will be on your way to finding out what is wrong. The outside ones will easy to eliminate yourself.

JerryG, thanks for that info. Mine hasn't leaked since that day back in March. It may well have gotten hot as I was pushing her to the limit! Not a drop since tho...Mike

 

[Glowplug]

My first guess would have been blowing a FEL hose or cylinder seal. Seems odd that extreme force on the FEL would cause leaks "from under the seat" unless another, internal, component failed, which seems more coincidental than causal.

I was thinking more in terms of something striking underneath the tractor damaging a hydraulic hose or connection.

 

[JerryG]

JerryG, thanks for that info. Mine hasn't leaked since that day back in March. It may well have gotten hot as I was pushing her to the limit! Not a drop since tho...Mike

Wow, I must have missed the date of the leak. Something must have been stuck and it worked it's way loose. Hopefully it won't happen again.

 

[Soundguy]

Ditto... I like to clean all leaks then look for the wet spot to verify where they came from.. vs.. just wildly guessing that it might be some other part of the tractor doing it.. without having any knowledge of how that part may or may not wor.. or if the 2 systems are even related (wink)

Soundguy

I do find it interesting that those that have "leaks from under the seat" can't find a probable source. In the past, I've spent a couple of days searching for automotive leaks. It has to come from somewhere if it winds up on the floor!

 

[dannydan3]

Well, with ankles firmly gripped, I called the dealer for the news. $1700+ for the job - new parts 90 day warranty.
Turns out from reading here that I did everything wrong:

Regular fluid on the third change.
MMM shaft came loose and tore open the filter down there, of course resulting in the loss of all the fluid (didn't notice all the fluid behind me and kept trying to get it back to the garage to take a look at it after the clunking PTO noise till the machine wouldn't move anymore)
Not shutting down when seeing or smelling fluid. (pinhole in the FEL line, leaking quick disconnect)
Continually maxing out the tractor when using the FEL to dig a ditch along the property.
Pulling my huge lawn roller in high gear, stopping so suddenly that it bent the roller connect up in a "V" shape.
Using the grader box on sod at full speed low, after three hours of stump digging. (that's what finally did it)

First tractor - Hard lesson. Now I know...
Thanks everyone and I hope that this will be of use as a list of "don't do this or it will cost you big time" activities.

 

[Glowplug]

Well, with ankles firmly gripped, I called the dealer for the news. $1700+ for the job - new parts 90 day warranty.
Turns out from reading here that I did everything wrong . . .

OUCH!!! That hurt. I feel for ya.

MMM shaft came loose and tore open the filter down there, of course resulting in the loss of all the fluid. . .

I guess I was sort of right.

 

[schrand]

Continually maxing out the tractor when using the FEL to dig a ditch along the property.

I do this regularly when I dig or clear brush or etc.
Is it really harmful? I had always assumed that the pressure relief valve prevented any real harm.
Am I wrong???

 

[Volfandt]

Is it really harmful? I had always assumed that the pressure relief valve prevented any real harm.
Am I wrong???

Yes and no.
No you are not wrong as long as you're using the correct fluids for the tractor. If it calls for SUDT then you should either use SUDT or a comparable mult-grade UDT.

Yes, the pressure relief valve will protect the system, as long as it doesn't malfunction.

Unfortunately for dannydan, it looks like he hit the proverbial perfect storm, and is what caused his HST failure.

 

[HomeBrew2]

... Yes, the pressure relief valve will protect the system, as long as it doesn't malfunction...

Isn't that kindof a yes-and-no also? The PRV only works on a particular circuit when the circuit is in use, so w/ no FEL functions in use, pushing the FEL into undisturbed ground could overload the hoses/cylinders, etc.