TC 33DA Oil Drip / Hydraulic drip / radiator drip / New owner questions

[CycloneDr]

Hello all,

I recently purchased a New Holland TC33DA with the HST for my 6 acres here in Western Washington State. My understanding is that I am the third owner. I am quite happy with the power and look forward to years of service.

I've had it about a week now and since buying it have learned some of its quirks and behaviors, leading to some questions.

The most 'concerning' of the issues is an oil drip when operating, and shortly after stopping from the pictured location, circled. This is right above the steering rack. The cotter pin there is loose, I assume to keep debris out. I discovered the prior owner significantly overfilled the oil and I will be resolving that today with a drain and fill with fresh once I get a new filter. I am hoping the drip is an engine protection feature due to the oil overfill? But could it be something else?


Second, the radiator drips from the rubber tube (top of tube shown) when operating. Is this normal? Is it expected that I need to keep an eye on the reservoir and add as needed? The sale included the operators manual - but not a service manual. In the operators manual, it says to fill within 1.5" of the fill cap. I am a little confused where specifically they mean. 1.5" from the larger diameter/very top or 1.5" from the top/bottom of the smaller diameter? Any thoughts?


Third, I've noticed if I pop the hood immediately after operating, the power steering cap 'pops' off after between 1 and 5 minutes. Is this normal? Is my cap the right one?


Lastly, I have a bit of a hydraulic leak. Oil appears where pictured. Any recommendations for common things to look for in this area? It's definitely not the filter. I also noticed the hydraulic oil dip stick is broken right at the fill drill location, so I'll need to source a new one. I assume it broke off within the machine. Any concerns with just tossing the old one, potentially leaving debris in the machine, and putting on the new dipstick?


Thanks all - let me know if you need further clarification.

 

[rodneyn]

I just traded off Tc26da last month 500 hours. Prior to that I addressed hydrostatic leak from rubber Union hoses that join the hard tubing together. After 13 years the rubber started to break down allowing hydrostatic oil to leak out as you have shown. If you have oil leaks on return lines you will have noisy hydrostatic drive from air in the system. These needs fixed quickly to avoid pump damage. Suggest you tackle one problem at time. Radiator may be nothing more than a bad cap or could be other more serious issues. Do you notice any bubbling with cap off and tractor warmed up, naturally you leave cap off allow unit to warm up stationary position. If you see bubbles it could be a start of head gasket issue. That is worst case scenario. You can find Tech service manual on line expect to pay 100 USD for copy. Power steering pump possibly someone else can address this issue. It could be cap issue or pump issue from wrong fluid in reservoir. Do you have any dealer support on unit or is it as is where is purchase. These issues should have shown up on the tractor lot during review. Typically the shibaru motor is as tough as kubota motor. It all depends on how the unit was serviced during its life. Poor service equals problems later on as unit ages both hours and years. Keep us posted of your findings as you go through the unit. Parts are available for the unit but are pricey since you are dealing with decade plus aged tractor.

 

[CycloneDr]

I plan to report all findings, and any additional findings as I go along for posterity on this 2004 model currently sitting at 1882 hrs. I will take a closer look at the rubber hoses on the hydraulic system.

I may have uncovered why the oil was overfilled - the previous owner provided me with a TC34DA operators manual which calls out 4.8 qts (he probably dumped in 5). The TC33DA takes 4.2 qts. Irresponsible not to check the level - but I'm assuming. Will need to work it this week to determine if that resolved the oil drip. Will report back on that.

I think at this point I plan to flush the coolant, no idea when it was done last or if it's the right 50/50 mixture. I'll leave the cap off and see what's up. If no bubbles, I will source a new cap and see how things go.

I purchased a PDF of the 760+ page service manual for $34 that looks like it will be an excellent guide for repair and some troubleshooting.

This was a private party sale - sold as-is / 'not perfect', so no dealer support. Nearest NH dealer is about 45 min away - though near my in-laws so when we visit up there, I can pick up parts as needed.

 

[ruffdog]

That is not the right cap for your power steering reservoir. It was PN #SBA398430520 on my TC33D.

Radiator...if your system only has a overflow hose, it is common that the fluid is not right at the top. Keep the radiator fins clear...look through with a light on the back side to verify.

Oil line leak....maybe just o-ring. Three different PN's for the lines in that area.

Hydro dipstick....SBA398400500 ?

 

[CycloneDr]

ruffdog - Thanks for the P/Ns. Looks like the hydro dipstick on the 33DA is SBA398400501. I wasn't able to confirm the power steering cap/dipstick P/N on the CNH website as the exploded view skips the cap which is identified as item 2...it goes 1, then 3 in the PL. What was your source?

As far as keeping the fins clear, can I take an air compressor to the radiator? Or is there a more formal way to do that?

 

[ruffdog]

My PN's were from my parts book for a 1999 TC33D. Sometimes PN's get changed or updated for one reason or another. At least you can search to see pictures and prices.

 

[Aprice0101]

I've always cleaned radiator fins with a soft brush. Usually mix a heavy cleaner or degreaser and spray it, let it sit a bit, scrub it, then hose it off. Don't use too much pressure or a pressure washer cause it can bend the fins. As others said, the cause for leaks will most likely be anything rubber. Also would be worth checking copper washers or rubber washers on the Hydro lines and such.

 

[CycloneDr]

Hello folks - update on the radiator issue. I replaced the cap - which did have cracked rubber with a new one (Stant 10227 off Amazon). I decided at the time to flush the coolant. Draining the radiator itself was a breeze. However, the manual also says to drain the engine block as well. When I unscrewed the engine block coolant drain bolt, nothing came out. I filled the radiator with water - nothing came out. I turned on the machine, and again, nothing came out. Not sure if a clog, or if I need to do this after it's warmed up. Regardless, put a 50/50 mix in and temps seem OK. It's still leaking out of the hose that started this question. Does anyone have experience with the engine block coolant drain plug not draining?

Good news, changing the oil and setting it to the proper level seems to have resolved the cotter pin drip.

 

[Aprice0101]

My tc35's coolant drain on block didnt work either... Then i used an impact to loosen a tight bolt, and it worked after that. Could hsve some buildup in it