YM 1500 Oil Leak

[Florida_Farmer]

At the moment, it only appears to leak when running. Haven't noticed it leaking when in the shed. Based on the comments, I'm thinking about doing it myself but still not sure. If I were to chicken out and take it to somebody, what would a fair price be to break in two and replace the seal?
Thanks for all the comments - it really helps to figure out what I'm up against..
Florida Farmer

 

[EFC]

Florida Farmer, splitting is not that hard but neither is heart surgery for a good surgeon. With that said if you do it wrong no one dies. If you have some tools, friends and patience/time then it can be a rewarding experience. If your short on time and your tools are not metric and your friends wouldn’t think of bothering you when you need help then I would take it to a mechanic and have it done. Price is a complete variable. I had a guy bring his tractor in that spent $1000 dollars on a clutch job........yikes! If you want to do it yourself there are quite a few people on this board that will help you and you can always call me on the phone 509-374-3398. Problem is that you have a leaky seal that on either end might not be the easiest job to do.

 

[Florida_Farmer]

OK EFC - I may be getting a little braver... I need your help to understand how quick I need to get at this. Can you confirm my guess that so long as the oil level is monitored that I can still use the tractor? My wife uses it daily for pulling a manure spreader to clean 12 horse stalls and I'm thinking this split the tractor in two is a good project for the fall - the grass is growing so fast here that I don't think I can spare the downtime unless I'm going to cause further damage.
Thanks for the well thought out response - I look forward to your and others comments.
Thanks

 

[Ozarker]

Depending on the rate at which it is leaking, yes, you can keep using it. If it is only leaking a couple of ounces a day, no problem. Just keep it full.

If it is dumping about half a quart an hour, you need to fix it now.

The biggest problem a small leak from the rear main can cause is that it can get on the clutch plate and cause it to start slipping. But it has probably already started getting on the clutch plate so I believe you should plan to replace the clutch when you open it up anyway.

 

[EFC]

Ditto /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif. Someday the clutch will start slipping and then you will know it is time. Clutches are cheap so dont worry.

 

[Ozarker]

I should have added this above but forgot.

I am not convinced, yet, that it is your rear main seal that is leaking. Usually, when a rear main leaks it gets on the flywheel and gets thrown all over the inside of the bell housing. Then it leaks for a couple of hours after you park it as the oil drains down the inside of the housing.

You say that it only leaks when running and not after you park it. That tells me that it could be leaking from somewhere else but running down to the bell housing so that it appears to be coming from there.

Have you thoroughly cleaned the engine then run it to see exactly where it is coming from? It wouldn't be the first time a leak at the back of the engine looked like it was coming from the bell housing. Chevy small blocks were famous for leaking from the back of the intake manifold or the oil plug on the left rear of the block and run down the dust cover of the bell housing. Makes it appear that the oil is coming from the rear main.

A couple of other possibilities on your engine would be the oil line that runs from the left side of the block up to the head for lubrication or the rear of the valve cover.

 

[xantherx]

Assuming you can find someone to agree to work on a Yanmar, the going labor rate around here in NC for tractor mechanics is $40-50 per hour. Many are reluctant to tackle a Yanmar because they lack the experience/manuals/parts. The shops are a little vague when they give you an estimate on time/costs. Most just said "a couple of days of work." Then add full retail prices to any parts needed since they would likely have to be ordered from out-of-state. So you are looking at big bucks. I agree with everyone else: consider getting a tech manual covering your tractor (they are available......not the basic owner's manual) and tackling the job yourself. One of the online dealers should be able to equip you. After some ridiculous estimates of cost/time from various shops, I tore down & replaced leaking seals in my rear end for about $100 in parts and a day's worth of my labor. I took it slow, carefully cleaned & replaced everything and learned a lot. I know it was done right. No more leaks.