Revisit hydraulic fluid level

merbeau

Member
Hi

I had previously posted about hydraulic fluid leaking from my T0-30 underneath the tractor from a cotter pin looking device. Apparently that is to protect the clutch and indicated a bad front seal.

Before starting to break the tractor, I checked the hydraulic fluid using the dip stick located underneath the hydraulic lever. It read full. However, when I look into the fill port for the hydraulic fluid located on the gear box the fluid is low.

Does anyone have an idea of what is going on?

Several people had replied to my previous post and I was/am most grateful.

Thanks

Robert
 
you may have the wrong dipstick. take the bottom plug from the right hyd. inspection cover and let the oil run out till it stops. that will take the oil level down until it just barely touches the dipstick. at least it does on my three fergusons.
 
You do not want to see fluid up to the fill plug on the shift lever top. You should only check your fluid with the dipstick on the right side inspection cover. Your transmission hydraulics and rear end should have 6 gallons of oil put in it when empty. In your first post you said you saw a drain plug, actually you should see three drain plugs to get all the hydraulic oil out. Did you put a container under the cotter pin to see how much oil was actually coming out when you quit using it for the day?
 
As Richard noted, you should not fill up near the input hole. The dipstick is probably correct. But as also noted, pull the bottom bolt and if the oil is to that level it is correct. As for which seal is bad, see if you can tell what oil is leaking. It could be from either side. You might be able to tell by smell.
 
The leaking fluid you see, whether engine oil or hydraulic fluid, are leaking from seals that are just 'getting old'. If you have a huge puddle every night, and it is engine oil, you need to do something now. If it is hydro fluid, you will need to do something one of these days. The rear oil level is rather low compare to the depth of the case, and no it isn't easily seen from the filler cap, that's why there is a dipstick. If the engine dipstick and the tranny dipstick show little or no drop in a few days rest, or a day's work, you really do not have a problem.
There was an old joke about army jeeps -- 'they don't leak, they are just marking their territory'
 
Thank for all the great comments. The dipstick appears to be the original and correct (by looking at replacements.

The fluid leaking is transmission and not engine oil. Engine oil checks out ok.

I have checked the transmission fluid level after running and it says full.

After all the comments it is obvious placing fluid into the fill cap next to the shift lever is actually placing fluid in front of the seal and drip plug is protecting the clutch.

So after two days the drip has stopped and the transmission fluid level appears to be fine.

I called the owner from whom we purchased our ranch and he said three years prior to our purchase the Ferguson's engine was rebuilt and all new seals were installed as well as the carburetor was rebuilt.

I am thankful for this discussion board which saved me from a lot of unnecessary work in splitting the tractor.
 
I keep the level at the mid point of the dipstick.
this keeps the oil drip to a minimum,

if you keep the sump oil level at the high level it will continue to leak as the seals are bad, but at he lower level you can drive the old tractor for years with no damage.

be sure when you check the oil level in the tractor hyd/trans sump that the tractor has been setting for a few hrs.

also be sure the lift arms are in the lowered position

this insures all the oil has drained back into the sump.

also be sure the cotter key hole does not get stopped up.
 

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