Mike Volpp
Member
In checking things before putting the TO20 back in service following lower engine overhaul, I found the steering box to be empty. It seems apparent, from the amount of extra movement of the control arms, that the bushings and seals are well worn, so I filled it just to the level of the bottom of the seals with 80W gear oil. As the summer temperatures increased and the oil level rose, it leaked out and ran down the sides of the bell housing and dripped on the floor. Thinking it would stabilize at a certain point, I wiped it off the tractor and soaked it off the floor until it subsided, during which time I drove it around several times just for the sake of exercise - then it sat idle for several weeks. I was taken completely by surprise when I started it last week and couldn't get it in gear thanks to the stuck clutch. I pulled the inspection plate from the bottom of the bell housing and could see evidence of oil on the front of the flywheel, so I assume it's also on the clutch plate. What little is dripping from the bell housing at the drain holes looks like the aforementioned gear oil. It would seem unlikely that oil from the rear engine seal (new) or the front transmission seal (no visible leak) is the culprit, but will require splitting the tractor to confirm. Is it possible that gear oil from the steering box has somehow migrated to the flywheel and contaminated the clutch? If so, in lieu of rebuilding the steering box, it sure would have been prudent to fill it with cornhead grease as has been recommended by several contributors to the forum. And how is it that oil on the clutch causes it to stick so firmly instead of just slip?