Won't Turn Off, Leaking Fluids

HobbyFarmGA

New User
I've got a Workmaster 641, converted to 12v. After bush-hogging a field, I parked it and went to turn it off, but it didn't want to turn off. It sounded like it wanted to quite, but never stopped. I turned off the gas shut-off under the gas tank, but there was probably enough in the system to keep it going, so disconnected the battery and it died right away. Any tips on where to look in troubleshooting this?

Also, there is an increased amount of leaking fluids. Last season (when I purchased it), there was some oozing and light dripping after use. I figured that wasn't too out of the ordinary for a tractor of this age. But this year, I have noticed small puddles under the tractor, even days/weeks after it was last used. (it gets light usage bush-hogging a couple acres).

One of the leaks seems to be from the small plate under the transmission. I tried tightening the bolts, but they all seemed snug. All 4 are there, so it doesn't look like one is missing, as I read about in another post. Another seems to be on the right side of the tractor (battery side) above where the 2 halfs come together there is small protrusion (sorry, not sure what that's called) with a cable that looks like it goes to the proof meter. This leak seems to be the worst. And all around the oil pan seems to be leaking as well.

The tractor is kept indoors. When I checked the fluids before the last use, fluid came out of the hole on the transmission, there was still enough in there, but it looked a little mirky/milky (just the short time I let it pour out). It is kept indoors though and the person I bought it from also kept it under cover. From what I've read, it seems like it can get this way if there's a leak in the seals and water gets in. But, if it's kept indoors, how would water get in? Some of you might ask why I haven't changed the fluids yet. The previous owner said he changes them every year, and it got probably around 5 hours of use last year after I bought it. The oil on the dipstick still looks clean and there is enough in there so figured the fluids are still good. Am I wrong?

Are any of these leaks serious enough to fix? I could probably figure out how to put a new gasket on the oil pan, but splitting the tractor is out of my comfort zone so I'd have find someone else to do that. (I'd love to learn if any of you are interested and live east of Atlanta, GA).

Sorry this got a little long, thanks for any insight into these 2 questions.
 
you said it was converted to 12 volts, is it 1 wire or 3 wire conversion? if 3, does it have a resistor in the wire from the key?

just had this issue with an 860 we bought. no resistor in the line meant the current was backfeeding and let the tractor stay running even with the key off. it had to be at an idle to shut off without a resistor
 
Not shutting off can happen if you have a three wire Delco
alternator and do not have a diode or lamp in the excite wire.
A bad key switch could also cause that.
If it has been working the way it is for some time, I would lean
toward a key switch going bad. You can test it by measuring
the voltage across it or using an ohm meter.

Are you sure it's the proofmeter cable that's leaking and not
the oil pressure gauge line? On my 640 they ran right next to
each other. If it's the gauge line, it will spray oil and get worse.
I would want to fix that one as it is relatively cheap/easy to do.

The milky color is probably water as you suspected. You can
get enough water to make it milky from condensation. Metal
gets hot when you're running it and condensates when its cold.
Much like the glass in a window.
Here in Michigan I can watch the cast iron parts sweat in the
pole barn when its cold out. Same with the loaded tires.
 

There are 4 separate sumps in that tractor. the first one is the engine crankcase where the engine oil goes. The second one is the transmission. The third one is the reservoir for the hydraulics system. The fourth one is the rear axle. They all have separate places to fill them, separate places to check the level and quality of the fluid inside of them, and separate places to drain them. The seals between the last 3 do sometimes leak so you can get cross contamination between them. You already said that the fluid in the transmission looks milky, so that's most likely contaminated with water, and as others have said, that can happen from condensation.

Which "hole on the transmission" did the fluid come out of? If it was the hole on top next to the shifter where you would fill it, then it is too full, also possibly because of the water, but also possibly from leaks in the hydraulic tubes that go from the hydraulics sump up to the hydraulic pump on the right rear of the engine and that pass through the bottom of the transmission.

You say "the oil looks clean and there is enough". I assume that by this you mean the engine oil?

Have you checked the hydraulics fluid or rear axle fluid yet?
 
If you took battery cable off and tractor quit your new 12v system isn't working
Should stay running with battery unhooked if altanater is working
 
If the ignition is turned off and it is running due to alternator feed back yes it will die if you pull the battery cable. If you use the cable trick as a way to test an alternator working that is a good way to fry an alternator and maybe even fry your self since an alternator can/will put out over 90 volts and over 35 amp which is more then enough to kill a man
 
Fill in the blanks. You say it keeps running so is this a new 12 volt conversion?? If yes sounds like to have the excite wire hooked up with out a diode or resister or light bulb in line and yes that will make it keep running due to alternator feed back. Now if your talking about it dieseling due to being hot and all then that is altogether different
 
I doubt it also but put it out there just in case that was what it is /was doing
 

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