Help please. Engine oil coming out of starter

Hi. I have a Massey Ferguson tractor, model 135. I believe that it is from the late 1960's (going by pictures I've seen of other dated ones). I just bought it and know nothing about it.

My problem is that while I was trying to get it started for the first time (have bad carburetor) I noticed that after it ran about 5 seconds a few times (that's all it will do while I pour gas into the carburetor) [b:17fa7c6061]oil began to drip out of the end of the starter[/b:17fa7c6061].

So I removed the starter and observed that it was full of oil; I poured out about a half a cup when I turned it on end.

Please tell me that this problem (and the fix) is not as bad as I am feeling that it is.

Thank you anyone who can give me some advice on this matter.

~Nick.

my to-35 did this

the problem was the hole in the bottom of trans/ clutch housing was stopped up with mud. I had gotten the tractor stuck.

the tractor should have a carter key in that hole with the legs sticking down so it turns in the grass and keeps the hole open, this hole drains out any oil that seaps from the trans or motor seals.

clean out the hole and let the oil drain, hope you do not have oil on clutch,

When this happen to my tractor, oil got on clutch and i had to have it replaced.

so i keep a close eye on that carter key and be sure the drain hole is open.

I don't know if this would apply to MF tractors, but on other vehicles suffering from a slipping clutch due to oil infusion, something called a "clutch flush" is performed. Simply, the clutch area is filled with a solvent of choice and the engine run with the clutch disengaged to swirl the solvent over the friction areas. Drain out the bottom. I have done it myself several times with good success.

If there are any dangers inherent to doing this on a MF hopefully someone will point it out. I don't know if there is a place to pour it in, but it might even be worth drilling a small hole to save a clutch job.

Thank you guys for the help. Keep 'em coming please.

My tractor didn't have a drain hole like the one fellow's did, so I opened the inspection plate on the bottom of the transmission, and about a half a gallon of milky-brownish fluid came out. I don't know how long it has been accumulating. Maybe I have a small leak?

I [i:0288c74914]think[/i:0288c74914] why the oil came out of the starter[i:0288c74914] at this time[/i:0288c74914] and not for the previous owner may be that because I was engaging the starter for long periods of time (trying to get it started), and the gear teeth on the flywheel was spraying the oil up into the starter drive, which then leaked it into the starter body. Perhaps once the starter gear is off and retracted, the oil is not channeled into the starter body. I'm not sure about that. Or maybe the leak just started now (not likely, in my opinion.). The oil level is a little low, but not empty or anything. And it is very dirty, which tells me that it hasn't been changed in a long time, and probably not refilled (as the owner before me didn't seem to maintain anything on it very well).

Anyway, I wonder if I could drill a drain hole down there through the bottom of the clutch inspection plate to let any new oil leaking to drain away?

I don't about the status of the clutch as it isn't running yet. I have ordered a carburetor as I couldn't get the old one to work. It should be here in a few days or so. And when I get it installed I can start the tractor and see how the clutch goes.

Thank you for the"'clutch-flush" idea. If I need to, I will try it before getting into clutch replacements.

Any other ideas are greatly welcomed.

where can i get info on clutch flush,

how did you get the cleaning material into the clutch area, did you stop up the drain hole to keep it in the chamber long enough to clean the clutch.

wish i had heard of this before i had the clutch changed.

that was a joke on me, old to-35 and clutch pak had to be send back to factory for rebuild as they did not have one on the shelf as old as mine. could have been my mech was the problem but it was a big problem.

thanks,

Again I have only done the clutch flush on vehicles other than tractors, however the basic dry clutch materials and design are the same as far as I know. Mine had drain holes already at the bottom, which I plugged with bits of wood (only has to hold the bulk of the solvent in for a few minutes), and inspection or access areas halfway up the housing in which to pour in solvent. Solvent is only poured in about a third of the way up, so as not to flow back into the transmission or wash the grease out of the throw out bearing. I ran the engine for a minute or two with the clutch disengaged so the solvent could wash over the friction materials, then stopped and drained out the bottom. Result was clutches that no longer slipped due to oil contamination.

Paul

[b:5c28cc736f]Paul[/b:5c28cc736f], I would hope that gasoline, acetone, brake cleaner, kerosene and other such highly inflammable solvents were NOT used for your clutch flush, especially on a running motor. A spark from the starter, or anywhere else nearby, could cost you FAR more than a shop rate replacement of the clutch, several times over.

[i:5c28cc736f]If at all[/i:5c28cc736f], I'd use "Safety Kleen" solvent, or something of the like, and turn the motor by hand with the coil (or mag) well grounded, and even that as a LAST resort. I value my life, health, shop and equipment too much to risk even the slightest chance of blowing stuff up by using an open solvent near several potential sources of ignition (plug wires, starter motor, starter drive mechanism, exhaust heat, etc), just to save some work.

[b:5c28cc736f]Watchmen[/b:5c28cc736f], it would be hard to say whether it is just the engine rear main seal, or the tranny input shaft seal too. Check both oil levels, and look at the clutch housing from both ends from the inspection plate - they seals may well easily tell you which is the worse contributor. True, it may have been building up for a long time, but the problem is not going to get better or correct itself with time. You need to do that; and if you are going to replace one seal, you may as well do them both, check all related bearings and replace them as necessary to avoid future problems, check the pressure plate assembly, and put in a new, clean clutch disk while the tractor is split.

More money than a 'quick fix'? Yep. More work? Certainly. Less cost, hassle, and potential damage to other parts in the long run? Very much so.

I can't think of a single instance when it isn't more economical to do timely "maintenance", than emergency "repairs". It sounds like it's already leaning toward the latter.

Just my two coppers. YMMV

Well Worn

That is a good warning, WW. A water based solution may also work.