overfilled & not overjoyed

ncoonen

New User
Add me to the list of victims of an overfilled trans/hydraulic sump. I just drained an extra 3+ gallons of fluid out through the bottom bolt of the left side cover of a new to me '49 8N. Yep, it was filled to the point that fluid weeped out the top of the trans dipstick tube. This certainly explains the soaked brake drums and fluid running down the outside of the right rear wheel. It also explains why only the left brake only kinda works on level ground. I live in the mountains and level ground is not the natural way of things so a brake overhaul and rear axle seals are a top priority.

The previous owner must have filled the sump until no more could fit. What a mess! I also had trans fluid leaking out the cotter pin hole at the front transmission, probably from the front trans seal. Don't do it kids. Eat a Tide Pod if you need a thrill but don't overfill your 9N/2N/8N.

...ned.
 
Maybe the PO didn't overfill it but it has a few gal of condensation in it. Or maybe it has a lot of sludge in it and the PO just put 5 gal
in it because that what the book says it needs.
 
Actually, the fluid that came out was relatively clean without sludge or condensation. I suspect what might have happened is that someone only partially drained the sump - only opened one drain? - but gave it a full 5 gallon refill.
 
(quoted from post at 18:00:49 02/06/18) Actually, the fluid that came out was relatively clean without sludge or condensation. I suspect what might have happened is that someone only partially drained the sump - only opened one drain? - but gave it a full 5 gallon refill.

If you drain the sump completely and then start filling it through the transmission fill hole, it takes a while for the fluid to get all the way to the rear end. One might get over zealous and keep pouring oil into that trans not realizing this fact.
 

If your tractor has sat for awhile the water could have settled to the bottom. Crack open one of the drain plugs a see if any water seeps past the threads. Be careful not to unscrew to plug too far. If it comes off you will not get it back on until all the oil is on your floor. If there is water behind the one plug, you'll have to do the same to the other two.
 
The rest of the juice will be coming out soon from the three bottom plugs. What's in there now seems very thick at 42degF and I want to replace it with TSC Traveller Premium Tractor Sauce.
 
(quoted from post at 19:00:08 02/07/18) The rest of the juice will be coming out soon from the three bottom plugs. What's in there now seems very thick at 42degF and I want to replace it with TSC Traveller Premium Tractor Sauce.

The 8N called for 80W for winter, and 90W for summer. I have a Ford type trans-hydraulic oil in mine.
 
What's in there now seems very thick at 42degF and I want to replace it with TSC Traveller Premium Tractor Sauce.

Not sure what you're referring to but this is what was specd for N model tractors. Some hydraulic oils do not have EP additives needed for the gear train. Also the N drive train has bronze components and are sensitive to sulfur.

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There are three drain plugs for the N hydraulic system. Often folks only loosen one or two and leave the third one, on the diffy case, neglected. This is one reason systems get overfilled and leaks occur. When draining the hydraulics system, best to get the oil warmed up/hot so run the tractor for a good 20-30 minutes first. Loosen one drain plug at a time and always start with the diffy case plug and move forward towards the front of tractor. The diffy plug is an NPT (pipe) plug with a 9/16" square head. This plug can be stubborn if it has not been removed in many years, if ever at all. You may need to use a good Crescent wrench with a cheater bar. Next, move to the Hydraulic System drain plug. You'll need a good 1-1/16" hex wrench or socket, and possibly a breaker bar. Try not to let the plug drop into your drip pan. Note or market so you know which drain hole it goes back on to. The third plug is the Transmission Drain plug and it too uses the 1-1/16" hex wrench. Once oil is drained, replace plugs. Wipe off excess oil dry on plugs and sealing surfaces. The diffy plug has no gasket but I always put a very small dab of Anti-Seize on it. The two large plugs have gaskets. Originals were cork but sold today as paper or rubber. I take some clean new hydraulic oil with my clean finger and wipe the new gasket both sides then seat onto the plug OD before inserting into drain hole. When tightening these plugs, just use the wrench and no breaker bar - do not overtighten. Use new oil -never reuse old oil as it could be contaminated with water. You can do an archive search here to read about hydraulic oil and what to use. The original Ford spec'd MC-134D oil is no longer supplied by CNH (Case/New Holland) but there are other solutions. The TSC oil is a cheap, sufficient product for most applications. In colder climates, you may want to consider other alternatives. The hydraulic system capacity is 5 gallons. NEVER pour that much into your system at one time. Even if you do a system flush and cleaning, there is always oil in the system. When adding the new oil, only put 3 to 4 gallons in at first. Run the tractor, get oil circulated good, and check for leaks. Shut down, let settle for a few hours, then check level again. Add a bit more if needed but you may be surprised to find what you already put in is good.

Tim Daley(MI)
 

I bought a bucket of trans/hydraulic fluid from Farm & Fleet. It wasn't a F & F brand. The bucket had some Ford specs. on it. That's why I chose it. I may drain it again this summer, because the fluid doesn't look right. I may not have gotten all the old oil out.
 
(quoted from post at 10:38:06 02/08/18) I plan to refill with this once I get the sump drained completely.

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That's what I use. Great stuff for cold climates. The 90W required 15 minutes of warm up before I could plow snow. The UTF is good to go immediately.
 

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