Transmission Gasket

Hi my farmall A is leaking oil from the base of the shifter. Cant seem to find a transmission gasket set. What exactly do I need?

Also how do you check the oil in a 45 Farmall A? Thanks!!

Not sure how to check the oil... but fi you find the filler, open it. You'll probably find it's full to the cap... with water in the bottom.
Drain it and refill with new oil.

Rod

When you say base of the shifter, are you talking about the shift lever itself or the transmission cover that it mounts in, the plate with the shift pattern bolted to the top of the tranny? If at the bottom of the shift lever, they you are definitely overfull, probably, as suggested, with with water.

In that case you're definitely in need of a draining and refill to the proper level. Being on level ground is recommended highly.Drain plug for the tranny is on the side, at the right rear corner. If you find a lot of hard caked sediment when you remove the plug I'd suggest you clean things up inside a little by waiting until you've got a significant amount of oil out. Then put the plug back in. The go to the front left corner of the tranny on the side. You'll se a plug there, with the brake rod probably in the way. This is your level check plug. Remove it to make sure that you have drained it below the correct level. If not, go drain some more, until you are sure you have drained it significantle below the correct level. Then replace the drain plug. With the level plug still out, remove the plug in the transmission cover, and add diesel fuel or kerosene until it begins to drain from the level hole. Replace the level and fill plugs and take it for a drive. Use all your gears and keep moving. The idea is to warm up the transmission and give the diesel a chance to have some solvent effect on the gunk and crud inside. When done, drain immediately and refill to the correct level. That last is done by now draining completely. Replace the drain plug and remove the fill and level plugs. It should take 5 qts (5-1/2 with a PTO) but will probably take less if you have any sludge left in the bottom. Just fill it until it starts to run out the level hole and replace the fill and level plugs. Any name brand gear oil of 85 weight or better will do nicely. There are reasons to use some of the heavier multiweights, but not until you know what you have going on in there.

Now . . . pausing for breath and to dry the sweat dripping from my fingertips . . . for the transmission cover. If it's actively seeping from there, you're probably still overfull, so a change and refill would still be in order. If that gasket does need replacing, it's not a bad job. The only trick, more a caution really, is to start with the tractor in neutral, and be sure the shifter forks are lined up with the gears when you go to lower the cover back on.

The only seal and gasket kits/sets I know of for these tractors are for the motor. Everything else is one gasket at a time. The one you need is still available from CaseIH, #47279DA.

HTH and happy wrenching!

Thanks a lot. looks like you know your stuff. It is leaking at the very base of the shifter, I figured i would need to change the gasket that is on the plate (6 bots with 1234r) but i am going to drain and refil, any particular oil, exactly how much? etc? Thanks

Unless it's actively weeping/seeping around that gasket, or it continues to weep/seep after you get the oil down to the correct level, I wouldn't bother changing it. It would look dirty in any event and if the transmission is overfull it may even be seeping. With the oil at the proper level it shouldn't.

For oil, 85 or 90 weight gear oil will be fine. It's sold in larger quantities, but also (lucky for us with small tractors) in quart bottles. You'll find it in almost any brand, Valvoline, Havoline . . . I think Valvoline makes the NAPA labeled brand. It's hard to screw up gear oil, so any rated brand will do just fine. Some guys use a heavier weight to try to quiet down gears whining, but if it gets real cold where you are, the heavier weight might be a little stiff in the winter.

If your transmission were absolutely clean inside, it will hold five quarts. IF it has a PTO on the rear, it will hold an additional half-quart for 5-1/2 total. (No need to fill the PTO separately -- there is a slinger gear that throws transmission oil up to lube the PTO gears, so as long as you run the tractor for a little while at first without the PTO running, it will be lubed just fine).

Because you may have some cake or sludge in the bottom taking up room, you may find that yours will take less than the 5 or 5-1/2 quarts. That would be normal.

Have 5 or, if you have a PTO, six quarts of gear oil on hand when you start. After completely draining, just refill until it comes out the check level hole.