4020 hydraulic fluid leak

[kfin]

I was running the shredder today and all of the sudden I could hardly turn the tractor, checked the hydro fluid and it was empty. Once I filled it up and started it fluid was basically pouring out from just above the brake pedal on the right side. It was also coming out just a little from the top of the plate that has the key and start button on it......What could have broken in there? Serious repair or possibly an easy fix?
Thanks for any info.
Keith

 

[Tx Jim]

Probably the steering valve or line sprung a leak.

 

[kfin]

Probably the steering valve or line sprung a leak.

What do I take off and how....to see what the problem is? do the sides come off by the brake and clutch pedals? Or does that front plate where the key goes come off?

 

[jd110]

What do I take off and how....to see what the problem is? do the sides come off by the brake and clutch pedals? Or does that front plate where the key goes come off?

That depends on the year/serial number of the tractor. early tractors can remove the panel where the key switch is. There should be one bolt in the center of the panel at the bottom. 9/16" wrench.

Later tractors the side panels come off. There is one nut (1/2") on the front of the panel. Remove the 4020 nameplate panel first and then remove the nut. Then slide the panel to the rear to remove.

Both versions can have the top cowling removed with either 4 or 5 bolts that might access the leak also.

 

[kfin]

Here is the part. It is a 1968 4020. You darned near need to be a contortionist to get that thing out of there. It was leaking at the top fitting. What might this be? I ordered a manual but it is not here for a few days. Ill go o the dealer and order one i guess, no holes in the line probably leaking around the fitting. Any tricks to getting the bottom part back on? Lol

 

[Tx Jim]

Line is probably cracked in the flare. Have you considered replacing that line with a high pressure hose?

 

[jd110]

Looks like #14 in diagram. It is the brake pressure line coming off the steering valve.. Part number AR32238. They are still available. I assume it took a 7/16" wrench? The lower fitting is easier to tighten if you have a 7/16" crow foot wrench with a 6" extension.

 

[kfin]

Thanks and yes it did take a 7/16" wrench. We were out of town last week so I couldn't post. That part is put in and now there are no leaks visible in that area.....Now with that said, it is leaking somewhere else. Not a lot but I had never noticed it before, I bought this tractor last year and it has been running fine, using a bit of hydro fluid but nothing bad until that line cracked.

On the right hand side underneath and a bit in front of the brake pedal, there is a small 2" by 3" plate held on by screws in two corners. Mine is missing the top screw so it is a bit loose. Fluid is now coming out of that when motor is running. If you take it off while running and put your hand in front of it, there is a constant fine mist coming out. It will spray up and get on my foot as I am on the fuel pedal some.

There is a larger plate underneath the tractor, about 5" by 7" held on by two bolts on the sides. It is also dripping/streaming out there after a while. I took the bottom plate off and used a flashlight...can't see the leak anywhere.

If it is not showing in the space under the steering wheel......where would it be coming from to be going into and out of the two places described above?

Thanks,

 

[Tx Jim]

'68 4020 leaking oil in clutch housing could be engine rear main seal or either of the input shafts for trans or pto.

 

[kfin]

Not sure, but none of those choices sound good or inexpensive to fix. Would you have to break the tractor open to verify? And repair? Ballpark of what something like that would cost? Sounds above my paygrade

 

[jd110]

One other possibility of leak in that area would be the back end of the oil pan gasket. That could be replaced without splitting. The rear crankshaft seal or transmission shaft seal would require splitting. Can you tell if it is engine oil or transmission oil? Can be hard to tell since clutch housing is full of clutch dust that mixes with hydraulic oil and makes it black like engine oil. If powershift, crank seal or transmission seal can be fixed with one split. A synchro range could require two splits if both seals are leaking. If you have that much oil in there, chances are good that you will need a new clutch. One split and seals only will likely cost in the $1000.00 range at a dealer. If clutch is needed or second split, cost will be considerably higher.


Another thing just occurred to me. It is possible that oil from the leak you had at oil line could have entered the clutch housing. There is a rubber boot under dash where clutch linkage passes through. Chances are good with the age of the tractor, that the boot migh be damaged or missing and oil could have entered there.

 

[Tx Jim]

jd110 very good point about the possible pto linkage boot leaking. If tractor has a button clutch would hyd oil leak in clutch housing be blackish oil?

 

[jd110]

Yes, button clutches still seem to put off black dust. They wear down the pressure plate and flywheel, also the pto disc is always a conventional disc.

 

[Tx Jim]

Oh yes I remember what a slipped button clutch will do to metal such as flywheel & PP.

 

[kfin]

Not sure what a button clutch is or where this rubber boot is......I'll do some research and see what I can see.

I talked to the mechanic who I would have fix it. Had his own farm mechanic shop for many years. He said it sounded like the input shaft seal also and said he could split it and change the $2 seal if that is what it was. Gotta love it. Said it would be about 10 hours, maybe less. And that we would probably need to look at both clutches while we were in there. About $600 in labor, 2 clutches at around $300 each....$1200 sound like a decent price?

Probably have a little machine work and possible a few small parts for the clutch but have to wait and see. And he said the clutches may be fine, but if questionable he would advise changing them while we were in there as there would be hardly any more labor involved once it was open and tore apart.

 

[Tx Jim]

Button clutches has bronze like pads that hold good but aren't suitable for things such as FEL work. To access rubber boot one needs to remove dash panel that both key & light switches are mounted into and look to the left.