FYI: Axle seal leak cause.....INFO from mechanic "Good or bad?"

[pmsmechanic]

How many other tractors have a vented axle? Have any of you with failed seals checked the vented plug to see if it is actually clogged? Just curious. I know my CIH is not vented.

My John Deere 4410 front axle is not vented either. If you check the oil when it's warm the oil fill cap releases quite a bit of air pressure. So far I haven't had any issues with oil leaks.

 

[jhous]

He said that the breather was most likely the cause and yet did not mention whether he checked it replaced it or possibly cleaned it.

So If his theory is right- the problem may repeat the next time you work the tractor/ front axle hard?? I would want to Know if the breather was even checked, also condition of the support bearings and If there was play in the drive assemblies.

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My bad. The mechanic told me he took the breather off and cleaned it.

 

[jhous]

How many other tractors have a vented axle? Have any of you with failed seals checked the vented plug to see if it is actually clogged? Just curious. I know my CIH is not vented.

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My opinion is that whether or not the front axle is vented depends on the overall design. This LS axle is made to the filled will gear oil with very little room for air (the dip stick to check it is a very short little sucker so the oil has to be just about to the top of the horizontal part of the axle thus not allowing for much expansion room before something has to vent. A different design may only have oil in the bottom and depend on the gears to slosh the oil around. Just sayin'. My take away is to watch for another leak and barring one, clean the breather on a regular basis.

 

[sd455dan]

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My bad. The mechanic told me he took the breather off and cleaned it.

- that sounds like good news .
Also after reading post 13 the fact that there is very little expansion room in the front axle would likely make a vent pretty important...
my 4x4 tractor is the type that is filled 1/2 full ( if that) and it still has a breather to.
It seems the majority of 4x4 tractors are equipped with a vent, but I was not aware that some designs were filled to almost the top, that is interesting :stirthepot:

 

[SPYDERLK]

Overheating fluid in the axle housing, with no way to depressurise the air displaced by the expansion of the fluid could blow a seal. If the breather does not allow equalization then something has to give. Axles are only filled to a point where the air pressure can escape via a breather. Usually the fill plug allows for enough fluid to keep the bearings and gears covered in gear oil /hydraulic fluid.

It is possible the axle might have been overfilled or the wrong type of fluid was used.

Expansion of the air above the oil is way major in comparison. But that volume is compressible, and if not overfilled badly, there is plenty of room so pressure will stay low. We are talking only a couple psi at normal op temp. At ~oil boil T it would get up to 15psi, but youd notice the paint changing color.