Leak

[PEJ5]

My DK5010 developed a small hydraulic leak and it was dripping on the garage floor. I traced it down to the rubber boot where the gear shifter goes into the transmission. There is about 1/16" gap where the shifter comes out of the boot. It looked like the boot was factory painted and that is flaking off. The reason I mention the paint because the range drifter has a similar rubber boot and is painted, but there is no gap - almost like the paint is keeping is snug.
Even though it is behind the fuel tank, I was able to slip on a hose clamp and snug it up. It seems to have done the trick. Should I be concerned that there is an underlying problem I have masked?
Here are photos of before and after and one of my range shifter boot.
Thoughts? Comments? Concerns?

 

[justman777]

Is fluid coming out anywhere else? Do you notice it leaking after working it particularly hard? Checked the fluid level to ensure it's not overfilled?

If your clamp resolved it, I'd move on to something else.

 

[PEJ5]

Thanks. I moved and spread 18 yards of gravel and no drips so I'll move on to my other expensive problem. I'll post something soon.

 

[JoelD]

That boot looks to be a dust cover not an oil seal. If oil is coming out from the shaft then there is an underlying seal issue. Is the shaft on top of the case? Could it be an overfill problem or pressure problem in the case? Or maybe not source of leak?

 

[seville009]

thought the same as JoelD as I read it - the rubber boot is just to keep dust and debris out. It is not an actual seal