Oil & Fuel Oil leak from Starter Mower I'm Baffled

[winston1]

I deleted my earlier post as it was brought to my attention I was a little to Gruff in my response . That being said I have to remind myself that many were not raised living and working /repairing equipment on almost a daily basis , I come from the old school and may not be as politically correct as some if your offended by my posts ,don't be I just speak in matter of fact statements sometimes and some may just not get my point !

I appreciate your response here. We all say things we might ought not.

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

I appreciate your response here. We all say things we might ought not.

I'm not going to try to sugar coat my opinions just to be politically correct, some may understand my point some may not .To each his own . this is an open forum and sometimes you may not like the response you get .

 

[rScotty]

Hello from a New User here.
I recently noticed a large amount of oil coming from the rear drain hole on the bottom of the starter motor on my YM195. .........SNIP

I pulled the starter motor and see nothing obvious. The clutch housing isn't full of oil or anything like that. The starter motor does have two obviously milled into the motor during it's manufacturing process, fluid drain holes. SNIP

There are no holes in the engine housing and I see no oil coming from the bolt holes or around the gasket of the starter motor. Also I don't notice any oil leaking from the small gap created by the junction of the engine and clutch housing. SNIP

I carefully replaced the starter and made double sure that the gasket was in good shape.......
Thanks in advance,
Torx the Orx

Several things. Firstly, there are no drain holes in the starter. I don't know what you are referring to. Maybe someone added them. Second, there is no gasket when mounting the starter. Again, it sounds like it has been added.
If oil is getting into the starter and not into the clutch housing it has to be getting there from a leak from the pressure oiling system.
There is a 1/8" tapered pipe plug that Yanmar puts into the back face of the block to seal the boring that they do at the factory to connect those feeds to the main bearings. The main bearing feeds also connect to the outside world on the onside of the block both fore and aft to provide a point to take oil up to the rockers and to mount a pressure gauge sender. Back to the tapered plug .... You can't see that hidden plug without splitting the tractor because the plug is covered by the flange that the starter mounts to. I suspect that someone did some clutch work, removed that tapered pipe plug, and then forgot to replace it. Then decided to try some hokey fixes like gasketing the starter and adding drain holes in the starter instead of splitting the tractor again.

It's a long shot explanation and some speculation, but not having that tapered plug (which is right next to the starter mounting) could provide a leakage path for engine oil to travel into the starter body via the starter or mounting bolts. I don't see another possibility that explains oil in the starter and none in the clutch housing. Since you don't see oil in the clutch housing that pretty much eliminates a rear seal problem. And Yanmar rear main seal problems are very rare.
Ask the seller if they did any clutch work...and maybe ask why he didn't tell you about this problem that it looks like they tried to fix and had to know that they failed.
And consider posting details about the seller so someone else doesn't get burned.
good luck, rScotty.

 

[clemsonfor]

Scotty read this way closer than I did. I just assumed that there was a hole in the bellhoising allowing oil to run out as fast as it came in. I missed the fact that it was only in starter and that there was starter DRAIN HOLES, and I read that the starter was gasketed but thought why but just let it go.

He brings up a good point with his carnal knowledge of the block.

 

[Torx]

To Grumpy Old Man

Sir, I apologize for my comments. Your posts are both satirical and interesting. I urge you to continue to speak matter of factly and I should be the one who can sit back and have a chuckle at my own expense. I was the one who was rude and should be apologizing. Your posts are entertaining and in most every case, straightforward and ti the point.

 

[Torx]

Hello All,
Thanks for your well thought out replies. I am amazed that so many people are so familiar with my problem and are willing to be so kind and offer suggestions.

And Scotty, wow, you can troubleshoot via my limited description into a realm of understanding of Yanmar engines that goes beyond anything I thought wouldn't come without a $!00 an hour or greater price tag!!

If someone did add the holes in the starter they did a darn good job of it. They are very small, less tha 1/32" IN diameter and one goes at a 45 degree angle on one end whole the other is a straight shot on the other end.

I hope to find the exact place of the leak today when we start it then remove the starter.

The absence of a bell housing drain plug lends credence to a patch job along with the starter gasket.

Everyone here has added pieces of information to help me diagnose this tractor as a potential troublling piece of equipment that needs to be returned ASAP.

I can only say Wow and Thanks to everyone who has chimed in and ask you all to keep your fingers crossed for me when I go to return this tractor to the original owner.

Any other opinions are welcome and appreciated.

Thanks
Torx

 

[clemsonfor]

When i go back to reread the post now that i am more in tune to it. I am sitting here laughing. "rear drain hole on the starter" "replaceing the starter gasket" ???? WTH

I have no idea how i missed this or just read over it the first time? I guess i assumed that you meant the bolt holes on either the body or where it attaches to the bell housing?

 

[Torx]

I am going to take a picture of the bottom of the starter and of the gasket and post it tomorrow. The holes and the gasket look very much machined and aren't just cheap work. The gasket is a well formed metal gasket that looks perfect and cannot be placed on wrong. Someone with a CNC machine tool and a very small boring tool had to do this work.
I thought that the drain holes were there to prevent an explosion from happening in case what has happened actually happens and routes oil into the starter, causing a fire and possible explosion. Wouldn't Yanmar engineers design a fail safe or would they let oil build up and explode inside the clutch assembly?
I can see me careening off the side of a mountain after oil causes my clutch to slip, and builds up to pressure and the brushes and gears in the starter motor start a chain reaction fire and explosion just as I hit the bottom of the canyon. Maybe I should do this but jump off just before the tractor careens.?

Grumpy Old Guy...I left a perfect opening for one of your zingers about now!!

 

[rScotty]

He brings up a good point with his carnal knowledge of the block.

Uh, thanks.... I think.....
"carnal knowledge of the block"? What??......

 

[winston1]

Uh, thanks.... I think.....
"carnal knowledge of the block"? What??......

Sounds nasty to me!