| Author | Message | ||
     Shep VA |
Chris, I have a question for you. You have a lot of MFWA Olivers, have you ever had any leaks on the transfer cases??? My 2150HD MFWA has started leaking rear end fluid into the transfer case through the counter shaft seal. I pulled the engine and split the tractor last fall and pulled the transfer case and completly resealed it. It had some wear on the counter shaft that drives the transfer case so I moved the seal a little to let it ride on a different part of the shaft. I put it all back togeather and after 50 hours of running it is leaking again, and rear end oil is coming out the vent on the transfer case. I am not too motivated to split the tractor again, I will be needing it soon to be in the field and I am not too keen on putting a new counter shaft in the bottom of the transmission unless I have to. What I am thinking is if there is a way to allow the seal to leak into the transfer case and then re-circulate the oil back into the rear end somehow. Have you ever seen this done and will it work???? I saw a 1950 MFWA somewhere that had a hose hooked to the fill tube of the transfer case and it went back to the rear end, but I dont know how they did it or if it worked. I would like to hear your thoughts on this, maybe my best bet is to go ahead and tear it all back down again, but I would really cry if in another 50 hours it leaks again. | ||
| Chris Losey |
My 1650 sprung the same leak last spring. But for the life of me, it quit leaking, and it wasn't because it was out of oil, and it hasn't done it since, even though I topped off the rear end oil. I was dreading splitting the tractor, but as long as it doesn't leak again, I'm going to leave it alone. But if it does leak, I was thinking of doing what you are suggesting, running a drain tube into the rear end. The 2-135/2-155 (different transmission, same concept) transfer case has a lube line going to it, but doesn't have a breather or fill port, so I don't see why the 2150 transfer case can't be vented into the rear end, which uses 80w-90 oil too. About the biggest downside is a 100% full gear case will rob power and create heat from 'pumping' all of the oil around. If you do go this route, plug the vent or the oil will still follow the path of least resistance. When you had the transfer apart, was there any looseness in the pinion shaft? If the end play is loose, the shaft will ride a little off cetner, and the seal only works if the shaft is in the center of it. Correcting this would be as easy as removing some shims and checking it again. There would be some guess work as to the amount of bearing preload you are actually getting, but it beats tearing the whole rear end down. I have heard of people replacing the seal you mentioned, only to have it fail again. This usually means there is something else wrong causing the seal failure. We found this to be a common reason for the bull pinion seals to be leaking oil into the brake housing. The bearings get a little loose and the bull pinion no longer sits centered in the seal, distorting the rubber and causing premature failure. The ones I have done I could grab onto the bull pinion shaft and move it by hand. | ||
| Shep VA |
I checked that pinion shaft when I had it apart last and it did not appear loose at all, but there was some pitting on the shaft and a wear groove right where the seal rides so I imagine that is why the seal is leaking again. I tried to smooth things up with some emery cloth and moved the seal to a new location but I guess it didnt work. I had some time in the shop last night and I went ahead and tore into the 2150 some. I took the bottom drain plug out of the transfer case and plumbed into the transmission drain plug with some 1/2 inch hydraulic hose I had laying around. I refilled everything and took it down the road. So far so good it wasnt leaking when I got back but Im not sure if it will hold yet, I need to get the tractor in the field and get the oil warmed up. I measured the oil levels in the transfer case and the rear end. The bottom check plug was 27 inches off the ground and the top check plug for the rear end is 30 inches. The way I figured it the oil level in the transer case has to get to 32 inches or more to come out the vent on the transfer case, so I filled the rear end just over the bottom check plug and I am thinking that should give plenty of room for the oil to level off to the rear end. The only thing that I dont know is if the transmission holds the oil higher than the check plugs on the rear end, I know there is a wall of sorts there between the transmission and the rear end but does it hold the oil level higher in the front??? Maybe I should have plumbed the hose in more toward the rear of the tractor???? I guess we shall see what happens and if this works. I think your right though, if this transfer case starts leaking out the vent again I may just cap off the vent and see if that works. Thanks for your suggestions, I will let you know how it works out. | ||
| Chris Losey |
While some of the earlier Olivers had the wall that kept the oil higher in the front of the transmission, the 2050 and 2150 didn't. There is the same wall to support the shafts, but it has a hole with a ridge at the bottom that will only keep a small amount of oil up front in the event that the level gets real low. I like the idea you have of running from drain plug to drain plug. I would stay with the front one on the transmission, since the next one back has the screen for the lube pump and the farthest one back is above the drawbar. You could use a pipe T fitting into the transmission and/or transfer case and put the hose into one end and the magnetic drain plugs in the other holes so you can still drain and catch any filings that go through. I would also consider going into the fill plug on the transfer instead of the drain. A fitting hanging that low would be just waiting for something to knock it off. Send or post pictures of your setup, I think this may be a real headache saver. | ||
| Shep VA |
Used the tractor for about 3 hours yesterday spreading poop with a 28ft tandum spreader and no leaks on the transfer case or rear end yet, and the oil did not get hot like it was when it was leaking. Granted I was not running it in 4WD and was not pulling it hard, but I was out on the highway some so I would think it would have leaked if it was going to. Dont know if I have the problem completly solved yet, but the results look good so far. I knew some of the Olivers held oil up in the transmission but I wasnt sure which ones, I think sence you told me that this one doesnt hold much oil in the front I should be Ok running it back into the front drain plug like that. I think I am going to leave the hose on the transfer case drain plug for now. I know what you are saying about the hose being low, but it is considerably higher than the front axle housings and I am using a steet L on there so I am hoping I dont knock it off. The problem I saw with putting a fitting on the fill plug is that you would have to extend the L up so that you can screw it on there, it is just too tight to turn an elbow right on the fill tube, and then you are going to have the level in the transfer case higher. The only way I could see to make it work is to find 3/4 inch swivel and put the L on that, but I didnt have a swivel that would work handy. Also having that hose running around under there make me a little worried that it may get ripped off too. I will really have to watch it pulling through corn stubble where we shelled that it doesnt get caught and dump the rear end fluid. I will try to take some pictures of my set up and send them to you, I am not sure how to post pictures on the board. I need to give the tractor a bath first, all the mud around here all winter has made the tractor filthy. Thanks for the help. | ||
| Chris Losey (Admin) |
Here's Shep's setup. Simple yet effective, just the way I like it. He tells me that it seems to be working good so far. Thanks for the pictures Shep.  Here's his 2150 all cleaned up and looking sharp.  Here's a couple of images of his 1855 moving high moisture bales.   |
