Hydro situation?
 

Mods please move this to the right area if need be.
well I've had a small leak since about February, never lost enough fluid to go out of the safe range, I thought it was something else but I'm guessing that's not a vent hole, the donor tractor doesn't have one.
The questions are; 1 - how much pressure is in that area? could I get away with jb weld?
2 - I think its aluminum but cast, I can wire weld (mig) aluminum but can I zap this shut?
Everything about the hydro seems to be working fine, I don't think there is any damage but really don't want to take it that far apart to find out...
Thoughts?
Thanks in advance,
Vic

What tractor are you working on?

Relax, there is a locating dowel behind that. The aluminum is only paper thin in that area and it's common to see it broken. No oil behind it. No need to do anything with it.

I'd say your oil leak is higher.

X2 on it being a dowel hole. NBD.

Wash that thing off and see where it's leaking. I agree looks like it coming from higher up.

This is an '85 682, right now it is out of the tractor so not running, the leak started slow in feb and became more noticeable in the last months, I don't use it for mowing much, so it hasn't seen a lot of service this summer.
I just got done cleaning the hole out and yes must be thin casting in that area, I could not find an outlet in the chamber with various dental tools, not saying there isn't one, I just couldn't find it.
I always thought that the leak was from the right check valve, up until about april the level was still higher than the mark, I assumed I overfilled it a bit and it was just purging itself but always kept an eye on the level, like I said it never went below the bottom of the fill range.

First question, can I just fill it with jb weld type or that epoxy paste, I've had good luck with that in all kinds of conditions in the past?
Then I guess I'll have to put it back in and run it to determine where the leak actually is.
Thanks guys!
Vic

No need to fill it with anything. The only thing on the other side is a steel dowel. That is not your leak. If you just have to fill it put a blob of silicone over it.

Kool! now all I have to do is find the real leak, what are the chances I find that hole on the same side as a leak??
Thanks,
Vic

the leak is most likely a valve or cork gasket, it could also be a trunion seal but those are not as common as the other 2. the best way to find the leak would have been to degrease it and then run the tractor but since you already have it out it will be a guessing game.

I know what you mean Tim, that wasn't the reason for taking it out, making other improvements, so it's all de-greased now, should be able to get it back together in it's new state and evaluate where the leak is coming from before my "season" snow blowing.
Thanks,
Vic

you have it out ,I would do the cork gasket now .

I'll second that--cheap parts and you have already committed to most of the labor. Even if that is not the leak, those gaskets don't last forever.

Cork gasket on the way, from looking at it up close before cleaning it looks like a possibility, and right, not a lot of $$.
Is it my imagination or is the gasket installed with the self adhesive on the axle, holes in the gasket on the top half so that the 3 holes in the axle are covered up??
Thanks!

IIRC, the 3 holes are not used on the aluminum rears. On the CI rears the bottom hole is an oil drain and the other 2 for the alignment pins.

Oak is right, but the early hydros had bolts that hold the removable swash plate to the case inside, and on the later ones, the swash was cast in the case so the bolts and holes for them were not needed.
They just make one gasket to cover all applications.:beerchug:

As the others have said the early hydros had 2 bolts for the swash plate and a case drain hole. Late style do not have the bolts and the case drains back through the bearing. I install the cork gasket up side down on the later style so that the 3 holes are covered they I put a dab of silicone in the holes of the gasket. Pic shows where I locate the gasket with the red circles.

That's the way they are on both of the ones I have disassembled, sounds like good advice Sam.
Really appreciate it guys.

I thought someone mentioned on this forum some time back that a newer style gasket was available that was not made out of cork...... :bigthink: