[CaseIngOnan]

Howdy, got a 85 448 with a oil leak at the drive motor, it's leaking at the rear of the motor at the end cap plate.
There is a small groove between the end cap and the drive motor it's about an 1/8" of an inch and that is where the leak is.
Has anyone dealt with this problem? I realize the best thing to do is probably just buy new/used motor but at $800 for a new one and zero used on ebay right now I need to repair this one if at all possible. The motor works great, it's just spewing oil all over the rear tire. its not a real bad leak but I suspect it will just continue to get worse over time.

 

[Seabee]

I have a 1986 448 that has quite a leak going on. I am about to find out what is causing it. The bottom of the pump is covered in oil. It was working well as I was tilling gardens last year, just leaking and it got worse before I shut down. I made sure it never ran short on oil, just kept topping it off till I got done. When I built this tractor about 4 years ago, I was not happy with the way the angle on the pump bracket mated into the hydraulic tank bottom. I felt there was a real possibility of the 2 getting together and causing a leak if it chafed enough. I tried a couple different times to get it to mate differently and finally left it alone. I will find out yet today if that is my issue.

Best of luck with your issue.

Bill Moyer

 

[Seabee]

Well there is good news and there is also good news! First of all when we aired the tank up, it didn't leak! So if not that and the hoses are in good shape, it has to be the pump? Right? I had already bought the pump last summer, so I was ready. I actually had 2 spare tanks, a new motor, and some good hoses, so I was prepared! I already had the tank out, so the next step after checking all hoses for good condition (they were only 4 years old), was to remove and replace the pump!

Since the tank was already off, the input side of the pump was already free. So I put a wrench on the nut that was on the pressure side of the pump and it did not feel right! It was only finger tight! What the heck? I had assembled the tractor only 4 years earlier, how could it have not be tight? I mowed with the tractor starting 4 years ago and I tilled a few gardens. I had tilled probably 35-40 gardens in the past 2 years as "Pandemic Gardens" and it was only late in the season last year that it started to leak. I suspect I had tightened the nut, but not snugged it!

So now I started to reassemble the tractor tonight. Hopefully, I can till some gardens Sunday or Monday, if it doesn't rain anymore

Bill Moyer.

 

[Seabee]

IT IS ALIVE!!!!

Got everything wired back up, correctly, and it is alive and working. And no hydraulic leaks!!! I can start tilling a few gardens. Since I bought the last complete set of tines in the system I need to go easy with the garden tilling, or I won't have them for my own tilling. Any thoughts on replacement tines?

Thanks!

Bill Moyer

 

[CobyDog$10]

A friend of mine has a tiller about 5 hours away from me. He broke a couple of tines last year and there it sits due to the tine shortage. That tiller will be coming to my shop sometime this summer so can remove and draw prints of the tines. My plan is to make a few replacements for it. Buying them is easier but when they aren't being made anymore, one must improvise.

 

[myerslawnandgarden]

A friend of mine has a tiller about 5 hours away from me. He broke a couple of tines last year and there it sits due to the tine shortage. That tiller will be coming to my shop sometime this summer so can remove and draw prints of the tines. My plan is to make a few replacements for it. Buying them is easier but when they aren't being made anymore, one must improvise.

The tiller tines are currently unavailable however they have not been discontinued, simply a new vendor was needed to supply them. The first samples were made incorrectly which delayed things but the production run was last estimated to arrive at the distributor's warehouse mid-May so hopefully we are getting close. We have plenty on order and many pre-sold, at the current price of $11.95 it would be hard to justify making them.

Bob

 

[CobyDog$10]

Thanks for the heads up Bob!

 

[myerslawnandgarden]

Probably should start a new thread but FYI, a company has been found to supply fuel tanks also, they are in process and shouldn't be too much longer.

Bob