There she blows, a 4016 oil leak

[Spike188]

@MattA It has mowed both yards with no problem. Taking the advice of this group metal reinforcementwas added to the tank nipples.

One tank tube has this hose barb inserted into the tank. The other has a 1/2 copper union inserted into it.

The previous owner had ripped the deck cylinder mount off of the frame. When it was welded back on some metal plate covered part of the area that should be covered by by the missing plastic pan. I need to complete closing the remainder of the control tower bottom.

[ssmewing]

1-1/2 hours mowing the neighbors yard followed by one round on our yard. Suddenly the deck was engulfed in oil. 20240624_095912.jpgFinding the leak was out of the question while the engine and oil were hot. It adds about 30 minutes mowing time when using th 446 and 48" deck but given that we were hosting a canasta party that evening, the mowing had to be finished.20240624_095933.jpgWith the inspection/cooling panels off nothing no problems were observed. 20240624_095927.jpgEven with the deck on it, there was a visible leak on the line connecting the pump to the tcv. 20240624_100636.jpgHaving a forklift is the easy way to remove a 60" deck. This hose replacement turned out to be an easy fix.

Your photo showing the mower lift links indicates that you are not using the deck with the mid-lift in the correct position. Any mower deck that has bent lift links is because you have the lift positioned so low that you are high-centering, and the weight of the tractor is riding on the deck. And, no, you do not use the float position. I have often repaired the tops of RM decks that were cracked badly, and this is not the deck's fault. It is a user error.

Your deck is in very rough shape. The front tires are rubbing, which means the rear tires are also trying to climb over the deck. You cannot have one of the issues without having both. Your pivot holes and pins are all worn, so this will eventually happen. The rear tires will drive onto the deck and rip it at its weakest point. That repair is way worse than fixing it now. I use brass bars the size of the hole when it was made to weld up the wear. In some places, you can even build extra welds to give the pivot point more meat.

Now, on the mowing in High Range, you can do it as you have said. It is one of those deals that the harm will not show itself the day that you do it. No, it will show at a later time. And this abusive use will cost you, and it is only a matter of time. Blowing main hoses is the low-hanging fruit of the possible failures from any high-range use while working the tractor.

I have a theory on the rear differential failures: the use of high-range and high-stress, and the inner axle bearings are flanged. The high-stress use causes higher torquing of the differential, and this wears the flange faster until, at a point in the future, the differential binds just enough to break the bolts. When the axle was first assembled, the setup was the same for all differentials. It is shimmed when it is new. That gap is very important. It is easy to tell when the differential is worn. If you shake the rear of the tractor side-to-side and a sloppy clunking noise is heard, that is the excessive wear of the axle bearings flanges.

You guys in Canada have to be more careful due to how expensive the parts are. But these kinds of repairs just suck. An oily tractor is a fracture that is crying. It is crying because there is something wrong with the tractor. Leaks are not just a hassle because now you have to check the oil. Leaks are causing their own harm on top of the cause of the leak. You cannot cool any equipment as well that is coated in oil and then it is picking up dirt and debris that is a barrier to the exchange of heat with whatever air is passing by.

[Spike188]

@ssmewing I agree with all of the points you have suggested. I am slowly going over all of the connection points on the mule and deck. As the mounting holes and mule connection wear out the belt takes a a beating and has premature failure. Hopefully I make the deck rebuild a winter project.

[ssmewing]

If you look at the front of your mower deck, all of you, and look at the spring-tensioned idler, and now look at the front of the deck right behind that idler that can move, you will see on the deck where the idler has worn a groove into the front of the deck. That happens when your rear tires climb up onto the deck or you use your deck to try to move things while it is in use. That is a mechanical limit being exposed because it has hit where it should never hit so many times that it has made a groove into steel.

This event also stretches your belt every time it happens. That breaks your belt. Also, I have seen where the center spindle was tore right out of the deck because the rear tire did not just rub on the deck, it actually drove onto the one side of the deck. The power of the drive system tears that center spindle out pretty easy. This is not a random event. This is a preventable disaster.

Then, this is supposed to be a blown hose thread. I have had the test gauge on my 648 for over a year. I see that in my loamy soil yard, the tractor in the low range runs around 500 psi. If I switch to the high range and turn the wheel, it goes to just under 800 psi. This is just driving an empty tractor that has nothing else going on.

Every time that you are in high range and hit the bypass, you are stressing the system. A stressed system will fail at whatever your tractor has for the weakest point. The use of a high range creates a weak spot.

If you want a fast mower, you should not use a tractor. It is somewhat paradoxical that the group was created to enjoy the tractors and perhaps keep them going. And then, find these same people using the tractor in a way that is not what it was designed to do. Just because you can, when you can do it, does not justify it.

So, I will end my preaching with photos of the York Rake I made that is way cheaper than store-bought.