L 5450 hydraulic leak

Hi, newbie on the loose. I joined the site several years ago but 'don't think I have ever posted. I would try searching repairs but I'm not quite sure how to do that either because I have no idea what is leaking; steering maybe? I have a '93 in reasonably good condition. About 840 hrs. Last weekend I decided I need help because in 3hrs bush hogging I blew a gallon of fluid out on the ground! Yes I actually checked to see what the leak rate is. The fluid is coming out all over the top of my "transmission case?" and my left boot where the engine cowl ends. I can't actually see what is leaking because it is between the engine firewall panel and the cowl under the steering wheel. I did not want to just start taking bolts out to see if I could expose where the leak is. How do I access that space. I am sure there are good pics, diagrams and descriptions so if someone would point me in the right direction then I will try to follow along. Thank you in advance for giving this post a read and offering to help.
Jim@MilkyWay
PS
I have the little operators manual but might like to buy a shop manual, used or new if the price is right. Thanks

Thanks NIWolfMan; you da man. I see a lot of posts by you so you probably know your way around the site. Do you know where there is a topic on-site that would show how to access the area I need to expose? Thanks again for the look.
Jim@MilkyWay

Thanks NIWolfman
https://apps.kubotausa.com/illustrated-parts/ seems to be a good resource. I still need to order the WSM because parts exploded views don't shed any light on R&R procedures. I will let the community know when I discover what has gone south.
Jim@MilkyWay

rbargeron said:

"Hi Jim, Always nice to greet a newbie..."

Click to expand...

Thanks for the welcome.

rbargeron said:

From my L4150 experience, if your L5450 has lived outdoors the dash area screws may be difficult." Best luck, Dick B

Click to expand...

Almost always in closed-up garage. Thank you for the response and I hope it is something simple as well. Funny little side note; your last pdf (6) just happens to show a component that I could not find from looking at pics in a wsm emanual that I purchased yesterday. I won't comment on my impression of the emanual; LOL. While bush hogging last weekend I got a dashboard alert that my hydro filter was dirty/restrictive; (the far left light). When I looked at my filter however, I saw that it has about 21 hrs on it. I always write date and hrs on them at installation. Your pdf shows a part, no idea what it is, with a distinctive cross-hatch end plate just behind the grill, attached to a coupling shaft. Although it strikes me as odd that it would be located there, I think that will prove to be the location of the two switches that make up the sending unit for the hydro light, per the emanual. I am confident that my filter is not the issue because the light displays anywhere from a 'nervous twitch' to a bold, bright glow when I turn the ignition on but before starting engine.
I have a feeling I have landed on the right forum for me and my machine. Thanks again in advance for you and all others who dedicate their time, knowledge, and assistance to the newbies of the world.
Jim@MilkyWay

I hope my nice, detailed reply to Dick B did not fall into the twilight zone. I did not copy and save it anywhere after composing and previewing it, but before selecting post response, all about ten minutes ago.
Jim@MilkyWay

I've said it before and I'll say it agin' Mr. Wolfman, YOU DA MAN!

Thanks PAU7220. I love my gentle impact drivers to loosen stuck nuts/bolts/screws, provided of coarse the correct size bit is used in conjunction with the impact. And to you rbergeron, I had a chance today to look at the unit I mentioned as pictured in your pdf #6 that you sent me and sure enough, there is a sending unit on it which I am sure is the hydro filter sensor which seems to be on it's way out; probably because of hydro fluid leaking everywhere. Who knows what else I have doomed because of the severe leak.
Jim@MilkyWay

Thanks Dick B for the response. No apology needed as I thought nothing derogatory whatsoever about your comment for taking care while removing screws. My skin is a bit thicker than that. I am not put out too easily by _anyone_ trying to help me. If I don't like something someone has to say, or if anyone feels the need to flame me, I simply let it roll off like water off a duck without getting into a pissing contest. Don't hesitate to suggest anything you think appropriate to a topic. The only reason I felt I should mentioned that my tractor is garaged is, because, err, umm, because, well, I actually don't have a good answer to that LOL.
The old brain ain't what it use to be, but I am reluctant to yank the instrument cluster because of two things. 1st, because when I had it off a while back to see what I could see, I think I still did not see where I could access the leak, because of another divider(?). I don't remember; too many brewskies may have something to do with that. And 3rd, because my electric-tack needle is snapped off because there is apparently some kind of "reset" required when applying power for the 1st time after disconnecting/reconnecting the cluster.
Jim@MilkyWay

Thanks man, I did not get a chance to mess with it yesterday but I will try to wiggle out of honey-do projects tonight and put a little time into tractor diagnosis. I need to make and keep up with notes on all work performed as my memory is not reliable because of me being a geriatric, or maybe I have mad cow or butt wipers disease! LOL
Jim@MilkyWay

Well dudes and dudettes I've got some good news and I've got some not so good news. Dick B gave sound advice when he suggested I pull the instrument panel to see if I could find where I am loosing fluid. I could not find my steering wheel puller so I had to slightly lift and hold it, the panel that is with a bungy so I could shine a flashlight in and look around as much as possible. I can not actually see what the fluid is running out of, but I was able to see it dripping onto the top of the transmission from the engine side, that is to say the front side, and inside of the steering base. Well ***8220;steering base***8221; is what Dick's pdf #6 and my own wiz bang emanual calls it. I hope that I will be able to hold a mirror on a stick exactly, correctly, positioned and shine a penlight onto the mirror and actually see fluid running out somewhere. I will wait till it is dark in the garage so the light will shine better, or at least I can see better what/where the light is reflecting onto. If my wiz bang emanual shows a pic of the steering unit I could not find it. The only pic I could find of the steering base is on page S.S-6 in a section called ***8220;separation***8221;. Does someone have a used, real manual for sale; can anyone post a good pic of the steering unit, especially the bottom side of it so I can at least see what I am looking at or for?
Now for the good news. I had mentioned (somewhere) that my hydro-filter clog alert dash-light was troubling me because I thought my filter with about 21 hrs needed replacing. As soon as I loosened the instrument panel then started the engine to try and spot the drip, I noticed that moving the loosened panel had a direct, immediate effect on the sensor light. So I pushed and wiggled all the wiring plugs and now the light is off except when I hold the key/switch hard left to the heater position before starting.
Thanks in advance for giving this post another look and offering advice on how to proceed. I just can't justify operating the tractor with the rate of hydro loss I am experiencing.
Jim@MilkyWay

ps
I did just go and look at the ewsm and found the M.7 steering section, but the pic is no help.

WOW! Thanks Mr. Dude. I did not get to look at anything today. I should not admit this but before I even changed out of my work skivvies I was bush hogged for several hours after work with my 1mtr riding mower. It is a twenty+ year old orange T1560/40 that I can not kill. Believe me, I have tried! I also have a off-brand ztr sitting in the repair bay with 50 hrs on it with the deck drive-belt shredded already. I gots to get it going again sooner rather than later because it _is_ fast. Funny, but I did the first oil and filter change on it, took it out to mow for the 1st time after the service and it gave it up out in the north 40. Thank goodness the shredded deck-drive belt did not take out the wheel drive belt or I would have had to tow it out of the pasture. I will see about disassembly of the steering unit in the next few days if I can catch a break from emergency stops.
Jim@MilkyWay

OK dudes and other
I found my wheel puller and got the steering wheel off. JESUS, they don't want those things falling off in a ditch somewhere do they?! Now, question: if my panel board is in place I can't get in there to see what's up. Can I plug the panel board electrics in, start the tractor and with tractor running, pull the plugs back off, so I can get panel out of the way for observation? Thanks Dick because I know you will post the answer even before I ask the question! LOL
Jim@MilkyWay