L 5450 hydraulic leak

North Idaho Wolfman said:

You can pull the instrument cluster and run it with it disconnected to find the leak.

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Thanks Dick I am on my way to garage as soon as I have a bite. I am pretty sure what I will find because of where the drip is. I still have high hopes, however that I can put a wrench on something, give it a hard twist and put it all back together. Oh, another thing missing is the linkage for the manual shuttle shift. The ball on the lever/handle end is gone and now I have misplaced the turn-buckle type adjusting rod. Also, I see what appears to be spring mounting points, so I guess I will also need that. I have not looked at the parts exploded view yet to see if it is all covered. That sure was a great link you sent for Kubotausa parts diagram.
Jim@MilkyWay

North Idaho Wolfman said:

Please don't ever call me that again!

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No problem. What do you prefer? This seems to be my week for rubbing people, very good friend type people a little raw and I don't even know what I did wrong. Some days are like that; maybe it's my asperger's kicking in. Well, anyway, that said.
I was able to find where the drip is, or at least where _a_ drip is. It is coming from the intersection of the hard pipe to the bottom, front port (P3?) of the steering controller. I guess it must be coming out under power/operation a lot more than a single drip at a time. I hope I can just give it a good hard turn but I doubt that will have any effect. For one thing, if I measured correctly it is a 29mm and the only thing that will fit in there is a combination wrench and I don't have combination wrenches that big. The clearance between the nut and the sheet metal is about 25mm give or take 5. What do you know about taking it apart if necessary?
And again sorry for the offense.
ps I like your avatar.

RCW said:

Jim- you just got your guys mixed up....

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Thanks RCW and Shirley.
Sorry 'bout that. My head is a lot thicker than my skin. I'm not so good with things more hi-tech than a coffee cup! And yes, I did get 2 quotes, early in the thread plus subsequent replies mixed up and the false association I made stuck in my head like mud on a barred tire! Somebody once said to me; 'when all else fails, pay attention; it don't cost a thing!'. I don't know if I will try and start yanking stuff apart today but I imagine I might have a few more questions and I'm certain I know where to ask even if I can't keep straight who to ask. LOL Right now, however I have something much more pressing of importance. FOOD! Oh, and coffee.

North Idaho Wolfman said:

You do know that "Shirley" has the power to Ban you!

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What,,, are you KIDDING?! You don't want to do that and miss all this world-class entertainment I provide. It's not fair that it is left to me to entertain everyone. Im sick and tired of it and Im not going to take it any more! If youse guys don't start contributing something then I am going to have to start charging you!

http://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19514&page=154

OK guys, my power is off right now as the tree trimmers/butchers for the power coop are prowling the neighborhood so it is too dark in the garage to work. I thought I would jump in here using candlelight and give an update. I finally got some time to have another look at the near impossible to see leaky joint at the bottom hard-line connection on the steering controller/spool assembly; p port. I was not able to find a 29mm combination wrench at any local retailers so I used a 1-1/8 in std open-end wrench which, as I predicted is a very snug fit. I was able to get it on securely enough that I could tell nothing had vibrated the ***8220;bolt***8221; loose. Now the question is this; what actually seals that joint? Is it just torque, or is it a o-ring or a gasket? The exploded parts view, thank you again NIWolfman, does not show any seal component as far as I can see, but I find it hard to believe that the seal relies solely on the bolt tightness. If that is the case, what should be the torque on that bolt? Also, if there is a seal of some kind will I have to take the entire controller out/off or should I be able to take the front of the tractor apart so that I can get a socket on the bolt head, loosen and remove it then install a new gasket or seal. I just remembered I have a borescope that might help me see better. Also Dick B commented early in the thread that he personally had never experienced a steering-hydraulics leak. Do you think it is possible that I am still missing something? Because I still can not actually see where the fluid is pouring from, but with engine running, if I put a rag on the spool assembly hard pipe, wipe it and then quickly put my finger on the bottom side, it comes away soaking wet.
Thank you in advance for giving my post another read.

Thanks Shirley! No, just kidding! I know who I'm talking to,,, this time at least. You nailed it! O-rings will prove to be the culprit. I just wish I could know why it is leaking. I wonder if I hit a branch in the pasture during one of my thoughtless, death defying stump jumping feats and somehow bent the pipe. I find it hard to believe, but hey, S,,, happens. I have not had time to start pulling the hood and cowl apart but I have no doubt thanks to your attachment, that I can now proceed with confidence. I have been floating mud in a new home addition; its toward the west so I call it the west wing. It will take a few days after work, tied up with that before I can get back to it, so I wont have any update. You'll be the first to know. And again thanks to all who have read the thread and especially to all who contributed.

MilkyWay said:

Thanks Shirley! No, just kidding! I know who I'm talking to,,, this time at least. You nailed it! O-rings will prove to be the culprit. I just wish I could know why it is leaking....

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Hello friends
Well I found my leak, finally. Is nothing ever simple?! Anybody ever heard of a cracked banjo braze? I finally got a socket that would (sort of) fit the bolt holding the hard pipe to the steering controller/spool which I just knew had seals that needed replacing. So, using a big breaker bar and pipe I got the bolt out, replaced the o-rings, put it back together, fired her up and put my finger under the pipe for assurance that it was no longer leaking. Well, guess again. So I got lights and a mirror to shed a little light on the subject and watched fluid magically appear on the side of the pipe. I am not sure but I think I can see a shadow, a hint of a crack through the paint. I even tried to take pictures but it is just too tight in there. I got my feelings hurt a little and my enthusiasm dropped upon this revelation, so I dropped it for a while to have a refreshing beverage and ask a few questions.
Q: Anything I need to know about pulling the pipe off at the pump end? I dont want a big surprise when I pull it loose. The only thing I did find is that a mount/support for that pipe located just behind the steering cylinder has fallen off but Shirley something like that would not cause the pipe to break. I don't trust my own skill set to repair the braze either so I will find someone locally that seems to know what they are doing. Does the old braze need to be ground away or what?
Also, my forward/reverse shuttle shift has been jury rigged for some time now and since I am in there, might as well address it.
Q: All shuttle linkage parts for that old tractor are discontinued. The part that is missing is the ball on the shift handle. #32530-41510 I think is the correct number on the pic under transmission, speed change lever, HDT shuttle shift. Of course it is the one that has left hand threads where the linkage rod screws in. So if somebody has one on a parts tractor I would like to buy it along with the left-hand jamb nut for the rod. I guess it is possible that other tractors use that same set-up and cross-over part numbers would be nice to have. I have not tried any of the suppliers you guys have mentioned on the site to see if they carry after market repair parts this unique. Thank you all again for your help.

RCW said:

I didn't verify if your P/N is correct, but it appears Colemans had them in stock? Messicks did say stock quantity was 0.

Coleman's said
"Ball, Link
In stock $182.28"

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Thanks for your quick response and dont get me wrong I appreciate you, I really do. Yes, the local Kubota dealer gave me a price like that before he looked further to find all the parts discontinued. That price sounds like it might be for the entire shift lever, complete linkage assembly, a neat looking knob, all parts gold plated, and a mechanic to install all. I need a tiny ball joint on a 5mm mounting screw and a jamb nut.

North Idaho Wolfman said:

Your going to need to get over several facts:....

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Thanks for the come-back. I was afraid you had written me off because I had pissed you off, and that is the last thing I wanted to do!! All points you made are taken to heart and as a matter of fact, in regards to item #3, I already started a search on a web-page for lawn mower ball joint and tie rod ends which gives descriptions regarding, for example left/right-hand thread applications, sizes etc. Most of them I have given a look at so far are STD/American sizes. It is absolutely AMAZING how much time one can invest researching this stuff. It Shirley is disappointing that a manufacturer as prolific as Kubota writes off tractors as obsolete, long before they are. Thanks again for yours and others input. This too will eventually be resolved!
PS: how do you hold the joint while removing the banjo bolt?
Jim@MilkyWay