need help with front axle oil leak.

hey guys ! im new to orangetractortalks... i got my very first tractor on 25th of june. its needed a lot of work, as the previous owners seemed to only repair things that stopped the little tractor from moving.. greasing things, and general maintenance didnt seem on their list.

luckily everything thats expensive, ( engine, 4x4, transmission, and everything hydrolic fil, and 3 point system etc, seems in excellent shape, and works perfectly.

i have just been busy fixing everything else.. radiator, bent 3 point parts, seat, throttle lever, steering bushing, rear axle hubs, rebuilt badly bent bucket, broken grease fittings, and next will be headlights, and rewire all the lights, and apply new hood stickers, replaced broken grill. ( i repainted everything orange, and the frame gloss black, which makes it look MUCH better, as it was really scratched up, and had a few dents i had to knock out of the hood))

anyway.... heres my problem. i have a oil leak at the front axle, where the axle shaft leaves the hub.

i am not a total noob to mechanical things... i know that its the axle seal thats leaking oil. my question is... in a car, this is USUALLY due to the bearings wearing, and letting the axle sit lower/ higher, and pulls the seal and allows oil to seep out. ( usually a real axle issue. ).

anyway. i dont know much about tractors. and im not sure if i need to replace the seal.. or possibly the bearings as well. the tractor has 1050 hours on it.

my question is... WHAT USUALLY, needs to be replaced when a axle is leaking oil?? seal.... bearings and seal??

i MIGHT have caused the leak unattentionally. i replaced all the oil in everything, and i filled the axle full to about 1/4-1/2 inch from the filler hole. ( it was lower than that originally approx 1-1.5 inch from hole..., i NOW suspect it might have leaked out as im pretty sure 1-1.5 inches below filler hole is too low, it leaked oil out and its now back to about 1 inch from the filler hole.... im not sure if its done leaking though, it seems to be going to leak until its even with the axle seal.

COULD i have over filled it, causing the oil to leak out?? or do you think it originally leaked out, as there was no oil leak until i refilled it?

1. what usually has to be replaced when the axle seal leaks?
2. did i over fill, by filling it to within 1/4-1/2 inch from filler hole??

heres my little baby and me mowing. YESTERDAY was my first day actually working the tractor. I DID NOT HAVE A LEAK, UNTIL AFTER I FINISHED MOWING. BEFORE MOWING, THERE WAS NO LEAK..i appreciate the help.

rentthis said:

I have had that problem over the years. My dealer told me to drain the fluid in the differential and out drives and replace it with 90w gear oil. On most of them, that worked very well. In some events, I have had to replace the seals. With your mechanical ability, replacing the outdrive seals should be straight forward and simple. Just take it apart and see what it needs. It's unlikely that you have gear or bearing damage unless the previous owner ran it when it was dry.

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it was not ran dry. i did refill with 90 gear oil..... so, looks like i might have to pull it apart and see what the problem is. dang it.

just a question, as i have never opened up this type of axle.

its NOT really possible for the axle oil, to drain out thru the outdrives is it?

for instance... overfilling the axle could not let the oil drain into the outdrives, and then out around the outer axle seal ???????

because i filled my axle full to just below the fill hole. and it seems to have dropped about a inch. i was wondering it it was possible i overfilled it.... and the extra oil decided to move thru the seals until the level drops to normal. im not trying to ask a dumb question. ;(