I wanted to share a recent experience I had hopefully to save others from splitting a tractor to replace a seal....I recently traded my 2010 L3400 with 340 hrs for a 2007 L3940 HSTC with 510 hours both with FELs. The L3940 was in great shape and extremely clean with no apparent leaks. The dealer who I had also bought my L3400 from delivered it and I parked it in my shop. The next morning I went out and found a 2' puddle of oil underneath the center of the tractor. My heart sank. I cleaned it up and drove it down to my pond and back and parked it. It immediately was dripping out the split pin hole and this time there was a 3' puddle around it. I emailed the dealer and let him know what was happening. He said he would arrange to pick it up and look at it. I went in the house and starting reading the forums on OTT and saw the common answer of splitting the tractor to replace a bad seal. After praying about it, I put my mind in motion and thought through the situation. A couple of related posts mentioned "vents". I checked the rubber horseshoe vent hose on my fill plug and it was completely blocked. I cleaned the mud out of it and could now blow through it. I cleaned up my mess again and drove back to the pond...retracing my actions....lifting the loader and putting it down a couple of times. I parked it back in the barn and to my VERY HAPPY SURPRISE, NO LEAK! I assume it was allowing enough pressure to build in the crankcase when it was blocked and with the loader cylinders releasing a large amount of fluid rapidly, it had to go somewhere so it found the path of least resistance....Praise God! I traced my front axle vent hose up the side of the block and found the metal tube it ends at and found it blocked also. Will watch to see if my 2 drips from the left front axle go away....
Just wanted to share in the hopes it saves someone from splitting their tractor over a simple blocked vent hose!!
Just wanted to share in the hopes it saves someone from splitting their tractor over a simple blocked vent hose!!
