Go'in nuts here. Tried several times to get at seal in the elbow fitting that has the filter in it on the lower left side of the transaxel Got a new o ring at the dealers. He said take two, now I know why. I asked him if he had any tips to install the elbow. He said to coat the o ring with silicone grease and do not overtighten. I did this with about 3 gallons of hy-tran in the axel. Getting about a drop a minute. Do they all weep or should I expect to get a good seal? The first time tried it with the old o ring and some top quality sealant it leaked bad so that is when I went to the dealers. Maybe I should try a sealant with a new o ring? Thanks in advance for any cure.
No progress. Every time I try a new approach I have to drain the transaxle, a pain. Really need to hear from someone who solved this problem. Thinking now of draining again and cleaning up the surfaces with brake cleaner then using Permatex as a sealant with the new o ring. any thoughts on this or other cures. Machine is down because of this and the weather is not getting any better as time goes on.
I am assuming you have a 580K or SK phase 3. Those orings at that fitting are not usually an issue. Has the elbow been damaged in any way? There is a possibility of a crack in the pipe or weld. Is the washer behind the nut in good shape? I have only ever installed that fitting with a bit of petroleum jelly as lube, have reused orings many times - & not leaked. You need to look closer at the fitting.
I wondered about the washer. Looked in the case parts book and that does not look like a purchase item. Only shows the o ring # 11. Looked at the fitting and tried to get the washer off by threading it, would not come. The washer looks a little pitted on its surface that goes against the 0 ring. Could it have been overtightened and warped or could the pitting be an issue. Would like to make this thing work, don't want to buy a whole fitting, but might have too. What would you suggest as a sealant? Do you just take up the slack what tightening or snug it down or tighten it good?
It looks like fitting time for you...someone else has already tried a temporary repair, now it is time to do it right!
The pitting on the washer should not cause an issue, as long as it is in place & not causing damage to the oring. I only ever tighten the nut using a large pair of multi-grip pliers - so it is tight, but not crazy tight. Any type of sealant should not be necessary - that is what the oring is supposed to do. Once again I would suggest a very close inspection of the tube. Perhaps you should check the weld using a aerosol crack detection kit. While the elbow is out you could plug one end of the tube & fill it with diesel & see if the problem shows itself.
Update: Called the dealer today and the elbow is not available, the cost quoted was $237, they checked across the nation at other dealers for old stock. Talked to the tech at the dealer and I asked him if a bigger o ring might work. He said it was worth a try. Went to the local hydraulic hose outlet and they fixed me up with several o rings one of which was the same ID but just a little thicker. First time I installed it leaked just a little. Took it out and cleaned it up again and was careful not to overtighten. Put 3 gallons in transaxel and it is still holding 3 hours. What will happen overnight and with 20 gallons of hot oil in it is the question. However I'm optimistic. Saga continues.
Used a larger o ring with success. The problem was, I think, that as you turn the elbow into the transaxle to its fullest the elbow does not line up with the rubber pipe. So, you have to turn the fitting almost 3/4 turn counter clockwise to get it to line up with the pipe. This does not allow the flange on 16 to push o ring 11 tight to the transaxle. So the thicker o ring allowed me to make the seal. The thing is up and running with no leaks. Going to try the hoe out for the first time this afternoon, I'm sure I'll find something else.