BX23 Leaking front axle

[PA452]

Recently bought a used BX23 with about 600 hours on it. Noticed tonight there is oil leaking from the front transaxle. It's at the pivot point in the center of the tractor. The two ends by the wheels look dry. I don't know yet how bad it is. I wiped it all off and I'll see how fast it comes back. The oil is low, but it's still reaching the dipstick.

In doing a little reading it seems everyone says to just use 80W-90 up front as a potential fix to start, apparently they came from the factory with UDT? Looking at the service records I got from the dealer the previous owner was using, there are two quarts of 80W-90 listed so I assume they've already replaced the UDT. Maybe that oil was there from before the change, maybe not. For now I'm just going to top it off with 80W-90 and see how it goes.

Is this something I need to be highly concerned of or take a wait and see approach? How hard is it to replace the o-rings?

Thanks

 

[forceten]

Is it in the same spot as mine?

http://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22391

 

[PA452]

Nope, it's at the center where the whole front axle pivots on the frame.

 

[lugbolt]

Been a while, but IIRC, the pivot point is dry, meaning it doesn't contact any oil. If you're seeing oil there, it may be a good time to pull the axle out of the tractor (it isn't that bad) and have a looksee. I do remember seeing one that was cracked, but that tractor was used for stuff that an M59 would be used for, like pulling tree stumps, moving concrete driveways, etc. It was used really hard.

Could also be a power steering hose, as they pass kind of above that point. And that was pretty common for them to leak. I think Dayco had a run of junk hoses at one point. I think it was Dayco, do not remember for sure.

And yes I tend to favor 80w90 because it leaks out slower.

 

[PA452]

Been a while, but IIRC, the pivot point is dry, meaning it doesn't contact any oil. If you're seeing oil there, it may be a good time to pull the axle out of the tractor (it isn't that bad) and have a looksee. I do remember seeing one that was cracked, but that tractor was used for stuff that an M59 would be used for, like pulling tree stumps, moving concrete driveways, etc. It was used really hard.

Could also be a power steering hose, as they pass kind of above that point. And that was pretty common for them to leak. I think Dayco had a run of junk hoses at one point. I think it was Dayco, do not remember for sure.

And yes I tend to favor 80w90 because it leaks out slower.

I would have fully expected that hole to be dry too, but based on some reading it seems that's not the case. When searching last night I came across a couple threads where guys said they had a leak at the pivot pin. One included pics and it appeared just as mine did. Unfortunately I can't find the same thread or I would post it.

 

[hodge]

A different tractor, I know, but the principles are the same. When I change the oil on my B7100, it is impossible to contain all of the oil that comes out of the filter when it is removed. I clean it up as much as possible, but over a couple of days, some oil residue migrates down to the axle. Before I would go tearing anything apart or removing the axle, I would clean the area up thoroughly, and determine exactly where the oil is originating. Because of gravity, it can be coming from a lot of different sources, and winding up down at the axle.
It may turn out to be a simple fix, or even oil residue from a change.

 

[ThisIsNotaStep]

I have the same unit, it's not the axle. All the plumbing for the loader transitions from hard to soft lines above there and one of the unions got loose, or a hose was changed and what you see is the aftermath. Just clean it up and watch for any more leaks.

 

[PA452]

I have the same unit, it's not the axle. All the plumbing for the loader transitions from hard to soft lines above there and one of the unions got loose, or a hose was changed and what you see is the aftermath. Just clean it up and watch for any more leaks.

I saw the lines, they were dry. And the oil in the axle is low. I'll be looking again, I wiped what I could clean two nights ago. But I feel pretty confident that it's coming from the transaxle.

 

[PA452]

A different tractor, I know, but the principles are the same. When I change the oil on my B7100, it is impossible to contain all of the oil that comes out of the filter when it is removed. I clean it up as much as possible, but over a couple of days, some oil residue migrates down to the axle. Before I would go tearing anything apart or removing the axle, I would clean the area up thoroughly, and determine exactly where the oil is originating. Because of gravity, it can be coming from a lot of different sources, and winding up down at the axle.
It may turn out to be a simple fix, or even oil residue from a change.

Agreed, and I considered that. I don't plan on tearing into anything right away. For now I've wiped what I could clean. I'm going to top off the transaxle because it's low. And I'll see if it goes down and how long it takes, and watch for oil on the frame underneath again.

I talked to a service guy at the dealer I've started getting supplies from. He said they fix maybe 2-3 of those a year. Said it's usually just a matter of replacing the o-rings and the backup seals, and properly tightening the pin. I might also check the torque on the pin. I read on another forum at some point that that helped with a guy's leak; the service guy didn't buy that but he also said if the leak is really minor, I could easily just live with it and top it off now and then.