Fluid Bubbling out of shift boot Ford 4500

[HorseFamily]

Hi All - So i was doing some brush hogging today, Probably about an hour. I noticed the case of the transmission was getting hot feeling, and then Fluid started coming out of the shift boots and it appeared to be bubbling or boiling?

I took a picture then shut off the tractor.

I did not notice any issues with the engine during this time as far as overheating.

This is my first time owning a tractor and new to them in really almost every way. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Steve in IL]

You are really going to want to get an Operator's Manual. It will save you a lot of time and money.

I think for now, you really need to check the fluid level of your transmission. There should be a smaller plug on the other side from your
photo. About at the level of the floor boards (IIRC). If the transmission is overfilled, you'll need to figure out where that fluid came
from. (Again IIRC) those tractors use the same fluid reservoir for the hydraulic system and the rear axle. That level plug is just further
back from the transmission's.

Check both... What do you find?

 

[Bern]

It's obviously way overfull - with water. You need to get that nasty stuff drained out of there, and preferably flushed with
diesel fuel or something similar a couple of times before you fill it with fresh oil. Hopefully the bearings will still be OK.

You also need to figure out how all of that water got it there. Looks to me like it was parked under a leaking gutter with the
filler cap missing.

 

[shaun wallace]

Just as well do the R/A hyd section too. Level plugs about step level on rite side. Trans and r/a hyd seperate compartments.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

This was really a lucky event for you on a couple levels.
The worst being if you live in a freezing environment, the
water would have separated and froze up and broke
something.

 

[HorseFamily]

Thank you guys for getting back to me you guys, I appreciate the help.

I do have an operators manual and before i brought the tractor home i replaced the front hydraulic fluid for the loader, the engine oil, fuel filters, i put a new radiator in it with all new radiator fluid.

I did not do anything with the transmission or rear hydraulic or gear fluid.


So on your instructions i went outside and I pulled the plugs for both the transmission level and the rear hydraulics.

On both fluid came pouring out big time.

[video play=false:cd4cb95361]https://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/videos/mvvideo108942.mp4[/video:cd4cb95361]

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ibua....mp4?rlkey=upf4f33hknmvskrqxzh8iuddz&dl=0
This link is to the same video in higher quality

The rear hydraulic oil seemed to be good looking, but if it comes pouring out that means its too full right?

The transmission side was super milky, and tons of it came out, in face it was still coming out in a much smaller stream even 20 minutes later.

So that is my update so far. Once again thank you guys for being willing to help out a newbie.

 

[Eman85]

Little late now but checking the level first would have told you if it was overfilled. It's going to gush out whether overfilled or not.
Let it drain for a length of time to get as much out as possible. If it has a hydraulic filter I'd change it. Refill with the correct fluid to the correct level.

 

[JMOR]

I believe that video shows the Level Check plug and the drain plug is larger & on bottom, not side.

 

[HorseFamily]

These are the level check plugs, i have not opened the bottom drain plugs yet.

 

[HorseFamily]

Yes i opened the level check plugs and the fluid came gushing out, I have not opened the drain plugs yet

 

[Sean in PA]

I assume that this tractor is "new to you". If so, and you do not have detailed service record from the previous owner (or even if you do, but do not know the previous owner well), you should drain all fluids, replace all filters, and then refill all compartments with new oil/fluid, just so you know that the proper fluid, and the proper amount of fluid, is in each compartment and that there are new filters all around. If any fluid comes out foamy or milk-shakey like that trans fluid, you should do a complete replacement of the fluid and filter, then run it for an hour or so, and replace the fluid and filter again. If it comes out looking bad the second time, then do it a third time.

 

[HorseFamily]

Ok yeah i will do that. It is new to me, but it was owned by a friend for a long time. He has just had it sitting a couple years or more because he got a new one.

Is there a transmission filter on my tractor, i dont see one in my operators manual?

We already had replaced the engine oil and filters and what not recently.

 

[Sean in PA]

Is there a transmission filter on my tractor, i dont see one in my operators manual?

From your pictures, it looks like it has a manual transmission with dual shifters on the transmission top cover, either a 6x4 manual reversing trans or a manual 6x2 or 8x2 trans, so it should not have a filter for the transmission fluid. The only transmissions available on the 4500 that had transmission filters were the Select-O-Speed (10 speed power shift) transmission and the torque converter 4x4 auto reversing transmission, and neither of those have the twin shifters on the transmission top cover like in your pictures.

 

[HorseFamily]

(quoted from post at 19:42:09 08/24/23)

Is there a transmission filter on my tractor, i dont see one in my operators manual?

From your pictures, it looks like it has a manual transmission with dual shifters on the transmission top cover, either a 6x4 manual reversing trans or a manual 6x2 or 8x2 trans, so it should not have a filter for the transmission fluid. The only transmissions available on the 4500 that had transmission filters were the Select-O-Speed (10 speed power shift) transmission and the torque converter 4x4 auto reversing transmission, and neither of those have the twin shifters on the transmission top cover like in your pictures.

Ok so i got the plug off the bottom of the transmission today, the fluid was very milky and thick.

Is there a good way to flush this out before adding new hydrolic fluid or do i just add it, and then change it again very soon?

 

[Check Break]

(quoted from post at 18:06:51 08/28/23)
Is there a good way to flush this out before adding new hydrolic fluid or do i just add it, and then change it again very soon?

Pull the top cover off the transmission. Use a Hudson sprayer and diesel to wash it out. We used to use Kero but it's prohibitively expense around here now. Reinstall the top cover and let her drain for a day before refilling with UTF.

 

[Check Break]

This will help keep the rain out but it's better to keep her under cover.