MF 50 Oil Leaks

[Jeremy L]

I haven't been around too many MF's but I am currently working on a MF 50 and upon removing the existing clutch dual clutch (Serial # S6M 537762, 4 cyl. continental gas engine) I noticed it was covered in oil. A few questions I have are:

- How do you change the rear engine seal. It looks like only the top half I can take off since the bottom bolts appear to be in the other direction. Do you have to take the oil pan off to change the seal (not a rope seal)

- How do you change the seals in the power input shaft. Do you have to remove it and take it apart to put them in from the back side?

- What type of oil and how much does the rear end take? I am assuming they used 80W90 gear oil in the rear end of these?

- The valve on the top of the transmission housing (push/pull lever shown) leaks constantly. What is the best way to fix this leak?

Sorry I do not have a service manual and am not that familiar with these tractors. Thanks in advance for all of your assistance.

 

[ptfarmer]

(quoted from post at 06:54:39 11/06/18) I haven't been around too many MF's but I am currently working on a MF 50 and upon removing the existing clutch dual clutch (Serial # S6M 537762, 4 cyl. continental gas engine) I noticed it was covered in oil. A few questions I have are:

- How do you change the rear engine seal. It looks like only the top half I can take off since the bottom bolts appear to be in the other direction. Do you have to take the oil pan off to change the seal (not a rope seal)

You have to drop the oil pan, then the rear main cap, and yes it is a rope seal.
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How do you change the seals in the power input shaft. Do you have to remove it and take it apart to put them in from the back side?

The lower shaft behind the little cover with 4 bolts has to be removed so the lower gears can drop down so you can pull the input shafts out to replace the seals.
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What type of oil and how much does the rear end take? I am assuming they used 80W90 gear oil in the rear end of these?

You will get some different answers but these used to use 90wt mineral oil since the transmission/hydraulics/rearend share the same lubricant.
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- The valve on the top of the transmission housing (push/pull lever shown) leaks constantly. What is the best way to fix this leak?

That is a diverter valve for the hydraulics, either the seals are bad (usually O-rings), or the housing is just wornout.
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Look on youtube, there are some videos there that go through, and show you what you need to do, but a shop manual is good to have.

 

[Massey3518]

That diverter valve could be leaking at the gasket or and the hose connection ?

Is the input shaft seals leaking ? I'd clean out that whole bellhousing and see what your dealing with.
Some input shafts require the transmission to come apart from the back end to take out the input shaft. Some don't it's all to do with the bottom shaft as to.whether it comes forward or goes back.
You really don't know until.you see what snap rings/circlips your meeting.

The bottom plate comes off, remove the snapring off the shaft then you press out the bearing with boltd in the centre holes. When this is off you'll see a spacer on the shaft against a gear, if you remove the spacer and see a circlip your in luck. The shaft will come forward and the gear will drop down allowing the imput shaft to be realised from above and yes there's 2 seals in it all to be taken out from it in the back.

Take photos of.everything as you go along so.you know what's what going back

 

[Massey3518]

I.I should add that the break shaft will have to be removed also before you start.

You are missing the bottom inspection plate/clutch adjustment plate off that tractor also which is allowing that dirt I to stick to the oil

 

[miner09]

You have to drop pan to get to three bolts inside engine to remove rear seal.Three on outside-in your picture. You have two seals in transmission output shaft. Remove brake shafts-throw out bearing etc. Remove pto cover plate bottom left--snap rings(2)-look at washer on gear when remove it. It has a lip and has to back same way. Will work either way but you can't get snap ring on. Drop pto gear down and out a little. This will drop gear so output retainer can come out. Take snap ring out in end retainer and this will let main shaft come out retainer assembly. You will see small seal and larger seal. Replace both then re-assemble.

 

[2tractors]

I'll add that the shafts where the seals ride need to be worked over with emery cloth.

 

[Jeremy L]

Thank you very much for this information miner09. This is exactly what I was looking for and it confirms my suspicions.

Why would they make the rear engine seal retainer bolt on from the inside out? Otherwise this seal would be very simple to change. Is there any other surprises I should be aware of when it comes to removing the oil pan?

Does the rear end and hydraulics share the same reservoir and if so, what type of oil is best to use? FYI, this tractor has a loader on it.

Sorry for all of the questions. Thank you all for your posts. They have all be very helpful and are much appreciated.

Regards,

 

[Jeremy L]

To get to the 2 seals in the output shaft there appears to be several bearings, etc. in the retainer assembly, do these all have to come apart to replace the seals or do they all just come out as one piece and are the seals easily accessible from there?

I am just wondering if I have to pull/cut any bearings, etc. off to get to the seals.

 

[miner09]

It takes 8 gallons of oil. Drain both drain plug.I use TSC 90 wt oil that has on can for Ford transmission.When refilling add about half oil and let set so it can run to rear end and lever. It takes a little time. On pan when you replace don't over tighten front bolts on front timing cover. It's aluminum and you can strip threads. Use light coat #2 permatex on pan. When the retainer comes apart bearing's will stay in place. Will not come out by removing main shaft.

 

[Jeremy L]

Thanks again miner09 for all of your assistance and thorough replies.

Last questions, so the bearings stay on the shafts or in the retainer? Are the seals easily accessible once you have the retainer out of the tractor or do you have to disassembly much of guts of the retainer which may require replacing more parts just to get to the seals? Are the bearing not in the way of getting to the seals so do they not have to be removed?

Regards,

 

[miner09]

Take main shaft out then you can see seal inside retainer.

 

[Jeremy L]

Can?t get the power input shaft out any further than shown in the photos.

 

[Jeremy L]

Can?t seem to post the photos from my phone. The input shaft comes partly out but won?t come out all the way.

 

[Jeremy L]

Gear won?t drop down to let the input shaft out. What am I
missing?

 

[Jeremy L]

The pto shaft won't drop down enough to release the power input shaft. The front pto shaft can only go back and does not come out through the bell housing because there is a snap ring on the back side of the gear shown in the photo I posted earlier. I see the pto shaft is threaded in the middle. If I put a bolt in the center of it, will the pto shaft move back enough to drop out of the gear so that I can let it down to get the power input shaft out and then when done I can use the bolt to pull the shaft back through the gear into place?

This is the only way I can see this working unless I completely remove the transmission which seems a little ridiculous to have to do to change two seals that can possibly be a quite common repair on these machines.

As previously noted I don't have a service manual and I understand based on some previous posts that there are a coupler versions of this rear end.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Regards