Ferguson TO-20 Leaks

[T-Nason]

Purchased a TO20 the other day and once I got it home and started using it some, pulling wagons etc its begun to leak from the clutch bell housing and the spark plugs? i understand a input shaft leak is one thing but I've never seen a spark plug get oil around it. seems 2-3 of the 4 cylinders have this issue? need to do a compression test as I wonder if its rings that are junk and I'm due for a rebuild. is this a good thing to be thinking? any advice what could cause this?
if a rebuild is needed, how hard is it on one of these wet sleeve engines? this would be my first true engine rebuild.
 

[jhwis]

Often times there are cracks in the block between cylinders. Might need to get liners put in.
 

[T-Nason]

The oil is good in it, not contaminated so I do not think its a cracked block. Any other way to check before taking it apart?
 

[Patsdeere]

I assume the compression rings are around the base of the plugs?
 

[rustred]

Those cracks between cyls are not related to what u are talking about. Min
 

[Steve@Advance]

Being the tractor is new to you, I would suggest you keep using it a while, see how it performs, see if it meets your needs, start a list of everything you find wrong. Then you can make a decision on what you want to when you go into it. Buying a tractor that age, you can expect to have problems. Nothing worse than having to go back in because another problem showed up after it's all back together! And, get a shop manual, used ones are on Ebay cheap!

As for the oil coming from the bell housing, probably from the engine rear main. Common for them to leak, that's why there is a drain hole. It can also be from the transmission input shaft seal. Check the transmission oil level and condition. Very common to have water in the cases, it gets in around a bad shift boot and condensation. Also check the engine oil level for overfull. If the gas was left on it can be contaminated with fuel. A leaking rear main is usually a symptom of a loose engine. Replacing the seal is a major job, usually with temporary results as a worn engine will soon beat the new seal out.

As for the common block cracking problem on those engines, I blame it on freezing. They crack on the bottom of the cylinder webs, coolant in the oil is the symptom. But so can other problems cause coolant in the oil. If you are serious about doing a rebuild, I suggest removing the engine and doing it right. Doing an inframe will still leave you with a leaking rear main. The wet sleeves just sit in the block, easy out, but the seat at the bottom, where the orings seal, must be thoroughly cleaned once they are out.

Oil around the plugs is no big deal. Common for plug gaskets to seep. The combustion gases containing small amounts of oil escape, leaving an accumulation of oil behind. Take the plugs out, clean the seats and gasket, make sure the gaskets are in place, tighten them down, making sure they ago all the way down to the gasket. On a new gasket, you can feel the gasket crush as the plug is finally tightened.

Also look for oil coming down from above, as in the valve cover gasket. That can also be confused for a rear main leak.