Ferguson FF30 DS 1958 oil leaks

[Brittany Fergie]

Hi I'm new to this forum but would love some help with my Fergie's oil leaks. I've had the tractor for a few months but took it on it's first rally last Sunday here in Brittany, France and during the day I noticed an increasing oil leak. On inspecting the underside it appears that most of the oil is coming from in front of the gearbox drain plug that appears to have a split pin sticking out of it. there also seems to be a bolt missing from the underside of the engine just in front of the gearbox which could also be losing oil. The gearbox is very low on oil now (I'm not sure how full it's supposed to be?) but the engine oil level seems ok. pictures attached and any help would be appreciated. Thank you Jerry

[Mrsmackpaul]

welcome to the forum

Sounds like the input shaft seal on the gear box is leaking you will have to split the tractor to change it should not be a real big job
I think that bolt is meant to be missing out the bottom of the bell housing

Paul

[hair bear]

The hole in the bottom of the bell housing is there to make sure an oil leak like yours doesn't reach the clutch plates.
The loose split pin is to keep the hole clear. It just flaps around and wobbles about reducing the chance of the drain getting blocked.

[Brittany Fergie]

Thanks for the replies, so although the oil has leaked from the drain with the split pin it's actually a leaking input shaft seal?

[Mrsmackpaul]

well if the gear oil is going down and the engine oil isnt I would say its a fairly safe bet thats were the oil is coming from

If it was mine when I split the tractor I would change the rear main seal on the motor the spigot bearing the throw out bearing and check the clutch while its all apart no of them should cost much and they are easy to do when the tractor is that far apart

Paul

[hair bear]

Hi Jerry,
I think this is the Hotchkiss version of a TEF20. A picture of your tractor would be good so we have a general idea of the machine under discussion (we all like pics!).
The gearbox/axle/hydraulics are all in one, and there should be a dipstick on the side of the gearbox just in front of the axle. Empty to full is 5 gallons if I remember it right, although being a french model it may well have a reduction box which could make that figure wrong! The dipstick is the way to go. Most if not all the TEF parts are readily available in the UK, but to be safe you would need to cross reference them with suppliers just in case. 'Friends of Ferguson Heritage' may be able to help.
Keep us updated.
Rob.

[Brittany Fergie]

Thanks for the advice so far - here are some more pictures, I live in Brittany France and parts are easy to get here or Agriline will send the from the UK. I'm not intending to do a full restoration as it's going to be a working machine on our small-holding - but we do have a few tractor rally's around here each year and I'd like to attend those so I need it working well will attempt keep it in reasonable shape.

[hair bear]

Nice and tidy machine. Makes me wish I still had my TEF!
Did you do the alternator and starter mods? Does it still start on the gear stick or does it have a key?

[Brittany Fergie]

Not my modifications but it has a starter button (no key) starts very well but the pre-warmer takes a while so patience is the key! Thanks for the tip on the gearbox dipstick and now I've found it it's perhaps not as bad as I first thought as it's exactly half way between the two (max/min) Yes the capacity according to the French handbook is 22.8 litres which is about 5 galls. I know a little oil goes a long way and it seems to me now that the leak may be from the engine as much as the gearbox (cleaner oil in the gearbox and darker in the engine - the type that seems to be leaking out - and that's gone from max to about half way between max/min on the last run out)
Should I run it up to temperature without travelling to try and work out exactly where it's coming from?

[hair bear]

I think the only way to be sure is as Paul said and split it, it's a fairly straight forward job on those and once done you know it'll be good for the foreseeable future. Obviously keep an eye on the oil levels, don't forget the gearbox level will vary a bit as to whether the arms are up or down.