350 oil leak part 2

[scremineagle]

got my skidpan off what i found was oil coming from a quarter inch round hole in housing guessing this hole is there to send oil leak out but not sure any help on my next step greatly appreciated got it out of woods and in shop but not sure where to start have been told may be seal on input shaft? new ground for me

[KenP]

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[scremineagle]

Yes I believe this drain hole is where my oil is driping. Iwill get a manual but need to figure out exactly what I have. When I purchased it was told 1968-1970 350 straight. That fill tube is the only fill point on entire machine if that helps. The only decals are on side of hydralic tank & battery compartment. They say 350 no b or c. Reverser lever is on dash on left side. Will try and get some pics posted Thanks for all the help. Maybe one of you enthusiast would like to purchase this loader crawler.

[KenP]

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[scremineagle]

Thanks Ken pics are sure nice very helpfull. Need to get service manual to tackle this. Do you know the best place to find one. And is sm-2063 the one I need. Crawler has brand new rollers on both sides clutches were new 3 years ago and gas engine burns no oil plus feels real strong. Truly believe it is worth the fix but I am a carpenter not mechanic. Only wood I can find on this unit is what I cut and throw in bucket.

[KenP]

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[LeonardL]

Okay, I love it when Kenp posts pictures! I want to add a possibility here before you go to all the trouble of pulling your reverser. You may have already determined that the hole you refer to is in fact where the oil is coming from.
However! In Kens last photo, you can see the input shaft of the Reverser. Directly below that input shaft, in the bottom of the reverser bell housing, is a drain hole as well. Most of them have a "Cotter Key" installed in them to help in keeping that hole clear.
What I am suggesting is that you make sure where your oil is coming from. There should be a small hole at each of these points. One where I just described and the other where Ken has pointed out.
If it is the hole at the bottom of the front bell housing of the reverser, then your leak will be coming from the input shaft seal that is mounted in the reverser pump housing. You can see this pump in Kens last picture. The reverser pump is held on to the reverser front cover by four bolts and you can remove this pump to replace the input shaft seal and a square O-ring style sealing ring that is mounted in a groove in the back of the pump housing.
This might save you some considerable labor if it is coming from the front rather than the back. If it is the front all you have to do is remove the engine. And that is as Ken says, relatively easy. I've pulled these engines in less than an hour before. But then I've pulled a few of them before. My point is the same as Kens. You can do this! It's just grunt labor!! So...Have fun!!

[scremineagle]

Thanks for all the help. Crawled it in shop today and soon as I find service manual will begin. Yes I do have a couple mechanical buddys willing to help. Will more than likely have more than a few ? so please stay tuned. Spent 4 days clearing trails got 20 good saw logs and brought home 12 cord split. Will enjoy getting fixed and back out in woods.

[KenP]

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[scremineagle]

Further investigation shows the oil coming from drain hole at the front of the reverser. My question is what do I need to order for parts or maybe I should wait until I have engine out to order. Be nice to have parts so I don't tie up shop. The knowledge on this site is invaluable. Learning as I go maybe one day will be able to pass on some tips.

[LeonardL]

You are going to need a seal anyway. No matter what you find, you don't want to go in that deep and not change the seal and the O-ring behind the pump housing. So I would go ahead and order those two items.
Once you have the engine out and the pump off of the front of the reverser, You will need to check the end play of the reverser to make sure your input shaft bearings are okay.
I don't want to cause a "Black Cloud" to start forming over your parade but sometimes the reason the seal fails in the first place are those bearings.
Just grasp the end of the input shaft and do a push / pull motion and you should only detect a slight bit of in and out movement. Only a few thousandths of an inch of end play. If it is more than that, then you will need to pull the reverser and overhaul it.
Hopefully for you it will only be the seal. As I said, I don't want to be the Black Cloud here! I'm just saying you need to be prepared to go deeper if need be.
Good Luck!!!

[KenP]

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[scremineagle]

Thanks for all the information it's a great help. won't get to it till weekend but sounds very doable. Thanks again

[KenP]

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[jdemaris]

Further investigation shows the oil coming from drain hole at the front of the reverser. My question is what do I need to order for parts or maybe I should wait until I have engine out to order. Be nice to have parts so I don't tie up shop. The knowledge on this site is invaluable. Learning as I go maybe one day will be able to pass on some tips.

A leak like that is rarely caused by just a bad seal. More often the input shaft is very loose and took the seal out. To fix correctly, the reverser needs to come completely out - if that shaft needs to be tightened. The input shaft/output shaft ride on three adjustable bearings and the shim pack to adjust is in the rear of the reverser housing.

I've never pulled apart a high-hour reverser that was NOT too loose in front. Especially straight 350s since their bearings wear faster then on newer machines because one is smaller that in the later series. That small bearing got upgraded with the B series.