Farmall 230: low oil pressure/leaky filter case

My 230 developed low oil pressure (started @ 30# then dropped to 10#) and was leaking oil around the filter case.

I followed the advice in this forum and rebuilt the oil pump: trued the bottom cover, cleaned the screen, new gaskets, new pressure spring, and new pressure valve. At the same time, I put in a new oil filter and a new gasket. Cleaned the case seat, and verified that there were no plugged holes in the retaining bolt. Pressure gauge is good (it was checked with a new gauge I just bought for my 100)

Put it back together, pressure was back between 30#-40# and stable. It has been fine the few times I used it since the pump work was done back in December.

After plowing snow earlier this week I noted oil on the floor when I parked it. I found oil at the base of the filter case, some at the top of the retaining bolt, more sprayed on the engine in that area, and the pressure was down to 10#.

The tractor showed no smoke or issues other than a "skip" a couple of times near the end of the night that appeared to correspond with dimming lights (lights off and no skip) so I think that is electrical and something beyond the oil issue.

Engine was rebuilt by my father a few years back and the tractor has had relatively few hours since - generally some occasional brush hog work and snow plowing and it has not been worked hard.

Thanks for any thoughts.

before picture
https://photos.yesterdaystractors.com/gallery/tphotos/a123709.jpg


after
https://photos.yesterdaystractors.com/gallery/tphotos/a123710.jpg

Is the oil level low? What weight oil are you using? Need to determine where the leak is, may be a gasket problem. Hal
PS: Need to make sure the battery is charging use a volt meter across the battery terminals and run the engine at 1/2 throttle or better. Should be 7.2 on a 6 volt system or 14.0 on a 12 volt system.

The groove at hte bottom of the filter case often seems like it is clean, when the fact is that there is a pyrolizzed square seal in the bottom. It is quite deep. if it is not removed (it could have been in there for the tractors "ever") it needs to come out. As indicated in the other post (El Toro) it could be low on oil, If you were working it hard with 10-30 oil 10# might be all it gets, but that is OK with good oil. Check that charging voltage, and get back to us if it is out of spec. JimN

On my Super M it seems everytime I put that oil filter gasket/o-ring thingy in, oil will leak like crazy around the cover that holds the filter in. I just replace the oil filter and throw that gasket away, and the cover doesn't leak. Don't know if this helps, but is my $.02
-David Goode Coggon, IA

Thanks to all for your help. (El Toro, thanks for pulling the photos up.)

I believe you found myanswer. I first checked the oil and it was at the "full" line.

As it appeared to be a gasket, I started looking again. The only one I had not replaced was the retaining bolt gasket, which happens to be brass and therefore never occurred to me. I picked up a new one this morning. Pulled off the cover and filter and removed the case gasket I just put in a month ago. I cleaned out the groove to be sure nothing was in there. I did have a new one so it went in.

Put everything back together with the new retaining bolt gasket and fired it up. (To answer JimN, I have 10-40 in it right now.) Right at the start the gauge read 40#, I let her run 15 minutes or so and pressure lowered to 30#. Started pushing back snow banks for another hour and the gauge was reading 20#. It never dropped lower than that.

My guess is that, with your help, I may have this problem resolved. Thanks.

I"ll have to let you know later on the electrical problem. I tried the meter I have across the battery terminals and could not get a good read. It never settled down. When I get a good check in the next day or so, I"ll re-post.

The easiest solution to poor readings is an analog (needle type). Even pretty good digital meters read very irratically on these old noisy electrical systems. A Fluke meter at 150.00 is usually very good with noise. A 15.00 meter from Radio shck works very well. JimN