New to tractors. Need help with a MF 230

Fabio C · Oct 7, 2018

Hello, first time here. I bought a MF 230 a week ago from a farmer with 700+ hrs. It runs great and had a small leak when I bought it. I took it home and changed oil and filter. Bush hogged with it, then put it away. I noticed a leak a day later and I placed an oil pan to see how much it leaked. Well it filled the pail in 24hrs. The scary part was that it was diesel, not oil. I also think I have fuel in oil. I took off covers and ran tractor and noticed a large leak coming from what looks like front of engine. I will post video or pictures. Can someone point me in right direction? Thanks

Crazy Horse · Oct 7, 2018

Unfortunately, the one guy who will know for sure is the guy who sold it to you. So if I read this
correctly, when it runs it is leaking diesel from the front of the engine? Can you be more specific than
just the front?

coshoo · Oct 7, 2018

DON'T run the tractor anymore, until you get it fixed. If it has a cam-operated fuel lift pump (like a car), that's probably the culprit- diaphragm is torn, fuel leaking directly into the crankcase. Other possibility is the injector pump, but messing with that is the last resort.

Dieseltech · Oct 7, 2018

If the engine oil level is rising with diesel fuel, it's coming from either the supply pump OR the injection pump. I'd replace the supply pump first, then if the oil still rises the injection pump will need resealed. Lately I've been repairing about six injection pumps a month for fuel into oil trouble.

showcrop · Oct 7, 2018

filling a drain pan in 24 hours while not running is a good leak so it has to be easy to find. In addition leaking while not running makes anything other than a line between the tank and the injection pump to be pretty unlikely. A leak that bad was not likely there before you Brough it home or you would have noticed it while on the trailer.

Fabio C · Oct 7, 2018

(quoted from post at 09:01:45 10/07/18) Unfortunately, the one guy who will know for sure is the guy who sold it to you. So if I read this
correctly, when it runs it is leaking diesel from the front of the engine? Can you be more specific than
just the front?

would like to share a video or photo I took.would you know how I can upload it?

showcrop · Oct 7, 2018

(quoted from post at 11:24:42 10/07/18)

(quoted from post at 09:01:45 10/07/18) Unfortunately, the one guy who will know for sure is the guy who sold it to you. So if I read this
correctly, when it runs it is leaking diesel from the front of the engine? Can you be more specific than
just the front?

Click to expand...

would like to share a video or photo I took.would you know how I can upload it?

Fabio, welcome to YT. New users are not allowed to upload pictures until a meeting of all ten year members vote you in. Or alternatively, you can go down to the site comments forum and ask the moderator to allow you to post.

Fabio C · Oct 7, 2018

(quoted from post at 09:01:45 10/07/18) Unfortunately, the one guy who will know for sure is the guy who sold it to you. So if I read this
correctly, when it runs it is leaking diesel from the front of the engine? Can you be more specific than
just the front?

orry, I'm not very mechanical. I believe the shop manual calls it the timing gear cover? There is a drive belt in the shape of a triangle. The leak seems to be coming from the gear that turns the fan? That is oil. The fuel looks like it was coming from a small hole underneath. Is that the weep hole.

Fabio C · Oct 7, 2018

(reply to post at 09:01:45 10/07/18)

he front where I'm talking about is a gear that the fan is connected to. I'm not very mechanical. There is where the oil is bleeding out. I think the fuel is leaking out a small hole underneath the tractor, I think I heard it called a weep hole? I'm not sure what that is.

ptfarmer · Oct 7, 2018

The leak coming from the pulley on the water pump that also runs the fan is the water pump seal going out, anti-freeze will feel slippery like oil. The oil coming out of the weep hole underneath could be transmission fluid if it is not a dark color. The only way fuel/engine oil can come out of the weep hole is a leaking rear main seal. To see if you are getting fuel in the engine oil is to check the oil on the dipstick before, and after you use it. If it is leaking fuel into the engine the oil level on the dipstick will be higher.

Fabio C · Oct 8, 2018

(quoted from post at 18:05:55 10/07/18) The leak coming from the pulley on the water pump that also runs the fan is the water pump seal going out, anti-freeze will feel slippery like oil. The oil coming out of the weep hole underneath could be transmission fluid if it is not a dark color. The only way fuel/engine oil can come out of the weep hole is a leaking rear main seal. To see if you are getting fuel in the engine oil is to check the oil on the dipstick before, and after you use it. If it is leaking fuel into the engine the oil level on the dipstick will be higher.

ow, that sounds expensive. So my question is, why was it not doing that when I first looked at tractor? He was bush hogging when I got to his house, left it running and we throttled it up and all that good stuff. There was a drip but, that's all it was.

showcrop · Oct 8, 2018

(quoted from post at 06:11:45 10/08/18)

(quoted from post at 18:05:55 10/07/18) The leak coming from the pulley on the water pump that also runs the fan is the water pump seal going out, anti-freeze will feel slippery like oil. The oil coming out of the weep hole underneath could be transmission fluid if it is not a dark color. The only way fuel/engine oil can come out of the weep hole is a leaking rear main seal. To see if you are getting fuel in the engine oil is to check the oil on the dipstick before, and after you use it. If it is leaking fuel into the engine the oil level on the dipstick will be higher.

Click to expand...

ow, that sounds expensive. So my question is, why was it not doing that when I first looked at tractor? He was bush hogging when I got to his house, left it running and we throttled it up and all that good stuff. There was a drip but, that's all it was.

Fabio, pics are needed to get zeroed in here. The weep hole that you mention could be the one under the water pump shaft seal, or it could be the one in the bottom of the bell housing that ptfarmer is referring to. Too many variables.

ptfarmer · Oct 8, 2018

(quoted from post at 06:11:45 10/08/18) wow, that sounds expensive. So my question is, why was it not doing that when I first looked at tractor? He was bush hogging when I got to his house, left it running and we throttled it up and all that good stuff. There was a drip but, that's all it was.

When they start leaking they don't usually stop leaking. The water pump is not that of a deal to change, if it's just the occasion drip out of the weep hole by the transmission that's almost normal for a tractor the age of the 230 (tractors that have some age on them like to mark their territory).

Fabio C · Oct 8, 2018

(quoted from post at 08:19:40 10/08/18)

(quoted from post at 06:11:45 10/08/18)

(quoted from post at 18:05:55 10/07/18) The leak coming from the pulley on the water pump that also runs the fan is the water pump seal going out, anti-freeze will feel slippery like oil. The oil coming out of the weep hole underneath could be transmission fluid if it is not a dark color. The only way fuel/engine oil can come out of the weep hole is a leaking rear main seal. To see if you are getting fuel in the engine oil is to check the oil on the dipstick before, and after you use it. If it is leaking fuel into the engine the oil level on the dipstick will be higher.

Click to expand...

Fabio, pics are needed to get zeroed in here. The weep hole that you mention could be the one under the water pump shaft seal, or it could be the one in the bottom of the bell housing that ptfarmer is referring to. Too many variables.

Click to expand...

would love to share pics and a few videos but I'm not able to according to the rules. I could email them to you?

Fabio C · Oct 8, 2018

(reply to post at 12:14:09 10/08/18)

k, I will look into water pump. My fuel tank was full but, now it's just about empty just sitting in barn. Where did all that fuel go? The engine is dry but the belly is wet and pan full of fuel?

ptfarmer · Oct 9, 2018

If your fuel tank was full, and now it almost empty from just sitting the engine would be full of fuel. Fuel would be dripping, or running out the dipstick tube if the dipstick fits a little loose so I'd pull the dip stick from the engine and see what happens. It may either shoot a stream of fuel out, or the oil level will be real high, and it would smell like diesel.

Fabio C · Oct 9, 2018

(quoted from post at 22:40:45 10/08/18) If your fuel tank was full, and now it almost empty from just sitting the engine would be full of fuel. Fuel would be dripping, or running out the dipstick tube if the dipstick fits a little loose so I'd pull the dip stick from the engine and see what happens. It may either shoot a stream of fuel out, or the oil level will be real high, and it would smell like diesel.

pulled stick, nothing came shooting out but it is over full and smells like diesel. What's that telling us? Injector pump?

ptfarmer · Oct 9, 2018

I would say it's the lift pump that is on the engine on the opposite side of the fuel injection pump. The lift pump has a rubber diaphragm that can leak fuel into the engine if it goes bad.

New to tractors. Need help with a MF 230

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