Found my Hydro Leak

[BrianX128 107]

Ever since I bought my 417A I thought my rear axle looked wet, but when I tried to add a little fluid to have it be right at full I spilled some and that's always fun to get cleaned off so I just figured it was from that. Turns out it isn't and it's leaking from the filter mating surface. I'm guessing it's just a bad filter / gasket, and at this point want to just get a new one and put new fluid in it to be safe. 

 

I've been doing some reading online, and I know it's just 10w30 motor oil, but I've seen differing reviews of whether to use synthetic or not, and what filters to actually get to put on there.

 

 

This filter looks rather old. I'm going to wait to spin it off and do this until I get new parts, but it's for sure from the mating surface between filter and base so at least that's better than a line leaking. Every time I wiped it off it would start dripping directly from the bottom of the filter.

[peter lena 8,725]

all it is , is a machined seal surface and a flat o ring , should be easy , glad you stayed after it , pete

[Stepney 2,325]

I run Mobil 1 synthetic 10w30 in my GT-1848's 1100 hydro, per recommendation here. Supposedly it makes 'warmup quicker'. I'm not sure about that. Still takes a good few minutes before things begin to work, opposed to my old ATF units working immediately once started. But it seems to work well and runs quiet. 

[lynnmor 7,354]

1 hour ago, peter lena said:

all it is , is a machined seal surface and a flat o ring , should be easy , glad you stayed after it , pete

 

I think you will find that the surface is not machined and is just the die cast surface.

[JCM 9,402]

I have the Eaton 1100 in my 520-H and since 2002 and roughly 350 hours I have only used the Toro/ WH filter and Valvoline 10-30 and have never experienced any leaks or problems using regular grade oil. JMO .

[WVHillbilly520H 10,374]

17 minutes ago, JCM said:

I have the Eaton 1100 in my 520-H and since 2002 and roughly 350 hours I have only used the Toro/ WH filter and Valvoline 10-30 and have never experienced any leaks or problems using regular grade oil. JMO .

I'm with you on the TORO filters but have used Castrol GTX (standard and high mileage) exclusively since I bought the anniversary 520H brand new in 1998... No leaks here either and of the 3 520s I have owned they all seem to move rather quickly unless it's less than 20° outside.

Edited November 28, 2019 by WVHillbilly520H

[ZXT 2,401]

45 minutes ago, lynnmor said:

 

I think you will find that the surface is not machined and is just the die cast surface.

I've never seen a oil filter sealing surface that wasn't a machined surface. It would leak like crazy if it was die-cast.

 

Inspect the surface when you get the filter off. It's apparent that someone chiseled the filter off of my GT-14 when they couldn't get it off with a filter wrench and they boogered up part of the sealing surface. Luckily they didn't go all the way across the surface. Hopefully someone didn't do the same on yours. 

[JCM 9,402]

I am also a Castrol fan and the only reason I chose the Valvoline is because it is the only oil i have used in the 86 chevy K-20 since new  and now with 104000 miles the engine runs the same now as it did the day I drove it home from the dealership and that engine still runs flawlessly and has never been apart.

[WVHillbilly520H 10,374]

15 minutes ago, ZXT said:

I've never seen a oil filter sealing surface that wasn't a machined surface. It would leak like crazy if it was die-cast.

I'm sure it is die cast and that it may be machined but I can't remember off hand... Here's a pic of one of my 520s that I saved 3 years ago... 

[ZXT 2,401]

1 minute ago, WVHillbilly520H said:

I'm sure it is die cast and that it may be machined but I can't remember off hand... Here's a pic of one of my 520s that I saved 3 years ago... 

It's been machined. You can feel the difference between the sealing surface and the rest of the case. It's not near as rough. 

 

16 minutes ago, JCM said:

I am also a Castrol fan and the only reason I chose the Valvoline is because it is the only oil i have used in the 86 chevy K-20 since new  and now with 104000 miles the engine runs the same now as it did the day I drove it home from the dealership and that engine still runs flawlessly and has never been apart.

I also only run either Castrol or Valvoline. I generally choose whichever is cheapest at the time. Great results out of both. I won't run anything else.. especially Pennzoil!

[squonk 41,337]

Napa 1410 filter and Mobil 1

[bds1984 1,444]

I am not usually a Valvoline fan, I run SOPUS (Shell, Quaker State, and Pennzoil) and Wolf's head products, but I will give credit to Valvoline's synthetic 10W30 for working quite well in the Eaton 1100 transmissions.  In my 520H mutt I run 10W30 Valvoline Syn with absolutely ZERO issues.  Even when it is zero degrees I get instant response right after start-up and off plowing snow I go.   

[lynnmor 7,354]

They are not machined. 

[BrianX128 107]

Well it turns out it was actually leaking from the connection for the top hose going into it. I got an 11/16 wrench on the nut and was able to turn it 3/4 of a turn and the leak appears to have stopped. I'm still going to put a new filter on and change the oil.

[tom2p 2,394]

nice work 

 

and I just wondered how many uses I would have for 11/16 ;  case solved