My Small Garden Tiller Is Leaking Oil Seals, Is There Anything I Can Do ?

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Advice on leaking Troy-bilt seals

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Gregory T. McFarland

02-20-2007 23:19:18

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Hello. I have a Troy-bilt Horse that was my Grandfather's. It had been stored outside for as long as I can remember, and seemed froze up. It was also leaking oil like crazy. After removing the belts, the engine turned over with decent compression. I replaced all the bearings and seals in the transmission, and did a tune-up on the Tecumseh and it now works great. My family has used it two seasons now. It is still leaking some oil at both the axles and the back of the tiller shaft. Is this normal or did I do something wrong? I cleaned the housings out with a nice white rag, then pressed the seals in; no silicone or anything. It doesn't leak as bad but it irritates me that I have to park it over cardboard. What did I miss?

Thanks,

Gregg

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Leland

02-24-2007 05:05:22

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Re: Advice on leaking Troy-bilt seals in reply to Gregory T. McFarland, 02-20-2007 23:19:18

I have had several older horses and I think that oil leaking is just a fact of life for these tillers ,and make sure you put gl-1 oil in gear box since gl-5 is supposed to eat up the brass gears .

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02-22-2007 07:10:23

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Re: Advice on leaking Troy-bilt seals in reply to Gregory T. McFarland, 02-20-2007 23:19:18

Gregory,
The reason most Troy bilt tillers have leaking seals after replacing them is because the axles/tine shafts are also bad. What happens is, 90wt oil in a close gear case, needs a vent, and sometime the vent will get plugged up, when it does, it starts venting around the rubber seal on the shaft, follows the path of least resistance, but anyway, the case will vent through the rubber lip on the seal, when it does, it then starts collecting dirt on the axle at the seal, the the axle turning with the dirt around the seal acts just like sandpaper, and it will make a ring around the axle where the rubber lip goes, and then the seal no longer seals, it lets oil drip out there. So, you may have to replace the axles or what shaft is leaking. this has been my experience with working on these tillers for the last 20 years.

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Gregory T. McFarland

02-22-2007 23:03:21

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Re: Advice on leaking Troy-bilt seals in reply to JT, 02-22-2007 07:10:23

JT,

is there a way for me to tell that the axle is bad without special tools? I had the transmission completely apart and there was no wear that could be seen on the parts. Is it possible to install a vent to try and stop the leakage?

Sorry for all the stupid questions,

Gregg

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02-23-2007 06:47:11

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Re: Advice on leaking Troy-bilt seals in reply to Gregory T. McFarland, 02-22-2007 23:03:21

If you have put new seals in and it still leaks, then the axle will have a little ring worn where the seal rides on the axle shaft and really the only way to tell is to buy a new set of seals, take out the old seals, the take a look at the axle, it will have a little ring around it where the seal rides. Probably 60% of the ones we run through the shop that have seals leaking are from worn shafts, either axle or tine shaft. If it is leaking from worn axle, you have 2 choices, you can replace axle, or get a set of Speedi-sleeves. they may or may not fit on this application, but it is worth looking into, a lot easier repair than removing axle from gear case.

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El Toro

02-23-2007 04:23:01

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Re: Advice on leaking Troy-bilt seals in reply to Gregory T. McFarland, 02-22-2007 23:03:21

That gear case is probably vented through the threads of the bolt that secures the handle on the tiller. I've had 30 of these tillers and had very few problems with oil leakage. New seals stopped the leaking if I did have a leak. Hal

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02-23-2007 07:36:51

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Re: Advice on leaking Troy-bilt seals in reply to El Toro, 02-23-2007 04:23:01

Hal,
you are a lucky? man if you have not had a lot fo issues with Troybilt tiller shaft seals leaking. But I see by the pics of your equipment that you take batter than average care of your equipment, and that my friend makes a big differance on these tillers.

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El Toro

02-23-2007 07:59:52

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Re: Advice on leaking Troy-bilt seals in reply to JT, 02-23-2007 07:36:51

Some were not in such great shape when I got them since about 25 were used tillers. I only had to change the wheel shaft seals on several of the used tillers. The shaft tine seals were another story since all that dirt and grit chew up the seals. Hal

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02-24-2007 08:49:55

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Re: Advice on leaking Troy-bilt seals in reply to El Toro, 02-23-2007 07:59:52

We work on quite a few Troybilt tiller and have to replace at least one axle and 3-4 tine shafts a year, might be a soil differance, I live in Illinois with old black soil, and it is like sandpaper on any shaft surfaces.
Jim

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El Toro

02-24-2007 09:17:27

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Re: Advice on leaking Troy-bilt seals in reply to JT, 02-24-2007 08:49:55

My late grandparents had that black soil in western IN. I think they were close to the IL border. It was in a small town called Waveland.
They should've had a Troy Bilt tiller. I'm in MD
near the PA and Delaware line. Hal

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Gregory T. McFarland

02-21-2007 19:54:27

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Re: Advice on leaking Troy-bilt seals in reply to Gregory T. McFarland, 02-20-2007 23:19:18

Thanks for your help. I got this reply on another webpage:

<<<<
Ordinary parafin wax, the kind that is used in home canning works well in sealing the shaft seals on most Roto tiller transmissions and small equipment such as what you have.

Go to grocery store and buy a few cakes of Parafin Wax, then take a kitchen cheese shredder and shred up about a cup of that parafin wax. Add that to the crankcase and that will after a one time usage seal off those end bearing in fine fashion for you.
<<<<

Has anyone ever heard of this?

Gregg

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El Toro

02-22-2007 04:42:00

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Re: Advice on leaking Troy-bilt seals in reply to Gregory T. McFarland, 02-21-2007 19:54:27

Those gear boxes on the Troy Bilt tillers use 140wt gear oil. I don't think any wax will stop any leakage. I know replacing the seals will. They recommend you pull the tine holders and remove any dirt or grit behind these holders. They're not that hard to remove. Hal

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Mikein MI

02-21-2007 18:10:14

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Re: Advice on leaking Troy-bilt seals in reply to Gregory T. McFarland, 02-20-2007 23:19:18

Gregg,
Not sure if I will be much help? On my dads tiller his leaked at the Drive-shaft ends and on the back of the gear box theres a adjust screw with a cotter key that keeps it from turning the screw is to adjust the back lash on the driveshaft. I found on his tiller the shaft was very sloppy from front to back for end play. I turn the adjustment screw in to what I thought be 0 to .003 end play. After doing that it quit leaking oil. Mike

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Wrench Spinner

02-21-2007 17:09:13

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Re: Advice on leaking Troy-bilt seals in reply to Gregory T. McFarland, 02-20-2007 23:19:18

Check the bronze axle bushings for wear (up/down)movement. Also check the axles for wear grooves where the seal rides and lastly use only Troy-built seals, I had problems with aftermarkets.

As far as these gearboxes being vented, They are not. The 90W gear-lube level is low enough so not to expand and be forced out of any seals.

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El Toro

02-21-2007 05:27:54

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Re: Advice on leaking Troy-bilt seals in reply to Gregory T. McFarland, 02-20-2007 23:19:18

I only have the parts manual on the pto Horse model tiller. You can disengage the tines to keep them from rotating on this model. Not sure
if the seals are the same if your tiller isn't the pto model. Your local dealer would know.

Here's the seal numbers for tiller tine shafts
97073 and on the wheel shaft the seal number is 9621. Hal

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El Toro

02-21-2007 04:08:23

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Re: Advice on leaking Troy-bilt seals in reply to Gregory T. McFarland, 02-20-2007 23:19:18

You need to replace all the seals behind the tine shafts and on the axles. I use a sliding bar hammer with a sheet metal screw welded to the tip.
I probably have the seal numbers, but my parts book is in the barn. Here the tiller I worked on last year. Hal

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Greg_Ky

02-21-2007 00:31:24

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Re: Advice on leaking Troy-bilt seals in reply to Gregory T. McFarland, 02-20-2007 23:19:18

Is the gearbox vented? If not as you use it and it builds up heat it will push oil out the seals.

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