Leaking right front axle seal on 153S.

[cemiii]

Hi. I have a 2000 Thomas 153S I bought brand new in 01 or 02. I think Thomas was in bankruptcy at the time. When purchased, the right front axle seal was already leaking and I couldn't find anyone who could fix it. I just always made sure it was never parked leaning right and checked the oil level more often. Knock on wood, that is the only problem this thing ever had. I have replaced nothing except a few filters , batteries and one tire over the years. It's done all my heavy chores on a little 5 acre parcel for 2 decades. Today it only has 292 hours.
3 years ago I bought a Case TR270 which now has only 86 hours, mainly because I still prefer the old reliable Thomas. I've pumped thousands into the Case and I think I'm going to sell it and keep the Thomas.
I am a decent diy mechanic. But the thought of tackling pulling the axle and removing the drive chain and not having the specialized axle tools is somewhat daunting.
Does anyone have experience with this? If so, would you fix it or just continue to " manage around "the problem? Any estimates on what a pro might charge to repair this?

 

[cemiii]

Also, can anyone suggest what this might sell for today. The only comps I can find are auction sales anywhere from 1 to 12k?

 

[Thomas1]

GO TO WWW.THOMASLOADERS.COM AND SELECT THE MANUAL TAB, SELECT REPAIR, THEN SELECT 153. STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS IN SECTION 3

 

[cemiii]

I have done that, but don't have any of the specialized tools for the job.(axle puller, 3 alignment brackets, bearing puller, press, etc) . I wonder if a bobcat mechanic could do it. Thank you though.

 

[ghs57]

I did an axle seal on my 133 last year. Only special tool I used was a bearing puller. If it's anything like the 133, you can do it without those other tools. Pound the axle loose with a heavy hammer and a block of wood from the inside. Be very careful with the bearings (inner and outer), keeping them clean. You will need help reinstalling the axle as you can't be inside and outside the machine at the same time. Chain drive can be a bitch to reinstall. Fair warning, this is a challenging job, but doable if you are determined. I was. No machine is going to get the better of me.