169 is fixed, dad had a spare cork gasket on hand, and I robbed the hydro out of my loader tractor project (rebuilt).
Actually had 2 leaks...shaft seal was leaking (but not bad) AND the left front bolt in the square top plate on the rear end was loose, causing oil (slung off of the ring gear and reduction gear) to leak out around the old cork gasket. Nice bead of Permatex Ultra Copper gasket eliminator fixed that, and the 169 is not leaving it's mark anymore (knock on wood!!!).
Never though to check the top cover bolts when I had the rear end out.....who would ever figure they would leak.
Anyway, 169 gets to pull the hay rack full of kids at tomorrow's block party and will probably be put into service mowing the lawn next week to burnish the PTO clutch. I want to put some time on this machine before PD to get any infant mortality problems out of the way...hate to have a little thing go wrong at an event 5 hours from home if I can help it.
Keith,
Shake isn't too bad at all...power is NICE!!!!