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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>For the past few years my Ford 3600 has had an oily seep coming from up under the sheet metal around the dashboard and fuel tank area, and I’ve been assuming it’s power steering fluid leaking past a seal somewhere. It attracts dust and dirt but oily gunk on an old tractor hasn’t seemed especially concerning to me so I haven’t done anything about it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>But the other day I’d been mowing for a few hours and suddenly noticed a bunch of smoke coming up from the left side of the tractor. The exhaust is under-slung like on an orchard tractor, and the oily stuff was dripping down onto the hot exhaust pipe… only not just a tiny seep, it was dripping fast, practically flowing. I headed back to the barn, keeping an eye on the drip rate, then shut down. I tried to spot where it was coming from but couldn’t tell since it’s up under the sheet metal cowling. Checked the power steering fluid tank and it was low by only a little… so maybe it’s diesel fuel leaking rather than power steering fluid?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The tractor needs a few other minor things I’ve been meaning to get around to, like fixing the temperature gauge, but I’m knee-deep in work and a bathroom renovation project so I decided this is another case where I’m going to apply green shims, to borrow Spencer’s term, and have the local farm equipment shop take a look at it. We’ll see what they find out.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dean Vinson<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Saint Paris, Ohio<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>