You are not the only one with the problem. My son Eric and I spent most of today Working on the same problem with a 2072. Close inspection of the tranny and Hydro surfaces does not indicate any problem but we took the hydro out and replaced the cork gasket and after all the work it still leaked. This hydro is not the original so we took it back out and replaced it with the original hydro and used the grey gasket sealer and just a few minutes ago got it back in the tractor. This hydro did not leak before we took it out so we are hopeful that this will fix our problem. We like you are perplexed as to why we are getting the leak.

If you're like me, you refuse to tolerate any leak. I will replace the entire rear end if I have to. If that doesn't work, I will replace the tractor.

I've split this tractor five times over the past two years. Working alone, I am tired and starting to lose my patience with it.

With our 2072 we do not have to split the tractor to get the hydro out but it is a labor intensive job. We did it twice yesterday!!!. We do not tolerate leaks either. If the original hydro that we installed last evening also leaks with a new gasket then we may decide the gaskets are not thick enough. The new gasket on the hydro we took off did appear to be compressed but we are sure that is where the leak is comming from. We can see the hydro fluid seeping down around the gasket and other than the oil seal at the top rear of our hydro there is no other place for oil to leak from. We had a leak from that rear seal and it was spread over the top of the tranny more than down around the cork gasket area and now the top is dry. We hate leaks, possibly forgivable in a dog but not our tractors.

I actually found an old cork gasket without the adhesive that I bought a while back from one of the parts suppliers on this website. I installed it yesterday with Ultra Black on the pump side and bare cork on the rear end side. I have decided to let it sit for a week before re-assembling the tractor. I checked it this AM and again when I got home from work. No leak so far.

From reading this thread I'm almost convinced the MTD sent out a bad batch of gaskets. Think if I have to do another one I'm going to machine the trans adapter housing to take an O-ring along the lines of the newer Cyclops stuff like the 1641's use.

The local Cub Cadet dealer in my area installs 2 gaskets when he removes the pump from the rear end. I haven't tried it yet.....my 149 is leaking and needs the gasket change.

It is possible the gasket is not as thick as it use to be.

We also assembled our original hydro back on the tractor using ultra grey sealant and I filled the tranny today which is a real pain also. the 2072 has the battery in the fender pan but I hooked it up temp and ran the engine to pressurize the system and no leaks and have all systems operating. After an hour no leaks or puddles on the floor. I think we got ours fixed. After I get it back together completely I'll take it out and give it some exercise and we will see. I am wondering about the bearing that sticks out and seems to fit in a recess when assembled and wondered if that might have been our problem It would seem if one hydro bearing stuck out a fraction further one might not be able to get it tight enough. The hydro that leaks also came out of a 2072.

They definitely sent out a bad batch of mule drive belts a few years back. I know because I bought three of them after they kept breaking. That was the mule drive belt for the 149. The belts were the wrong diameter--too thin.

I'm just saying, it does happen. There might be a batch of bad gaskets out there. It can be very frustrating.

Are both you guys (sharky and Paul) sure that it isn't the output shaft seal leaking and dripping/running down? It's directly above it, and if the oil is warm you would never know unless you ran it with the fenders off where you could see the trail. I'd be either changing or checking that seal. I bet that's the leak. There is no way that it is the cork gasket. They can't be "bad". It's a round cork gasket. Only way it can leak is if there is a tear, or if the hydro wasn't close enough to the rear end. Only way the hydro couldn't be close enough is if the housing is made wrong, or the bearing on the rear was sticking out too far. That would present a different set of problems altogether. Change that seal, and try it again. You can get a seal at Napa. I have the number somewhere if you need it.

I cannot speak for Sharkey, but I am convinced that our leak is coming from the cork gasket area. The area above the gasket is dry, and we can see a line of fluid coming down around the gasket that dribbles down to the bottom of the tranny and then hits the floor. When we had a leak at the rear shaft the fluid was blown all over the top of the tranny. The hydro that is in our tractor now has had that seal recently replaced too. Oh well I have not gone to the garage this morning to look for leaks but had none last night.