Patrick

  As John said the hydro pump was starved for oil. I had all the same problems, sounds and lifting issues well before I started posting questions about mine and in the end the hydro pump was worn out for my earlier issues. You can plan on about $400 + for rebuilding that. You can have it done in one day but I would take your time and make sure everything it pregreased and clean enough to eat off before reassembly. While your rebuilding your pump you should also replace all the seals as Chris said, plan another 150 bucks for those including the pto and brake seals. Almost all the seals are cheap but the two hydro pan gaskets are about 35 bucks a piece and you need 2 of them. it's very easy to pinch them on reassembly so be careful. The brake seals are easy and can be done in a few hours a side, I had the same problem with them as well. The biggest pain there is lining it all back up during reassembly and disconnecting and reconnecting your foot pedel adjustment rods. 

  Based on what your saying I'm 99% postive your pump is done for and being it wore out quickly it has released some fine shavings into your oil and your filter should have caught that but not before going though the cylinder and hydro valve so I wouldn't run the tractor much before rebuidling it or tearing it apart for cleaning. IT IS very possible the fine pump shavings have partily clogged up your metering valves, casuing more leaking internally. 

  Your also going to want to install a longer pickup tube for your hydro unit and that is part of the hydro expansion kit, no idea where to find the kit but thats just a cast pipe. A few dollars at the store but John nand Chris can explain that more.

 It's not hard to take apart or rebuild. A over head hoist or engine hoist and just bacis hand tools will get the job done. Send me a PM with your email and phone number and I can send you a deatiled overview of the pump rebuild and how to look for wear in the pump. 

  I had lots of oil leaking out the bottem inspection cover and as Chris said,  pull it off and you can just barely look around in there with a mirror. I'm sure those seals are leaking to. those seals are about 30 bucks from what I remember but you have to split the tractor to replace them. If you let it leak your pto clutch plates will get soaked in oil, thus making it slip and wear out over time. Mine also did this and I rebuilt the clutch, while I had it split but mine had lots of wear on it.  

 There are many but I've found Maiback tractor to be very good with Olivers, their an Agro dealer. 

 You can also look up just about any part on the agco website, here is the link. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.agcopartsbooks.com/EpsilonWeb/book.aspx?book=agco/s19e4000">http://www.agcopartsbooks.com/EpsilonWe ... o/s19e4000</a><!-- m --> 

Thanks
Eric