If you have a Kubota, or any tractor, equipped with a front end loader, sooner or later you will find yourself wanting to remove that attachment. The job is straightforward and only takes 5 minutes after doing it once or twice. There is no excuse if you have been putting off service work (oil change?) because of a potential hassle getting that loader removed.

A front end loader not parked in a very practical location.

Before we begin, consider some of the reasons why folks typically remove their front end loaders:

• to service their equipment
• to service their loader
• to make their tractor easier to maneuver
• to make room for a different attachment
• to sell a tractor separately from their loader (or the other way around)

Three Attachment Points
For most loaders, including the B1630 pictured on the Kubota B6200 below, there are three attachment points from the loader to the tractor. The first two are on the left and right tower columns that form the back of the loader and attach at the tractor mid-frame. The third attachment point is the bar and saddle that is just behind the bucket and mounts to the front of the tractor’s frame. Removing the loader will involve undoing the bolts and nuts from these connections as well as disconnecting all of the hydraulic lines that power the bucket and lift arms.

A Kubota B6200 with a factory B1630 front end loader.

Where to Park your Loader
You will be backing the tractor out from beneath the loader so consider this when choosing the location. Loaders are very heavy so it is unlikely that you will be able to remove the loader and then carry it away to a more suitable place – where you drop it is where it stays. Try to pick a spot that is firm, level and not a high traffic location. You do not want people or animals bumping into a parked loader.

Pull the tractor and loader into the park area straight-on. Do not have the wheels turned.

Lower your loader bucket to the ground and turn off your tractor. You want the top of the loader frame to be as parallel to the hood of your tractor as possible – it will make lifting up on the tower columns easier in a moment.

Tower Wedge Pins
The first step is to undo the two wedge pins that hold the left and right tower columns to the middle of the tractor’s frame. For future reference, the tighter these bolts are turned the harder the wedge holds in place. You may find that you have to tap the last inch or so of the bolt back out the other side with a mallet.

One of two loader wedge pins/bolts that hold the bottom of the tower columns onto the frame of the tractor.

A ratcheting socket wrench makes quick work of these pins.

Bar and Saddle Bolts
Next we want to move to the front of the loader and undo the two bolts holding the loader front bar to the saddle mounted on the front of the tractor’s frame. If these are a bit sticky whack them with a mallet to get the started.

Remove the two bolts from the loader bar and saddle at the front.

Kick Stands
At this point there should be nothing holding the frame of your loader onto the frame of your tractor except for some hydraulic lines. Your loader should have two kick stands (bent rods) that will serve to hold up the tower columns. Our kick stands were attached to the inside of the left loader frame.

The idea here is to lift the tower column and insert the kick stand. You do this with your own muscle. Do not power on the tractor and use the loader to do this in any way as it will not work. Having a second set of hands will help you. Each person goes to a tower column and lifts straight up. With your other hand push the kick stand in place all the way. The loader should now be resting on both kick stands.

One of two kick stands in place at the bottom of the tower columns.

Disconnect Hydraulics
All that is left is to disconnect all hydraulic lines feeding into the loader. Before you begin, take a moment to push the loader joystick around a bit to take any pressure off the lines – if you do not you may get a face-full of hydraulic fluid when you undo the couplings.

Your loader will likely have three lines – the hydraulic in that comes off the hydraulic pump itself, a hydraulic return line and a power beyond line. The couplings themselves are quick-disconnect, similar to what you would find on air-line fittings for an air compressor. To disconnect them push up and pull down the outer sleeve.

Hydraulic return (left) and power beyond lines (right).

Redirect Hydraulic Valve
After all of the lines are disconnected be sure to close the hydraulic valve that diverts hydraulic oil from the tractor into the hydraulic in line. This valve should be close to where your in-coupling was disconnected and may even have a red handle like our B6200 does.

We redirect the valve to make sure that the hydraulic pressure generated by your hydraulic pump is not up against your quick-connects that are now exposed.

We have disconnected the hydraulic in for the loader. Also note that the red-handled hydraulic valve is in the closed position to take the pressure off the quick disconnect couplers.

Back Out
The loader should now be 100% disconnected from the tractor – frame and hydraulic lines. Check the front tires are straight and slowly back out from the loader.

Backing out to leave the loader parked in place.

Tidy Up Those Lines
Before moving onto the next project we should tidy up and protect the loose ends of the dangling hydraulic lines. You can take the power in line and circle it back onto the exposed hydraulic in quick connect. The power beyond line can be capped with a hydraulic end-fitting (purchased for a few cents) and then tie-strapped to the other line to keep it out of the way.

Summary

• park your loader – ground level, wheels straight, bucket lowered
• remove tower column wedge pins
• remove bar and saddle bolts at front
• raise each tower column and hold up with a kick stand rod
• disconnect all three hydraulic lines
• close hydraulic valve near hydraulic in line
• back tractor out
• cap hydraulic lines and tie them out of the way

Mr. K

A clean, well maintained and restored Kubota B6000E 2WD.

Ahhh yes, you have taken the leap and plunged into the orange tractor club. Your Kubota B6200 is solid runner and you got a good deal on it too, maybe even picked up a belly mower and a front end loader as part of the package deal. What now though? Well, your Kubota is going to probably need some minor repairs and will need ongoing maintenance. Where do we start?

A Checklist!
This is a handy checklist that you can use to quick start getting to know your new-to-you Kubota. If you already have another piece of orange equipment then this guide is a good refresher. On the other hand, if you have never seen, touched, sat near or smelled a diesel engine before, no matter, you will be comparing CCAs and suction filters in no time!

Take Aways
Aside from specific details and procedures, the things that we hope you take away after running through this guide are:

• getting to know your equipment better (controls, filter locations, manuals, etc)
• insight into the mechanical state of your equipment
• confidence when it comes to operating, servicing and discussing your Kubota
• an understanding that maintenance is ongoing – be prepared to pay with a little time and money to maintain and service your equipment

Let us begin.

Cleaning
There is a very good chance that unless the previous owner of your equipment was Service Dept. Vic, that it will need a good cleaning. A tractor is a piece of dirty, earth moving, rototilling, tree stump pulling, mowing, snow plowing heavy iron. Generally a tractor is not something we think about washing very often if at all.

Cleaning is important because it will knock the years of dirt and grease off allowing you to better inspect for leaks, cracks and other wear and tear. Rinse it down with degreaser and pressure wash it off. If you have your Kubota trailered do not be afraid to pull it right into the wash bay at your local car wash. This type of cleaning is always the first thing we do with our equipment.

Parts and Operator’s Manuals
If you know what model Kubota you are getting you could even acquire these in advance. You will definitely need at least the parts and operator’s manuals. As equipment changes hands these manuals tend to get lost, so if your new purchase does not come with these manuals we recommend you get them. They cost anywhere from $30-50 each and are well worth the time to track them down. eBay or your local dealership are good starting points.

A parts manual is also handy not just because it provides part numbers. Each page details an exploded-view diagram of a section of your equipment. These exploded-views really come in handy when a repair calls for disassembly or if you have a broken part in your hand and are not exactly sure what it is.

An operator’s manual will detail not just how to control your equipment but other helpful things like: fluid levels, capacities, load limits, implement hookup and removal, wiring diagrams, simple troubleshooting, maintenance intervals and so on.

Typical look and feel of a Kubota operator's manual. This one for the B9200 is out of print so be sure to check on eBay!

We have an entire article on Kubota reference manuals that is worth a read.

Assess the Situation
After a good cleaning your next objective is to test the operation of everything on your tractor. The lights should work. The horn should work. Three point arms should lift and lower smoothly. You will know how everything is supposed to work because you have your operator’s manual close at hand.

General things to make note of as you go about your assessment:

• leaks of any kind – oil, fuel, coolant
• burnt smelling hydraulic fluid
• milky/spotted oil or hydraulic fluid
• anything that looks like a makeshift repair or anything non-standard – bypassed seat safety switches, mis-matched bolts, baling wire holding together some major engine component
• missing PTO shield
• missing, damaged or rusty ROPS (roll over protection system)
• missing or damaged seat belt
• the location of any grease zerks that you will need to return to later and lubricate

Quick Tip: Tighten Those Bolts
We are just about to talk specifics but here is a quick tip. Making sure each bolt you come across is nice and tight is actually a good way to get to know your equipment. As we go from area to area (air, fuel, oil, cooling and electrical systems) take the time to find the right socket or wrench, wipe down any grease or goo and button everything up nice and tight.

Air Filter
Replacing the air filter is recommended. The previous owner may have just replaced it, but we cannot be sure of that. Best to start a new service history right now.

Air box assembly.

Your air box is at the front of the tractor and has an end cap on it. When you open up the box you will see the filter element but also a silver bowl. A common mistake is to not dump the dirt and debris inside this silver bowl – be sure to do that. Install a new air filter and secure the rubber washer at the base of the filter, if not, unfiltered air will bypass the filter assembly entirely and make its way to the combustion chamber! Oops!

Typical Kubota air filter.

Read more about your air filter and watch a video in our Kubota Servicing 101 – Part 1 lesson.

Fuel Filter
Kubota’s fuel filters come in two varieties: either a canister spin-on style (like an oil filter) or the more popular paper element in a sediment bowl. If you have an early L-series like an L175, L185, L1500 or L1501, you have a spin-on. Regardless of the type, we are going to want to replace this filter too. Order in advance to save yourself some time.

If you have the spin-on style simply place a catch basin below the filter, close the fuel petcock/valve, and spin the filter off. You will want to make sure the rubber o-ring at the top of the filter came off. Next, just spin a new filter on but not all the way – you can save yourself having to bleed the lines if you leave a slight 2-3 thread gap at the top. Turn the fuel valve back on, let the diesel fill the filter and run over and then finish tightening the rest. If you tighten all the way you will get an air lock and will need to bleed your injector lines.

A sediment bowl style filter is similar. The bowl is held onto the bottom of the fuel petcock by a large retaining ring. Loosen the ring to drop the bowl and get access to the paper filter inside. Replace with a new filter on top of the spring you find below the existing filter. Again to avoid bleeding the lines, tighten most of the way and then let the fuel petcock open, then finish tightening.

A filter-in-bowl style fuel filter.

You can read more about servicing your fuel filter and watch a video in our Kubota Servicing 101 – Part 2.

Oil Filter
As with the air and fuel filters you will want to perform an oil change. Kubota’s equipment uses a standard spin-on style filter that you can either acquire from the dealership or an aftermarket supplier like NAPA or Wix. If you have a gray market Kubota like an L1500, B1600 or B5000 those part numbers are a little harder to track down – luckily we them right here.

Kubota engine oil capacity ranges from 4-8 quarts so be sure you have enough replacement oil on hand – again something that your operator’s manual can provide you with specifics on.

When you drop the oil make note of its color – milky, green or spotted oil indicates that you have an oil/coolant mix somewhere and would have to diagnose further. Dark or black oil is okay – oil does get dirty as it cleans out and lubricates the engine.

Cooling System
Your Kubota’s cooling system consists of the radiator, upper and lower radiator hoses, a fan, a fan belt and a waterpump assembly. Most owners have a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water serving as their coolant. We do not recommend running just water because it causes all sorts of problems if it freezes while still inside the engine block.

There is a lot to cover, so we will summarize here and leave it to you to read Kubota Servicing 101 – Part 3:

• radiator hoses should be firm but flexible – if they have cloth on them, they are original and must be replaced
• fan belt should be tight with little slack and no more than 1/2″ of deflection – Kubota lettering indicates it is original and time for replacement
• inspect the fan – it should have all of its blades crack and dirt free
• pop the cap and look inside the radiator – expect to see green antifreeze – if not and there is even the slightest chance of freezing, replace the coolant
• blow out the leaves, grass and debris from the front of the radiator

Test rad hoses by feeling for soft spots, twistly slightly and looking for tears or listen for ripping.

Electrical System
You are looking to confirm that the battery can hold a charge and that the charging system is working to recharge the battery. We have a lot of Kubotas with malfunctioning electrical systems where the owners just “make do” – whenever they need to start their equipment they just borrow the battery from the truck. That is a huge hassle, so do not take short cuts and do things right the first time. Using your Ohm meter, measure across the terminals. A properly charged battery should be in the close vicinity of 12.6V.

CCA (cold cranking amperes) is a measurement of the battery’s ability to deliver current at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. We recommend a battery that can deliver at least 850 CCA, 1000 CCA if you live in a cold climate.

When it comes to the battery terminals make sure you have clamp style connections – that is, a battery cable that sandwiches the lead at the back end of the connector. Typical enclosed style connectors are prone to breaking and thus provide a bad contact leading to intermittent electrical failure.

Left - clamp-style connector. Right - enclosed-style connector where the wire can break at or inside the base of the connector leading to unexplainable electrical malfunction.

One last thing before we move onto another section – the battery hold-down bracket. Your Kubota may not be equipped with this anymore as it is a common thing to go missing. The point is to hold the battery tight against the battery support bracket so that the lead plates inside the battery do not smash themselves to pieces. If the plates are damaged the battery will not hold a charge.

A battery and hold down bracket.

Read more about inspecting your electrical system in our Kubota Battery Basics article.

Hydraulic Suction Filter
If you have an earlier Kubota like a L175, L185, L245 or a B5100, B6100 or B7100 you have a hydraulic suction filter that must be serviced on a regular basis. Most folks forget to do so which leads to one of two things: 1) the filter get plugged and hydraulic performance suffers or 2) the filter disintegrates and the fine mesh material ends up circulating around in the fluid.

The hydraulic suction filter in your Kubota is essentially a fine mesh that collects flash and debris.

If you have slow hydraulics, shuddering, jerky front end loader movement or poor 3-point performance this suction screen is likely at fault. You will need to locate the filter, clean and inspect and possibly order a new one. Read our article on hydraulic suction filters for the specific details on how to perform this maintenance.

Safety
Most Kubota tractors have a PTO speed of 540RPM which is about 540 too much if you get your arm and leg stuck in one. If not already equipped get a PTO shield that adequately covers the PTO stub shaft at the rear. You will also want to make sure the implement drive line is shielded in the usual plastic casing.

Kubota has a ROPS and seat belt program that they offer through their dealership network. If your Kubota is not already equipped, get and use a ROPS and seat belt. Seriously.

Dan's nearly-rolled Kubota B2320. He blamed it on the snow.

Implements
If your new-to-you Kubota comes with a front end loader or maybe a mower, take the time to inspect and service them. Locate and service grease zerks on the loader pivot pins. Raise and lower the loader and make note of any shudder or poor lifting performance – either could indicate problems with the hydraulic system.

Turn the mower deck over and blast out any accumulated debris with a pressure washer. Inspect the blades and belts for wear and replace as needed. You will also want to make sure the mower deck gear assembly is properly lubricated – same goes for a rototiller. Speaking of rototillers, we have an article on them as well. Mid-mount or “belly” mower decks should be removed during the winter time.

Summary
Here are some quick tips to get your new-to-you Kubota up to speed:

• give it a good degreasing and pressure wash
• order the parts and operator’s manuals in advance
• assess your equipment for leaks, cracks, off smelling oil or hydraulic fluid and things that are broken
• replace the air, fuel, oil and hydraulic filters and fluids
• your battery should be rated 850CCA or higher with clamp-style cable ends
• make sure you have safety equipment installed and use them
• grease your front end loader and mower deck

Be prepared to spend the time it takes to maintain your Kubota. Simple observations with the correct preventative follow up with pay you back ten fold when you can avoid a costly repair later.

Next Steps
Consider joining our forums where you can give advice or ask for it anytime of the day or night. Also be sure to check out our related articles for more orange tractor reading.

Mr. K

Related Articles
Kubota Servicing 101: Part 1 – Air Filter
Kubota Servicing 101: Part 2 – Fuel Filter
Kubota Servicing 101: Part 3 – Cooling System
Kubota Battery Basics

A shot of failed bearings freely rolling around the inside of the steering box - the source of wobbly unresponsive steering.

This article is the first of two that covers the procedure for rebuilding a failed steering box on your Kubota. An earlier article has hints and tips regarding diagnosing steering box failure and is prerequisite reading before we jump into the actual repair covered in these next two tutorials.

Symptoms of Steering Box Failure
Failure of the steering box is actually a pretty common service complaint so it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the symptoms:

• increased or very hard steering effort in either direction
• a crunching or clicking noise coming from the steering box
• steering wheel will turn then gets stuck or locks up
• steering wheel will not return to center after making a turn
• steering wheel is frozen in place and will not turn at above zero temperatures
• steering binds, jerks, locks, gets stuck then will “work” but feels loose
• oil is leaking from the sides of the steering box
• oil from the steering box is rusty or watery

Before We Get Started
This is the type of repair that the average Kubota tractor owner can undertake with relative ease. If you have a basic working knowledge of auto servicing or restoration then this repair is within grasp. Access to a clean work bench, a puller set and a selection of six-point metric sockets is also required.

Box and Column Removal
If you have not done so already, we recommend removing the steering box and column from the tractor to perform these repairs. It is possible to do the repair with the box still bolted to the top of the clutch housing, but, there is something to be said for comfort and a good solid work height.

Loosen the dash cowling where it attaches to the sides of the fuel tank. Spin the 4 bolts out of the dash where it mounts to the sides of the tank and you will see the dash then moves freely.

The steering box and column visible after we remove the dash and engine side panels.

Slide the doughnut-shaped upper column bushing upwards to make the column easier to extract. Spraying a little WD40 on the column will make the bushing slide better. You will also need to pop off the steering wheel center cap and remove the wheel using a puller.

The drag link can be disconnected from the pitman arm using a tie rod end pickle fork. Next, remove the 4 bolts mounting the base of the steering box to the top of the clutch housing. Nearly there – but wait! The box will not come off yet because…

Staked with Dowels
The underside of the steering box is staked in place by a couple of metal dowels. You may need to insert a screwdriver between the bottom of the box and the top of the housing to work the box up and off.

A shot looking down just after the steering box is removed from the top of the clutch housing. The male and female dowels are visible on the left and right as well as the 4 bolt holes where the box was held in place. The clutch shaft is visible in the openening.

You will find one female dowel on the underside of the box and one male dowel on the top of the clutch housing. The box fits tightly on these two dowels so expect to work it a little to get it to pop off the dowels – once you do the steering box and column are ready to be taken over to the bench.

Inspection and Tear Down
Now that you have the box on the workbench, it is a good time to inspect for damage, cracks or breaks on the cast portion of the box case. Also be on the lookout for signs of oil leakage.

Steering box, column and pitman arm removed from the tractor and ready to inspect on the workbench.

Hairline cracks can be addressed with a little JB Weld. Broken box mounting tabs or large areas of destruction cannot be patched. Typically when the bottom of the box is blown out as a result of water freezing you will need a new bare box case – still available from Kubota but will likely be an expensive part.

A hairline crack where the box and column meet can be repaired using JB Weld. Any damage more significant than this will require a new bare box.

JB Weld. Handy in a pinch.

Next, remove the pitman arm bolt and lock and use a puller to remove the arm from the steering box.

Removing the bolt from the pitman arm.

Using a puller to loosen and remove the pitman arm from the steering box.

Inspect the Pitman Arm
Look closely for a scribed line that runs through the pitman arm and the end of the steering box sector shaft – this is an alignment mark that must be referenced when reinstalling the pitman arm – make note of it.

Pitman arm after removal from the box. We have highlighted the small alignment mark used when reinstalling the arm later.

Sector Shaft Removal
To get at the sector shaft we remove the 4 bolts holding the end of the sector shaft end cover plate onto the steering box. Removing the cover plate will draw the sector shaft out of the steering box.

Remove these 4 bolts to expose the sector shaft.

The sector shaft is attached to the end cover plate.

Column Seperation
We need to get the steering column off the steering box. Remove the bushing from the top of the steering column and remove the 4 bolts holding the column post to the cast portion of the box. You will then be able to lift off the column.

Remove the upper bushing at the far end of the steering column. It was already removed when this picture was taken.

Removing the 4 bolts at the base of the steering column exposes the steering shaft ball nut assembly within the steering box.

Steering Box Inspection
With the column post detached from the box, grasp the steering shaft and withdraw it from the box case. Chances are the ball nut will still be attached to the shaft and will come out as a complete unit. Looking inside the box you may find any or all of these:

• loose ball bearings
• stray bits of metal chipped off the steering shaft worm
• drive teeth from the sector shaft

Loose bearings at the bottom of the steering box.

A worn steering shaft worm gear.

Take the time to inspect the ball nut assembly, steering shaft and sector shaft for wear. Order replacement parts as required.

Sector Shaft Seal
With the box now almost completely torn down for rebuild, pop out the old steering sector shaft seal with a straight blade screwdriver or small pry bar.

Straight blade screwdriver used to remove the sector shaft seal.

Lower Bearing Race
The last item to be removed from the steering box is the lower bearing race located inside the steering box where the ball nut steering shaft would sit. If you are lucky, this race will just pop out after some gentle tapping on the backside of the box. If not so lucky you will need to pry it up. You will find it a tight fit to wrangle a tool in there unless it has a small hook end on it that you can pry under the edge of that bearing race. I have been successful a few times removing this race by utilizing a common 6d (six penny) construction nail.

This bearing race will either come out nicely or will put up a fight. A 6d construction nail can be used to pry it up in the later case.

Using vice-grip pliers, lock onto the shaft of the nail and then use the head of the nail to pry up and under the bearing race. The nail head is thin enough to just catch the underside lip of the bearing cup yet is firm enough to allow you to pry against the floor of the steering box. Kubota does offer a service tool made specifically for this job – it costs a couple of million bucks. The nail works just fine and is a better deal we think!

Tear Down Complete
What you should have on your bench now is a completely bare, stripped down, steering box. Next steps, which we will cover in an upcoming article, are the clean up and rebuild! Stay tuned.

A bare steering box ready for a rebuild.

Service Department Vic

Related Articles
Diagnosing and Preventing Steering Box Failure

Role of the Hydraulic Suction Screen
The suction filter is housed internally within the transmission body and it filters and cleans the hydraulic oil of debris, metal flashing, filing from the gears, dirt, rust and other junk. The filter medium is a mesh stainless steel screening and a lot of oil passes over it every minute.

The suction filter medium is a mesh stainless steel screen.

Typical hydraulic pump output on a Kubota is anywhere from 5-6 gallons per minute. Running your tractor for an hour passes more than 360 gallons of oil through this filter! By the time it is ready for cleaning or replacement, it would have filtered more than 100,000 gallons of your Kubota’s hydraulic oil.

Not overly complicated or big but, serves an important role.

Which Kubota Models are Equipped?
All first generation Kubota B and L series models are equipped with hydraulic suction screens. That includes, L175, L185, L235, L245, B5100, B6100, B7100 and so on – primarily tractors built by Kubota in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Wait, what is that you say? You have a newer Kubota so now you can stop reading this article and get back to watching Discovery channel? Well, the reason Kubota stopped using an internal style suction filter has to do with…

Remembering to Service the Filter
Do not be mistaken – it is not hard to get to the filter, inspect and replace or clean it. The trouble with servicing the suction filters is that very few people remember to do it, or know where on their equipment to look. Because these screens are internal they have to be marked by a red dot on the chassis as to their location (more on this in an upcoming article). After 20+ years of rototilling tree shelter belts those red dabs or fender decals indicating filter location have long since faded away.

On top of that, after a tractor trades hands to second, third or fourth owners over the years, it becomes easier to see why a lot people just do not know what to look for. [Editor's note from Mr. K: Folks, do yourselves a favor an buy an operator's manual already!]

Canister Style Hydraulic Filters
Because suction screen type filters do such a good job of catching debris, they are prone to clogging up. Kubota recommends inspection and service every 300 hours if your tractor is so equipped. In the later part of the 1980s Kubota switched over to canister style hydraulic filters not because suction filters were bad, but because so many people forgot to check them.

Canister hydraulic filters are found on all HST Kubota B series, all L-1 series like L2050, L2250, L2550, L2650 and even the newer models from the BX lineup.

How do I know if I have a Blocked Filter?
A blocked suction filter is the number one cause of poor hydraulic system performance. All of these symptoms are indications that the hydraulic circuit is restricted:

• slow hydraulics
• shuddering on 3-point when lifting
• jerky loaders going up
• overheated transmission oil
• 3-point working at first and then slowly power fades out

Where is my Suction Filter?
Again, if you have an early B or L series Kubota (ie. a tractor not equipped with a spin-on canister filter), then you will find your filter screen on the left-hand side of the tractor’s transmission.

Check on the left hand side of the transmission just behind the foot rest for a cap covering the filter.

Look just behind and slightly below the footrest is where you will find a cap covering the filter. The cap will be secured with two bolts. The cover cap may look like a bump or a teardrop depending on your specific model.

A wider shot to give some context for the filter's location.

Removing the bolts will reveal the end of the suction filter itself. The end of the filter will look like it has a small stub sticking out of it (see left-side of second picture in article) about ¼” long and the diameter of a pencil. It may look like a shaft at first blush. If you have a B Series Kubota, the hydraulic filter screen is attached to the large nut holding the suction line against the transmission.

Owners of B series models will have to remove this bolt holding the suction line against the transmission.

To remove the filter you will have to grab that small stub-end with a pair of pliers and slowly withdraw the filter. Be careful to not twist it as you pull it out because it is essentially a tube of fine screen.

I’m Having Trouble. Any Other Ideas?
If you are having trouble finding covering cap and the filter screen underneath, find the area on the right hand side of the transmission where the hydraulic suction line enters the transmission. The suction line is the larger of the two lines hooked up to the hydraulic pump. The suction screen and cap will be located exactly opposite this point on the left hand side of the transmission!

Locate the suction line into the hydraulic pump on the right hand side - the hydraulic screen will be opposite this location on the left-hand side of the transmission.

Servicing the Filter
Before undertaking servicing of the screen be sure you drain the transmission oil first! If not you will soon find out what 9 to 15 gallons of hydraulic oil looks like on the floor of your shop or garage. I know what it looks like and it is not a pretty sight.

With the screen in hand, simply wash it out with diesel fuel or varsol. Once clean inspect the filter mesh for any holes, perforation, rust or tears. Compare your filter screen to the ones you seen in this article. If the filter looks out of shape, replace it rather than trying to work it back into a tube shape. It is out of shape from all of oil, debris, crud and scrum being pulled through it hour after hour.

When your B or L Series was new, Kubota placed an important service reminder on the left hand rear fender showing the service intervals and location of this filter. Kubota has warned us about “various troubles” if we neglect this service! You have been warned.

Close-up of the filter service decal Kubota affixed to early B and L series tractors equipped with screen filters.

Once clean and inspected, reinstall the filter and refill the transmission with fresh new oil. If you have not seen it already, watch our YouTube video on types of hydraulic oil to use.

There you have it – everything you have ever wanted to know about hydraulic suction filters. Now you can get back to Discovery channel.

Service Department Vic

Related Articles
Video: Kubota Hydraulic Oils Overview

Ahhh yes, the battery. Really handy when it comes to starting your Kubota but after that just seems like its along for the ride. Still, it is important that we think about the battery every now and then to avoid a situation where we are 5 miles away, sun going down, wolves starting to come out… you know the drill. Let us look at some ways to make sure your battery is the best it can be.

Cold Cranking Amperes
The CCA rating, or cold cranking amperes, of your Kubota’s battery is a measure of its ability to deliver current at a temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 Celsius) for 30 seconds – hence the reference to cold. We know that as the temperature decreases the efficiency of the battery decreases. This explains why the battery CCA rating is lower than its cranking amperes, or CA, rating measured at a warmer 32 degrees. Most cars have batteries around 500-600 CCA.

The engine in your Kubota is of high compression which means it takes a lot of muscle to get it going in the first place. We recommend at least a 850 CCA rated battery or even 1000 CCA if you live in a cooler climate. It is important to remember that even if the battery is fully charged and fresh, if it lacks the ability to deliver enough current to get that engine turning over your equipment will not start – especially on cold days.

A battery that we pulled during routine service. Although the battery was fully charged, the CCA rating here is 525 which is too low. Replacing the battery with one that offered higher CCAs will greatly decrease starting effort.

Hold Down Bracket
Most of Kubota’s lineup ship from the factory with some sort of battery hold or tie mechanism. Usually it is just an angled bracket that holds the battery snug with a couple of long bolts. The purpose of this bracket is to reduce the amount of shock and vibration transferred to the battery during normal operation – and operating a tractor can be a bit rough sometimes.

A battery and hold down bracket.

The reason we want to reduce vibration to the battery is to prevent the parallel lead plates inside of the battery from colliding and destroying themselves. There are 6 cells in a standard battery. Each time a cell is destroyed expect a drop of 2.1V across the terminals – not good. Vibration is a quick way to destroy your new battery.

Does this mean you need to purchase an expensive anti vibration battery too? No. I do not think that the value is there for anti vibration batteries. Make use of your battery hold down bracket or get one if you have lost it and you are set.

Know Your Battery Terminals
Inspect your battery terminals. They should be free of chalky white corrosion and nice and snug on the battery posts. Make sure you have a solid ground connection to the frame. So far, easy right?

Comparison between old connectors that need replacement. The old connector had a crack all the way through its right side. This meant regardless of how tight the connector was closed around the post, a good connection would never be made.

Something that is often overlooked is caused by the type of terminal connector itself. There are typically two types of battery terminal connectors:

1. enclosed style – these have the terminal connector and wire lead as one piece
2. clamp style – these sandwich the wire from the lead at the back of the connector

What can happen over time with enclosed connectors is the wire inside the sheath can wear and break at the base of the connector. Since everything is enclosed you cannot actually see that the wire is making poor contact with the end of the connector! You will pull your hair out testing everything else (battery, alternator, belts, regulator, etc) before you realize the base of the connector is at fault.

We prefer to use the open, clamp style connectors. It is plain and easy to see if the wire lead is making proper contact. Case closed.

Left - clamp-style connector. Right - enclosed-style connector where the wire can break at or inside the base of the connector leading to unexplainable electrical malfunction.

Test the Voltage
As mentioned earlier, your Kubota’s battery has 6 cells in it producing 2.1V. When organized in series inside the battery the combined voltage is 12.6V. Take a volt meter across the terminals of your battery periodically and confirm that you are in the neighborhood.

Anything too far off 12.6V and start looking at the rest of your charging system to make sure everything is up to snuff. Unlike our road vehicles, when the battery is not being charged properly it can take months or even a year before that problem manifests itself as a failure to start. It simply takes that long to run the battery down when you do not have a radio, air conditioner or DVD player to power (with exception to the newer M and Grand L series of course!).

Using a volt meter to measure across the terminals. 12.5V reading here means this battery is well charged (but still not enough CCAs to be useful in our Kubota).

Battery Recommendation
Again, you do not need an expensive antishock battery here. We use Energizer batteries rated at 850+ CCA from WalMart. Others have had good luck with Exide or Allstate Mega-tron (sounds like a gun or something). All priced around $80-100 + battery disposal tax.

Summary
In short, some things you can do to make sure your battery is in good working order for when you need it:

• use a battery rated at 850 CCA or higher
• make use of the battery hold down bracket to prevent premature failure
• make sure your battery terminals are clean and tight on the posts
• use open, clamp-style terminals if you can opposed to enclosed terminals
• periodically measure the voltage across the terminals – a properly charged battery should be around 12.6V

Having Other Problems?
Read through this article, checked your battery and starting to think it might be something else? We have segment coming up that looks a little deeper into your electrical and charging system. Stay tuned!

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A chalky and coarse steering wheel - commonly found on older B and L series Kubotas.

If you own an older L or B Series Kubota tractor chances are pretty good that the steering wheel on it looks like it has seen better days. It is probably chalky, scratchy, white and coarse. Seems like most Kubota steering wheels end up like this after a couple of years in the sun.

Why the Steering Wheel Degrades
The steering wheel on your Kubota tractor is made from a vinyl chloride polymer resin that degrades as it is exposed to the elements and ultraviolet light from the sun. This gradual chemical breakdown in the material of your steering wheel shows up as a chalky white residue, almost like the wheel is flaking apart.

Some creative owners, dissatisfied with the appearance of their Kubota’s steering wheel have:

• wrapped the wheel in electrical tape
• installed an aftermarket steering wheel cover
• gone to the expense of replacing the wheel with a new one – average cost for a new wheel is around $150+

Quick Restoration Tip
Before doing any three of the above, try this tip: using a propane torch, on a relatively low setting, work the flame over the wheel inch by inch. You will be able to see the old resin melting and the wheel returning to its former black state. Keep the flame moving slowly, watching the resin turn black and move on before you burn it. If you do burn it a little, wait a few minutes and go back over the area, remelting it.

Set your torch to a low setting and work the flame over the wheel to melt the resin.

Take your time and keep going over all black parts of the wheel and center cap. The process takes about 20 minutes but afterward you have a wheel that looks almost new! Worth a try before you experiment with electrical tape or order a new wheel.

Service Department Vic

These pictures show the block of a Mitsubishi/Satoh Beaver 370D diesel engine in which ether was used in an attempt to get the equipment firing. Although this is not a Kubota piston that is smashed into pieces it could very well have been – both Satoh and Kubota engines are high compression. Premature and violent detonation caused by ether burning ahead of the injectors opening to deliver fuel, puts serious strain on the piston and connecting rods.

Skip the ether and reach for your mouse and click on one of our articles to give you tips on getting that Kubota to start!

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Wondering how much that clutch job might be for your L series Kubota?

OrangeTractorTalks reader Brian recently requested a quote for what we call a clutch overhaul kit for his L2350. This estimate is for a single disc dry clutch, and although for the L2350, other similar models like L2050, L2250, L2550, L2650 or L3250 would have similar pricing for these clutch components. If you are thinking of tackling this job as a DIY’er, plan on setting aside 8-10 hours – a good long weekend job.

Kubota L2350 Clutch Repair Pricing

*prices in USD

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Forum: Service, Repair & Maintenance

In this post we are going to take a look at a very common service complaint that affects a wide variety of early Kubota B and L series tractors – steering box failure! In a follow up article, we will examine how to undertake a steering box repair and overhaul.

Symptoms of Steering Box Failure
The number one symptom of a failed steering box is that the steering will feel real loose and the front wheels of the tractor may wobble and oscillate. This is because the internals of the steering box are no longer integral and tight. Symptoms of steering box failure include:

• wobbly steering
• mushy, loose or unresponsive steering
• raising the front of the tractor with a jack – grinding or resistance when turning wheels from lock-to-lock
• shaking the steering wheel – feels really loose and ready to come right out of the tractor

If your Kubota B or L series tractor exhibits this type of wonky steering, do not ignore this repair! It is foolish and unsafe to operate your Kubota this way.

What Causes this Failure?
Typically, steering box failure is caused by 3 conditions, all working together to break your Kubota:

1. Upper Steering Column Bushing Wears Out
   The failure of the steering box is most likely due to water making its way into the steering box through a defective, missing or worn bushing at the top of the steering column.

   This thick rubber bushing holds the steering shaft centered in the steering tube. When new, this bushing fits very tightly against both the steering shaft and the inside of the column tube. After several years of steering and turning your Kubota tractor, this bushing wears out and is no longer tightly holds the steering shaft.



View of the top of the steering column - it is here that we should find a bushing (not shown).



A view of two upper steering column bushings. Notice the worn out one one the left has lost its shape and is a bit oblong - a result of turning and steering a Kubota over many years.

2. Rainwater
   Tractor is stored outside in the elements allowing rainwater to trickle down steering shaft. A few drips at a time, this rainwater will run down the steering shaft and toward the steering box.
3. A Plugged Weep Hole
   Kubota did engineer a back-up fail safe into the steering box and column to prevent catastrophic failure and keep water our of it – a weep hole. Unfortunately, very few owners know of this back up weep hole system and as such do not service it.

   At the very bottom of the steering column, where the metal tube mates to the cast iron housing of the steering box, there is a small weep hole facing downwards. If you look closely at this picture you can see that the weep hole appears solid and plugged.

   

   At the bottom of the steering column is a weep hole that serves to let accumulated water out of the shaft. They typically get plugged with dirt and crud as shown here.

   The next step in the chain of events that leads to a broken steering box is that over a period of time, rainwater, dirt and debris make their way down the steering shaft and eventually plug the weep hole.

Weep Hole? A Big Deal?
You bet! The weep hole is located just above the lower steering column seal and bearing. This seal is a typical rubber friction seal that is spring tensioned. When the weep hole plugs, the entire steering column can fill with a head of water, dirt and junk. Since this moisture can no longer egress the column, the water will begin to move past the seal, right into the steering box – this is bad.

Since oil floats on water, the lower bearing that supports the steering shaft begins to go unlubricated causing severe wear. Once infiltrated with moisture and water, the bearings fail falling apart causing the steering shaft to wobble.

A shot of failed bearings freely rolling around the inside of the steering box - the source of wobbly unresponsive steering.

If the excessive wear on the steering shaft was not enough to destroy the steering box, then the first time the temperature goes below zero, the water in steering box freezes, causing expansion that fractures the box case – either out the bottom or it cracks the case on the sector shaft side.

A cracked steering box caused by rainwater getting into the box and then freezing, exploding the housing.

Entirely Avoidable
It’s unfortunate when steering box failure occurs like this since that little hole can be easily cleaned out with a small drill bit rotated by hand.

I am also of the opinion that steering box failure is somewhat of a service secret at Kubota. You will not find a shred of info in any Kubota service literature, technical service bulletin or technical training manual that discusses  keeping that drain hole clear, yet Kubota sells replacement steering box shafts and bearings by the truckload!

Some tips to prevent this type of failure from occuring with your Kubota:

• locate your Kubota’s steering system weep hole and get in the habit of clearing out the dirt and debris – a simple drill bit rotated by hand is enough
• avoid parking your Kubota out in the rain which allows water to travel down the steering shaft toward the box
• inspect and replace the upper steering column bushing if its worn out or oblong

Servicing the steering column weep hole is simple as rotating a drill bit by hand. We want to keep this area clean and free to let excess water pass.

Too Late. I’ve got a ruined Steering Box.
Okay, not to worry. If it looks like the steering box on your Kubota tractor requires an overhaul, or the box itself has a pressure crack due to freezing – stay tuned. In the next installment we will take a look at how to undertake a steering box repair job!

Service Department Vic

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Forum: Service, Repair & Maintenance

A Kubota L185's 2 cylinder diesel engine with a huge hole in the block.

What is Starting Fluid?
Starting fluids are comprised of volatile hydrocarbons, heptane, butane, hexane and a mixture of up to 60% diethyl ether. Ether is clear, colorless liquid that has a low autoignition temperature – handy when the engine you are attempting to use it on it cold. The temperature at which ether auto ignites is 360 Fahrenheit or 182 Celsius. Ether also has a high cetane number, a measure of fuel ignition delay – ether has a high index and so the delay from fuel injection to fuel combustion is shorter. Finally, ether has no lubricating properties like normal diesel fuel does, making it harder on gaskets and seals. Starting fluid is widely available at any automotive supply chain and typically costs $4-5 per spray-can sized can.

How a Diesel Engine Fires
When we take a closer look at the basic mechanical principles of a diesel engine it become easier to understand why reaching for the starter fluid when you are having a tough time getting your Kubota to start is not a good idea.

In any diesel engine, only air is introduced to the combustion chamber. The compressing of this air raises the cylinder temperature to over 1000 degrees F (550 Celsius). At this precise moment, the tip of the injector opens and diesel fuel, also under pressure, is injected into the top of the combustion chamber. The extreme heat then ignites the atomized diesel fuel, firing the piston downward supplying power to the crankshaft.

Your Kubota’s diesel engine produces between 412 and 470 psi of compression. The air sucked into the engine on the upstroke is squeezed at a 19:1 ratio. Depending on the engine model, the tips of the injectors will open between 1700-3400 psi. These are high compression numbers! Your Kubota’s engine is pressure ignited and built to operate within its design limitations of 470 psi of compression. When we introduce an unregulated fuel source, like starting fluid, into the combustion chamber, the compression is much more volatile and can exceed specification – in short, that fluid can grenade the engine.

The Effects of Starting Fluid
The only way to get starter fluid into the engine of your fuel injected Kubota tractor is through the air box. When you spray starting fluid into the air box of the engine, it replaces a certain volume of air with a highly explosive and volatile fuel.

Once the engine is cranked over it quickly begins to compress the air and starting fluid now inside the combustion chamber. As the piston begins to move upwards compression increases and cylinder temperature begins to climb. However, since starting fluid will ignite at a lower temperature 360 F (182 C) versus the diesel fuel at 1000 F (550 C) a flame inside the combustion chamber occurs ahead of the injectors opening to deliver their fuel.

Kubota fuel injection pumps are designed to begin delivery to the injector at 14-22 degrees Before Top Dead Center (BTDC), depending on the specific engine model. This means that as the piston in still traveling upwards, a flame has already started inside the combustion chamber! Spray some diesel fuel into this flame ball and add a little more compression and you can see where this is going. BANG!

With starting fluid displacing the air, ignition now occurs explosively, uncontrollably and with such force that the upper limits of compression pressure are well exceeded. Never, ever use starting fluid on a diesel engine with glow plugs! KA-BLOOMIE!! Kubota tractors all have glow plugs!

Kubota Technical Service Bulletin SB78-38
In 1978 Kubota issued a service bulletin covering the use of ether or starting aids in their engines.

Kubota's TSB SB78-38 was the 38th bulletin issued in 1978. The use of ether or starting fluids resulting in damage to your equipment would not be covered under warranty.

10 Quick Cold Weather Starting Tips

1. Have a good strong battery with 850-1000CCA (cold cranking amps).
2. Use a magnetic block heater if your Kubota does not have a water jacket heater to keep the engine block, oil pan and oil warm.
3. Crank over the engine for 15-30 seconds with the cylinder head decompression knob pulled out to circulate warm engine oil to the upper parts of the engine.
4. Glow the glow plugs for the appropriate time as dictated by the outside ambient temperature. Below zero give them 60 seconds of preheat. Over-glowing does not hurt.
5. Service your tractor regularly, change filters and fluids.
6. If the engines begins to fire and is running a little lumpy, quickly turn the key backwards to reactivate the glow plugs and bring the temperature of the combustion temperature back up.
7. Set a trouble light on top of the engine for an hour or so to warm up a frozen engine. Place it by the air plenum and injector lines but do not leave it unattended or overnight.
8. Remove the battery and bring it inside the house if necessary. A warm battery will crank your Kubota over like a hot day in July!
9. Park in a heated garage if possible, if not, even an unheated shed offers a degree of protection.
10. Make sure the fuel in the tank is fresh, number 2 diesel. If you store your own fuel, make sure it has been treated with an extender and it does not hurt to use a little cetane booster.

Service Department Vic

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