Parts Counter Serial Number

[tg2891]

I have a b7100 grey market tractor, best guess, a 1977-78. One common issue all grey market owners have is obtaining parts from a Kubota dealer. The reoccurring question they have is, what the serial no# and as soon as you give them the No# of a grey market tractor, they tell you they cannot sell you parts as it is a grey market and as part of the lawsuit filed by Kubota against the import of these tractors they can not sell you parts for it, even if it is a genuine Kubota.
Anyway, what I am looking for is the sequence Kubota used for its American built machines. The identifying serial no# for my tractor is B7001-18504, making it a grey market. My best guess is that the the first 5 digits are out of sequence. Instead of being B7001(Japan use) it should be B7100(American Use). I'm not sure what the last 5 exactly mean but I am guessing that it has something to do with the manufacturing plant, date and/or production number.
Anyway, What I have is a 1977 grey market B7100 Kubota 4WD. Is there anyone here that has a similar machine, not grey market, or you just know, that can provide me with some insight to how Kubota arranged there serial numbers and what they mean, so I can buy parts for my tractor.
To be clear, I am not looking to change my serial no# or alter it in anyway. I am not looking to use someone's no#. I am not trying to sell it or make it more than it is. At this point I am in the process of repainting it and want to buy the stickers for it. But without a good serial number the dealer wont even look up the part numbers for a sticker.

Thanks For Reading
TOM G.

[steve]

Tom
I have a B5001 with the same problem. I order all my parts over the internet. They don't ask for numbers. I've had great luck with:
https://www.colemanequip.com http://www.kellerkubota.com/ http://www.messicks.com/kubotatractorparts.aspx
Get the parts manual from service dept Vic. Prices are good if not lower than the local Kubota dealers and a lot easier and cheaper than driving to the dealer. Not had a problem with them and they will gladly take your money.
Steve

[stuart]

Some thoughts for you.
1- Last time I went for parts, I gave the engine code as D750 so the lookup was easy.
2 - On another matter, the parts guy asked the real model number, I told him, he went into the back room and came out with a B7001 catalogue. No problem for them, but this is Canada where gray market units are welcome.
3 - I bought a parts catalogue cd on eBay for a few dollars - contact me for the sellers name if you are interested, or tell me which stickers and I will look up the numbers.

Apparently engine parts are no issue, but some transmissions are different between the 7001 and the 7100.

[tg2891]

Thanks for the suggestions and the links.

Steve, Does your parts cd include part numbers for decals, warning stickers and control stickers. If so, I would be interested in the ebay seller to obtain one. I have a parts manual I downloaded from this site last spring but it does not have decal/sticker part numbers.

Thanks
TOM G.

[steve]

Go to http://www.kubotabooks.com/ and download the parts manual.

[Service Dept Vic]

I'm feelin' your pain tg2981! The first five digits of the stamping on the transmission tunnel are not part of the serial number, eg B7001 or B7100 but rather the model identifier.

The subsequent numbers listed past the hyphen is the serial number, followed by the Kubota pipe and gear trademark stamp.

Ther starting serial number sequences for the first generation B7100 are as follows:

1976 10001
1977 13931
1978 36646
1979 54221
1980 64448
1981 70678
1982 74217
1983 76009
1984 77309
1985 78435

You are correct, your B7001 is a 1977.

[Bellinghamster]

Sooo... why do you think you've got a gray market B7100?

Does your tractor still have the aluminum nameplate under the serial #? Does it say it's a B7100 or a B7001?

My B7100 has a S/N that starts with B7001 and according the the list that Vic posted it's a 1979. The nameplate says it's a B7100.

I think all B7100's are legitimate, i.e. not gray market, and that your dealer may be jumping to wrong conclusions... either that or I've been duped!