What About Your Tractor Makes You Swear?

[GeoHorn]

I have some HF transmission-jacks that I place under my FEL whenever I feel the need to be under it when it’s raised.

Safety-Police Disclaimer: Don’t EVER get underneath unsupported hydraulics if you value your life/health.

 

[dlsmith]

How in the heck did you get your head under that part of the loader????

I had the bucket up, with the safety lock in place, so I could take the engine cover off. The air filter bracket was broken where they normally break, because whoever repaired it before did a completely crappy job of trying to weld it. Only about 10% of the weld connected both parts of the bracket. Don't know why they ever bothered to try to weld it.
So, on one of my trips around the front of the tractor to get a tool, I didn't duck low enough and caught that little piece of stock on the top of my head.

But I did get the bracket repaired, we'll see how long it lasts this time.

 

[GeoHorn]

I had the bucket up, with the safety lock in place,.....

PLEASE DONT DO THAT AGAIN!... that is NOT a safety-lock. That is a hydraulic-lock to prevent movement of the joystick. It WILL NOT protect you from a failed cylinder seal or piston or hose that fails and releases fluid which can allow the FEL to fall and crush you.

The FEL also has an Operators Manual you can download. It will specifically warn you NOT to walk or work beneath a bucket that is not supported. It warns you NOT to reach thru a boom or arm that can fall and crush or amputate your arm.

Please, NEVER get under any hydraulicly supported equipment unless it is also held up with a jack-stand or solid blocks of some sort.

 

[dlsmith]

PLEASE DONT DO THAT AGAIN!... that is NOT a safety-lock. That is a hydraulic-lock to prevent movement of the joystick. It WILL NOT protect you from a failed cylinder seal or piston or hose that fails and releases fluid which can allow the FEL to fall and crush you.

I have a mechanical lock that blocks the FEL in the up position.

I've worked around hydraulic equipment for many years and have a cautious respect for them.

 

[GeoHorn]

I have a mechanical lock that blocks the FEL in the up position.

I've worked around hydraulic equipment for many years and have a cautious respect for them.

Ahhhh.... I see. (I’d be more cautious also, if I got a nasty cut on my head from familiarity....)

I was thinking the little lever-lock on the joystick. Sorry if I was too bothersome.

 

[motionclone]

Hate how my FEL hydraulics will only do 1 function at a time. Curl bucket OR lift boom but not both. Probably just not enough GPM to do everything.

 

[GeoHorn]

Hate how my FEL hydraulics will only do 1 function at a time. Curl bucket OR lift boom but not both. Probably just not enough GPM to do everything.

I thought double-function/lift/curl was a Kubota-Standard! No..?? (Mine does, and it was mfr’d in ‘96.)

 

[motionclone]

I thought double-function/lift/curl was a Kubota-Standard! No..?? (Mine does, and it was mfr’d in ‘96.)

I wish I had that but its a Great Bend Loader and valve and its tapped into my factory hydraulics which have low GPM.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Something I found out the other day when I was talking to my Kubota mechanic that works on my tractors. He told me one of Kubota's 'brain dead ideas' was putting the timing window behind the right hand loader mount so you have to pull the loader upright to access the timing marks to adjust the overhead. I said... how about taking a bi-metal hole saw and putting a hole in the loader upright where the window is and he replied, it still has a rubber plug you have to remove...

Now I know why he wants to loader off the tractor when it goes in... My cab tractor is due for an overhead adjustment this winter.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Hate how my FEL hydraulics will only do 1 function at a time. Curl bucket OR lift boom but not both. Probably just not enough GPM to do everything.

How JD's are and some New Hollands too.

 

[GeoHorn]

Something I found out the other day when I was talking to my Kubota mechanic that works on my tractors. He told me one of Kubota's 'brain dead ideas' was putting the timing window behind the right hand loader mount so you have to pull the loader upright to access the timing marks to adjust the overhead. I said... how about taking a bi-metal hole saw and putting a hole in the loader upright where the window is and he replied, it still has a rubber plug you have to remove...

Now I know why he wants to loader off the tractor when it goes in... My cab tractor is due for an overhead adjustment this winter.

Flip, how often exactly... does the mechanic actually FIND a valve-lash is NOT correct? After an engine “breaks-in”, it’s been my experience that valve-lash is pretty stabile for hundreds of hours before another adjustment is actually necessary. Are you operating more than 500 hrs/yr?

 

[SidecarFlip]

Flip, how often exactly... does the mechanic actually FIND a valve-lash is NOT correct? After an engine “breaks-in”, it’s been my experience that valve-lash is pretty stabile for hundreds of hours before another adjustment is actually necessary. Are you operating more than 500 hrs/yr?

Depends on how much hay I run... Kubota's recommended valve clearance interval is every 1000 meter hours. Candidly, I haven't run the cab tractor yet and it's over 1500 hours, well over. When Dennis ran my open station (at 6000 hours), all the valves were way out and it was noisy. I suspect the original owner never ran the overhead.... As soon as he set the overhead to spec, the observed power went way up and it's quiet as a mouse (barring combustion noise of course).. I don't do hundreds of hours, I do thousands of hours but then most owners will never approach what I run.

I'd adhere to the 1000 hour adjustment anyway. They are solid lifters after all.

Added benefit is it fires up much easier too. 1/2 turn and it's running.

 

[SDT]

The hood decal says B3350!

Sorry. I couldn't help myself.

SDT

 

[GeoHorn]

Depends on how much hay I run... Kubota's recommended valve clearance interval is every 1000 meter hours. Candidly, I haven't run the cab tractor yet and it's over 1500 hours, well over. When Dennis ran my open station (at 6000 hours), all the valves were way out and it was noisy. I suspect the original owner never ran the overhead.... As soon as he set the overhead to spec, the observed power went way up and it's quiet as a mouse (barring combustion noise of course).. I don't do hundreds of hours, I do thousands of hours but then most owners will never approach what I run.

I'd adhere to the 1000 hour adjustment anyway. They are solid lifters after all.

Added benefit is it fires up much easier too. 1/2 turn and it's running.

OK...
Well, I agree with your plan completely. I was afraid you might have been doing this annually and only running a couple hundred hours/yr.

 

[SidecarFlip]

OK...
Well, I agree with your plan completely. I was afraid you might have been doing this annually and only running a couple hundred hours/yr.

All depends on how the hay is running and it's running good right now so consecutive 12 hour days are the norm. Just got in actually and I need shower. Ran the open station all day and it's hot out. Tomorrow I'll be in the ac tractor. Supposed to be 90.

 

[Hue]

L4060, the snowblower took out my signal lights on the top-rear of the cab, trying to chuck snow ahead of me while building a hill for the kids to go sledding.

What the **** is all that orange **** all over the ground?

 

[SidecarFlip]

Flip, how often exactly... does the mechanic actually FIND a valve-lash is NOT correct? After an engine “breaks-in”, it’s been my experience that valve-lash is pretty stabile for hundreds of hours before another adjustment is actually necessary. Are you operating more than 500 hrs/yr?

Additionally, an experienced tech like Dennis who works on my machines, can tell by listening to the overhead with his trained ear, if the overhead is sloppy. When he looked over the tractor and started it, first thing he told me was the overhead needed adjustment....and, if you put my M9 open station next to my M9 cab unit and start either and listen, there is a discernible difference in overhead clatter. My cab unit need the overhead ran, it's past the adjustment interval by about 500 meter hours now.

 

[PapaJ]

Putting my loader back on after I mow. In my learning curve, I tweaked something, so the right side is a son of a to get the knuckle together so I can flip the lever to lock it. The left side goes right in first time every time. I'm getting better at it, sometimes I get it in 3 tries, sometimes 103 tries.

 

[GeoHorn]

Additionally, an experienced tech like Dennis who works on my machines, can tell by listening to the overhead with his trained ear, if the overhead is sloppy. When he looked over the tractor and started it, first thing he told me was the overhead needed adjustment....and, if you put my M9 open station next to my M9 cab unit and start either and listen, there is a discernible difference in overhead clatter. My cab unit need the overhead ran, it's past the adjustment interval by about 500 meter hours now.

The problem with “trained ear mechanics” is that a valve train which is clattering... yes the clerances are loose and should be adjusted.... BUT... a valve train that has LOST it’s clearances is running too tight and will BURN valves... and that is NOT something that can be “heard”. As an engine has broken-in and wears, ... the valve head and valve seat can wear (recess) and the valve-lash actually lessens...not increases. The only way to know if valve lash is correct is with a feeler gauge.
I can’t disagree with you about following the mfr’s recommendations... that’s always the best.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Valve clearance increasing or decreasing depends on the physical orientation of the camshaft to the valve stem or rocker arm and wear on the mating surfaces.