BX-23 Front Drive Shaft Popping Out

[Happytule]

If in fact, the parts guy chose the wrong part and sent it, I would call them and have a discussion about the discrepancy. Perhaps you will come out better then you think.

Now, if you did not give them the proper tractor ID data, the monkey is on your back!

You know, I think I will give the manager a call to see if I can shake something loose.

I did use the part number given to me by their parts department when I placed the order on-line.

It was a $60 part that I don't think I will need down the road.

It certainly rankles having to pay another $85 to get my tractor running again.

 

[whitetiger]

Oops, I did NOT see your picture when I posted my last reply. I think I missed the Page 2 button.

Thank you VERY much for measuring your U-Joint!

I was able to confirm today that Coleman Equipment sent me a U-Joint for the front end of the driveshaft.

Unfortunately, since I ordered the part on-line, using the part number they gave me, I am out of luck on getting a credit from Coleman.

Guess who WON'T be getting my business for the new U-Joint?

I'll be calling Messicks.

Thank you all for helping me figure this out. I've been fighting with this silly thing since November. Urk.

Oh, my Kubota is a BX-23D. It's odd that it's not marked that way anywhere on my tractor. I've made a note of the model number since I am sure I will forget it the next time I need it.

Oh, and if you look at the drawing Whitetiger provided, only one end of that U-Joint is pinned. FWIW.

So, thanks for the input, everyone. I say the case is closed & I'll be ordering my new U-Joint later today.

There usually is a tag on the frame under the Right-Hand running board with the Model and Serial number.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

if you said you needed the 'rear' or 'tranny' side U-joint then they should swap no charge. The u=joint K2561-16820 is used on a LOT of tractors according to this...https://parts.mbtractor.com/item/K2561-16820/... website.
hopefully you'll get this resolved PDQ as the better weather seems to be here !
When doing anything like parts ordering online, I check 2-3-5+ websites to confirm part numbers and dimensions, that way I'm reasonably sure I'll get the correct part. Mind you if if the parts puller grabs an A008 instead of an A080....oopsy.

 

[skeets]

Have you ever been to WILLIES ( in Mars) and had their fish samich?

 

[D2Cat]

Skeets, you checked your PM's lately?

 

[Happytule]

OK, I tried contacting Chris Coleman @ Coleman Equipment 5 times, 3 voicemails & 2 emails, and didn't hear a peep.

Since they're giving me "the business", I decided not to give them my business and ordered the correct u-joint from Messick's.

In the future I will confirm I am getting the correct part by checking the schematic before I order.

 

[whitetiger]

OK, I tried contacting Chris Coleman @ Coleman Equipment 5 times, 3 voicemails & 2 emails, and didn't hear a peep.

Since they're giving me "the business", I decided not to give them my business and ordered the correct u-joint from Messick's.

In the future I will confirm I am getting the correct part by checking the schematic before I order.

Bruce Coleman, owner of Coleman Equipment has sent you a couple of emails. You have responded to my PMs with Bruce's contact info but have not contacted him. He has offered to take back the part and issue you a full refund. Now, you will not even respond to my PM.

 

[coyotte joe]

Did you look at the picture I posted?

You will notice the u-joint off my BX, which is the one you are questioning, is 1 inch longer than what you have, and the end the drive shaft slides into is 1 inch longer than the end that goes on the transmission shaft.

You must have the wrong u-joint.

Case closed in my opinion.

Edit: I was in the same boat as you, but was lucky to get the correct part when I ordered it. Had the wrong part been sent, I would have installed it and likely ended up in the same situation as you have at some point. Only by chance did I find the u-joint on top of my mower deck, hidden in dried grass, when I cleaned it off before reinstalling it.

 

[coyotte joe]

I've looked at the parts picture in post #4 and it appears the 'upper' Ujoint is LONGER than the 'lower' Ujoint(front axle unit). THAT makes me think the upper Ujoint was replaced with the wrong part, probably a 'lower, shorter' Ujoint.
I'm still convinced , at least by that drawing, that the upper Ujoint MUST be pinned. As well 'mechanically' ,if it's left unpinned and 'floating' it can move fwd/bkd as well as slide up and down, something that shouldn't happen. I've never ,ever seen a 'floating' ujoint , and I'm almost 70 ( sigh).

BTW, I just checked that part number K2561-16820 and it's used on about 25 different Kubotas ! All the pictures I saw clearly show a pin used to attach the U-joint to the shaft.

 

[coyotte joe]

i did lose the upper u-joint this winter, picked up new at ginop dealership. i found the old one this spring. i just assumed they were the same. i will check the old with the new in the morning.

 

[DustyRusty]

Your BX23S is built on a BX 80 series tractor with all BX23S including a loader and backhoe. A BX23D is a several years older model with numerous differences.
It creates a lots of confusion when people only post part of their model number.
For example, there is no BX23 model, they are either a BX23D or BX23S which are substantially different from each other.

The BX22 was the first Kubota "downsized" tractor, loader, backhoe, and I believe that it was first introduced around 2001 or 2002, and the model ran till the BX23 Was introduced in late 2004 or 2005. The basic difference between the BX22 & the BX23 was the placement of the loader valve. On the BX22, the loader valve came off with the loader assembly, and then the stanchion was removed from the loader, and place back onto the tractor to use a front mounted snow blower or plow. The BX23 corrected this, and the valve stayed with the tractor when the loader was removed. The BX24 was an entirely new design tractor, loader, and backhoe model. Neil Messick did a video on these tractors, and it will be 15 minutes well spent. https://www.messicks.com/blog/kubota-bx-series-though-the-years-differences

 

[whitetiger]

The BX22 was the first Kubota "downsized" tractor, loader, backhoe, and I believe that it was first introduced around 2001 or 2002, and the model ran till the BX23 Was introduced in late 2004 or 2005. The basic difference between the BX22 & the BX23 was the placement of the loader valve. On the BX22, the loader valve came off with the loader assembly, and then the stanchion was removed from the loader, and place back onto the tractor to use a front mounted snow blower or plow. The BX23 corrected this, and the valve stayed with the tractor when the loader was removed. The BX24 was an entirely new design tractor, loader, and backhoe model. Neil Messick did a video on these tractors, and it will be 15 minutes well spent. https://www.messicks.com/blog/kubota-bx-series-though-the-years-differences

I have a pretty good idea of the history and changes of the BX tractor, I would suspect as much as Neil Messick has.

 

[DustyRusty]

I have a pretty good idea of the history and changes of the BX tractor, I would suspect as much as Neil Messick has.

Only reason for posting the video is for the visual of each model tractor. My post was not meant to demean you in any way. I know very well from reading your posts, that you are extremely knowledgeable of these tractors, their mechanics, and how to fix them.

 

[Happytule]

Bruce Coleman, owner of Coleman Equipment has sent you a couple of emails. You have responded to my PMs with Bruce's contact info but have not contacted him. He has offered to take back the part and issue you a full refund. Now, you will not even respond to my PM.

Hey @whitetiger

Bruce and I exchanged emails in August 2020, he said to return the part & I would receive a full refund.

I got distracted &forgot to send the u-joint. I ran across it in my grudge in June 2020, boxed it up, sent it back with a copy of Bruce Coleman's email stating he would give me a full refund.

Then I got a BS email from someone I'll call Dean, since that's his name, that stated:
Please read our return policy as we are unable to process this return due to to
Purchase date is 11/1/2019
Item is not in original packaging
Item is not resaleable

This item will be placed on our return shelf for 14 days and if you would like the item back we will need to collect shipping from you. On the 15th day this item will be scrapped

I apologize for the inconvenience

Haha, a sincere apology. I was having a bad day already and sent a reply (granted, not terribly polite) asking him if he'd bothered to read the email I had included in the box.

Dean replied saying he would look into the situation.

THEN, I received this reply from Bob B, the jackass parts manager I initially went around with regarding a refund:
I have attached copies of your email, original invoice and a credit that is pending. Along with pictures of a used part your wanting credit for. We have provided you a copy of our return policy and have contacted you regarding the used part returned and not a new part.
I have taken the used part to Bruce Coleman and he sees that the item is not new and not resaleable. He also stated that he had agreed to allow the return back on Aug 2020. We will issue a 50% customer satisfaction refund and will mail a check to you.

I really wonder if he DID talk to Bruce Coleman because in my email to Bruce i explained that I had been fighting with the getting the u-joint to work for 6 months, so he KNEW it was a used part & yet he agreed to fully refund my money.

Granted I didn't return the part right away, but I'm not sure what difference that makes. By the time Bruce & I talked via email I had already had the u-joint for almost a year, half of which I'd spent fighting to get it to stay on my tractor.

Anyway, I now have a check for $28, no u-joint & I'm also out $14 or so to ship it back to them, which brings my "refund" down to $14.

I'm tempted to use it for toilet paper & send it back to them,

And that is the reason my future business will be done with Messicks.

Coleman Equipment won't get another cent from me.

Sorry about not replying to your PM, I did not receive an email saying you'd PM'd me. I'll have to look at my settings again.