L240/L260 How noisy are they?

[Kmo]

I'm new to Kubota and found and old L260 with a Z1300 engine to study. Great tractor, runs great but is extremely noisy. While searching the internet, I found that a Kubota owner that had torn an engine down for a knock and found no problem. I have listened to a few youtube videos of the L260 and they seem to knock as well.

The Owner's Manual says "well balanced parts, very efficient muffler and the use of a nylon fan blade have been incorporated to keep obnoxious noise to a minimum".

I installed new injector nozzles and have set the valves. I have good clear exhaust and good oil pressure. I see the Nebraska Test gives it 99db for noise. It's very easy to work on.

It doesn't purr like a four cylinder Farmall Cub.

Anyone have first hand experience with the L260? I'm I correct to assume it's just normal diesel knock for the L260?

 

[Dab4933]

My L260 does not seem to be very noise to me. It sounds like a normal Diesel. I do not have a normal muffler on it. The previous owner put a bigger (oval) muffler with a rain cap.

 

[pejepscot]

I'm new to Kubota and found and old L260 with a Z1300 engine to study. Great tractor, runs great but is extremely noisy. While searching the internet, I found that a Kubota owner that had torn an engine down for a knock and found no problem. I have listened to a few youtube videos of the L260 and they seem to knock as well.

The Owner's Manual says "well balanced parts, very efficient muffler and the use of a nylon fan blade have been incorporated to keep obnoxious noise to a minimum".

I installed new injector nozzles and have set the valves. I have good clear exhaust and good oil pressure. I see the Nebraska Test gives it 99db for noise. It's very easy to work on.

It doesn't purr like a four cylinder Farmall Cub.

Anyone have first hand experience with the L260? I'm I correct to assume it's just normal diesel knock for the L260?

Hi KMO-
I know this is an old post, but you provided me a well thought-out response to an earlier question and I appreciate it...plus us L260 guys have to stick together!

My old L260 sounds Gawd-Awful when she runs, but she runs fine. My buddy who has had a kubota since 1982 says that she "sounds good!" and that the 1970's vintage 2-cylinder diesels have a special sound all their own. Lots of knocks, and pings especially when she's not under a load. My z1300 has good oil pressure, no smoke or obvious blow-by, and starts well indicating good compression...she just has that "sound" like someone is inside there beating on things with a ball-peen hammer ;^)

 

[ShaunRH]

Try playing with some fuel and oil additives. Changing to synthetic oils, or adding treatments (Slick50, etc.) is reported to quiet down a lot of engines. Also adding fuel treatments like Stanadyne, or Power Service stuff may help.

Engine designers, back in the day, designed for pure power and didn't worry about such things as acoustic harmonics between assemblies or acoustic amplification of parts. Today, that actually gets addressed during the run up of new engine designs.