LA 504 loader valve... NADA

[Bing187]

Hello all,

I know that this issue has been raised before, but I'm curios as to whether anyone has a different solution than the one I've come up with that worked, or if they did use my solution, if they could provide some feedback.

Using tractor the other day, (2010 B3300su), loader starts acting up.. loader goes up and down, won't roll forward or back. Lever won't move in the direction it needs to.. frozen. Long story short, the poppet (sp) valve snapped inside, apparently scored or bent the spool somehow. Spool won't travel more than 1/2" up or down, then stuck fast... Other spool travels smooth, pulled it out of the body with my fingers. Took complete valve out, and poppet valve came out through side port in two pieces... Looks like it's all there, there shouldn't be anything left inside the bore..... I have now been told by 1) Norfolk power (Kubota dealer) 2) good friend that is a forklift mech 3) hydraulic repair shop, and 4) a machinist friend that the valve is cooked. No way to remove, machine, re bore etc etc...

Norfolk power wants... Get this..... $1216.00 for a new loader valve.

I am thoroughly disgusted, as I truly believe that this is gouging. The thing is the size of my hand, and it's not a computer. I'm pretty pissed . 270 hours on this machine. Soooo....

I have found several "generic" loader valves that are in the 3-400 dollar range with same functions as mine. My machinist friend thinks that we could fab a bracket to relocate valve, pipe lines via soft line to connect to hard lines that originally went to loader valve, problem solved. It would also make it more accessible, and easy to replace w/ a less expensive valve if it ever broke again.

Has anyone done this, or similar? Does anyone have a solution other than what I have laid out here? I appreciate any advice out there. I'd even appreciate some sympathy even if you have nothing worthwhile to contribute... lol

Thanks in advance.....

Mike

 

[kuboman]

I don't have much to contribute other than parts are expensive. That said I am not one to scab things together just to save a few bucks. By the time you buy the valve and have lines made up and brackets you will be more than half way to the new valve. Also does not the loader control mount right onto the valve in which case how can you move the valve to a different location?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I'm going to just make you mad... but what else am I here for!

#1 Changing out major components with non Kubota Items lowers the Value of the tractor 3 fold, your $500 savings is going to drop the value thousands for the tractor, In fact most dealers won't touch a tractor that's had major alterations and eliminations of stock parts! I know that if I looked at your loader after you altered/ swapped/ changed it I wouldn't buy it, and I would worry about what other parts are not stock Kubota parts.

#2 If a generic valve is good enough you would think everyone would use one! The differences between the stock valve and a generic valve can be very damaging to the design and function of the loader and the tractor.
There is a reason that there is so many valves in a Kubota valve, there is a buffer circuit built into the valve that keeps the loader from transferring the force of a bouncing loader and bucket back to the tractor, so in 6 months when the bolts are stripped out of the bell housing or the front end brakes off you can stop and ask yourself was it worth the few $$ you saved?
There is also limits built into the loader valve as protection is case of overloading or malfunction, a generic valve does not have those protections.

#3 Lets go with shear usability, have you ever operated a loader with a generic valve? They are rough at the start and will only get worse later in life.

Ask yourself why did you buy a Kubota... I don't think your answer will be I wanted a poor performing tractor and loader... well changing major parts to generics/non stock parts, your right on your way to owning a piece of junk just like the rest of the tractors out there that you didn't want to own!
Bite the bullet and buy the valve... Which you can get for 1073.21 new.
Yes I know it sucks to have to fork out the $$$ for such a part that died way to early in life but it's mechanical... things happen... just take care of it properly and move on!