M4500 Compression Release

[JerryMT]

I was looking around "under the hood" of my M4500 with the S2600-A engine and near the thermostat housing, I found a spring loaded lever. I wondered if this was a compression release. I checked my operators manual and there is no mention of this feature there nor is there any mention of it in the starting procedures. I moved it from it's resting position and started the engine using the glow plugs. It fired off almost instantly and reset the lever. I went through the WSM for this tractor and in the rebuilding section, I found an adjustment procedure for the compression release.
For the life of me I don't understand why there is no mention of this feature in the operators manual. I have several tractors, a Ford and a New Holland and their operator manuals and their service manuals are better written and much more comprehensive then anything I have seen from Kubota.

I don't know much about the more modern Kubota tractors. Are their operator and service manuals as poorly written as my M4500?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

All I know is the M4500 and a few other models were some of their first models and Yes the operators manuals and the WSM for these models were poorly written.

They were new to releasing tractors to western markets and what Kubota said or wrote in japanese for the manuals were poorly translated and conveyed.

It's very common on these older models for things to be quite scrambled.

 

[JerryMT]

All I know is the M4500 and a few other models were some of their first models and Yes the operators manuals and the WSM for these models were poorly written.

They were new to releasing tractors to western markets and what Kubota said or wrote in japanese for the manuals were poorly translated and conveyed.

It's very common on these older models for things to be quite scrambled.

Wouldn't you think that a OM for diesel tractor, which is inherently difficult to start (particularly in cold weather) , would mention the existence of a compression release with instructions for use in the Operator's Manual? I mean that's pretty fundamental.
I have operated and maintained tractors for almost 40 years and I have never come across an OM not have complete starting instructions. It is what it is but having worked with the Japanese on aircraft, they were pretty meticulous about procedures and following instructions. I hope their OM's and service literature are much better today.

 

[JohnDB]

near the thermostat housing, I found a spring loaded lever. I wondered if this was a compression release. ... I moved it from it's resting position and started the engine using the glow plugs. It fired off almost instantly and reset the lever.

I too wondered about the compression release on these engines - there's no connection to the operator station, like you say you have to lift the hood to get at it. The lever and bracket (on mine anyway) looks to be designed for remote operation via cable. It is odd that Kubota would have the parts existing on/in the rocker cover and make no use of it nor make reference to it, so I guess it was a legacy of the engines used in other applications. The decompressor parts are listed in the parts manual but not any parts for operating it remotely. I've never used it for starting, just for when I've been turning the engine over by hand checking the injector timing. On TBN posters said decompression was good for stopping a runaway motor (must remember that) or pumping water out the cylinders if the tractor sank in a paddy field It would be a PITA to use it every time you started the engine, even if it was only when the engine was cold.

 

[GeoHorn]

It’s difficult to avoid disdain for literature translated into other languages. We are lucky that so much technology originates in English-speaking countries. I can only imagine what our manuals say in Japanese.
Even English has such issues. The British Aerospace “heavier than air” “aeroplane” I used to operate instructs to inspect the inside of the fuel tank using a “torch”. Gasoline aeroplanes do not use “Kero”, they use “petrol”. Before landing it is considered wise to “deploy the undercarriage”.

With regard to the latest Virus, This was sent by an English ex-pat:

UK Virus ALERT

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent virus threat and have therefore raised their threat level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, level may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross."

The English have not been "A Bit Cross"since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out.

The virus has been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.

The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's Get the Bastard." They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its alert level from "Run"to "Hide."The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.

Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

Australia, meanwhile, has raised its alert level from "No worries"to "She'll be alright, Mate."Two more escalation levels remain: "Crikey! I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!" and "The barbie is cancelled."So far, no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

 

[JerryMT]

It***8217;s difficult to avoid disdain for literature translated into other languages. We are lucky that so much technology originates in English-speaking countries. I can only imagine what our manuals say in Japanese.
Even English has such issues. The British Aerospace ***8220;heavier than air***8221; ***8220;aeroplane***8221; I used to operate instructs to inspect the inside of the fuel tank using a ***8220;torch***8221;. Gasoline aeroplanes do not use ***8220;Kero***8221;, they use ***8220;petrol***8221;. Before landing it is considered wise to ***8220;deploy the undercarriage***8221;.

With regard to the latest Virus, This was sent by an English ex-pat:

UK Virus ALERT

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent virus threat and have therefore raised their threat level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, level may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross."

The English have not been "A Bit Cross"since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out.

The virus has been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.

The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's Get the Bastard." They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its alert level from "Run"to "Hide."The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.

Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

Australia, meanwhile, has raised its alert level from "No worries"to "She'll be alright, Mate."Two more escalation levels remain: "Crikey! I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!" and "The barbie is cancelled."So far, no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

Ah yes, England and the US - two nations separated by a common language! I worked with Rolls-Royce for several years and so had some experience with England's English terminology.

Mistakes are never made, "there has only been a misunderstanding". "Torch" in the UK is translated to "flashlight" in the US. "Turbine" rhymes with combine instead of the US turbine (turbin like grain bin)). "Bog" or "loo" is what we would know as the bathroom. "Knock me up" means knock on my door.(This can be embarrassing for an American male engineer when it is stated by a female British engineer for the first time.) "Oh crumbs" is the British equivalent for our "Aw, sh**!"

I worked with some really top notch engineers who were mainly hampered by an autocratic management system.

 

[GeoHorn]

Ah yes, England and the US - two nations separated by a common language! I worked with Rolls-Royce for several years and so had some experience with England's English terminology.

Mistakes are never made, "there has only been a misunderstanding". "Torch" in the UK is translated to "flashlight" in the US. "Turbine" rhymes with combine instead of the US turbine (turbin like grain bin)). "Bog" or "loo" is what we would know as the bathroom. "Knock me up" means knock on my door.(This can be embarrassing for an American male engineer when it is stated by a female British engineer for the first time.) "Oh crumbs" is the British equivalent for our "Aw, sh**!"

I worked with some really top notch engineers who were mainly hampered by an autocratic management system.

My Dad was based near Norwich England during WW-II and his diary mentioned some of the “fellows visited a knocking-shop” in town. It was 40 years later that I visited the area and learned that a “knocking-shop” is a Flop-house. (Brothel). LOL