One More Bolt to Check/Tighten on your Kioti

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I was box blading today and lifted my box blade to turn around and notice that the right side was sagging considerably and would not lift. Hmmmmm. That's not good.

So I got off the tractor and started checking it out and found that the pin that holds the right lower lift arm to the tractor frame had worked loose and let the ball end come completely free. You can see the pin laying there. That's where it was when I stopped the tractor.

Here is what the left side looked like. This is what it's supposed to look like:

What happened was that the retaining bolt that is screwed into the tractor to keep the pin secured had worked loose and fell out. The bolt was nowhere to be found, but thank goodness the pin was still laying there on the tractor. Here's what the pin and retaining bolt look like.

When I checked the retaining bolt on the other (left) lift arm, it was loose too. I completely unscrewed it without putting a wrench on it.

I made a trip to Home Depot and found an M10 (1.25 thread pitch) bolt that is 20mm long. The Kioti one is about 16mm, but the 20mm one should work with a lock washer.

I'll use some blue loctite on both of them when I re-install them.

 

[Threepoint]

Good catch, Pappy, that could have gotten ugly. And thanks for the heads up. I've noted other posts about checking bolts after a few hours on new DKs, e.g. on the loader frame. Also checking the threaded parts of the bucket level indicator. I'm half hoping Kioti dealt with these issues in the NX series. But probably not, so I'm on it!

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Good catch, Pappy, that could have gotten ugly. And thanks for the heads up. I've noted other posts about checking bolts after a few hours on new DKs, e.g. on the loader frame. Also checking the threaded parts of the bucket level indicator. I'm half hoping Kioti dealt with these issues in the NX series. But probably not, so I'm on it!

I've been checking my loader frame bolts, lug bolts and other bolts and nuts periodically, but never thought about (or even noticed) these little retaining bolts.

And, yes, it could have been ugly if I had turned without looking back at the box blade. The side that was sagging would have caught the ground and Lord knows what would have been broken in the process.

 

[murphy1244]

Wow, do we have to check every **** bolt on these now??? Thanks for the warning Pappy.

 

[Coyote machine]

SOP. :confused3: Check and tighten all frame bolts when doing greasing or similar related maintenance. I found a very similar situation with shorter than need be bolts where the loader sub-frame connects to the tractor frame. The bolts had done the same thing, but worse, by elongating the holes they were in. Right side only, for some reason. By adding the longest bolts possible, cutting them to length, IIRC, and carefully selecting a lock washer, AND using RED Locktite to keep them from backing out again- mission accomplished.
It seems to me Kioti sometimes cuts corners on things like bolt length, and it can cause problems like we're discussing here.
Thanks for bringing this to our collective attention.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I wonder if the 3ph lift arms are attached at the factory or as part of the dealer assembly.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Wow, do we have to check every **** bolt on these now??? Thanks for the warning Pappy.

When I get back over to the property to get the lift arm back on, I'm gonna go over the tractor with a fine tooth comb. A few hours with a set of wrenches and sockets could save some trouble later on.

 

[Coyote machine]

When I get back over to the property to get the lift arm back on, I'm gonna go over the tractor with a fine tooth comb. A few hours with a set of wrenches and sockets could save some trouble later on.

Atta Boy! It's a pain, BUT worthwhile, especially if you can keep crucial bolts from stripping out. My dealer told me he's had to remove the entire loader sub-frame on a few DK's where the frame holes were stripped out due to the bolts backing out - probably from being too short and loosening from vibration.

And, I would imagine the 3PH assembly is done at the selling dealer's.

 

[Illini22]

Thanks for the info!

 

[TJP89]

I'll check that when I next need the the tractor, good catch. I think you've had your tractor for a while, so that could have just loosened with use. Another one I always check now. On the removable drawbar, it's held on by 2 lynch pins which are secured by cotter pins on the bottom. While I was brushogging one day, I looked back to see a cotter pin laying on the ground. I paniced 'cause I thought it had come from the tranny linkages, but some brush had just snagged it off the lynch pin. I now have the bar off unless I have to use it specifically.