F3080 wheels don't turn with steering wheel....sometimes. Anyone else???

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Gary at Barlows said to check the steering hyd cylinder that turns the wheels and see if it gets really, really hot. If so he said the seal is bad. It did get really, really hot so I took the F to Barlows last week and picked it up yesterday evening. Will give it a workout today, if it doesn't rain and see if the new seal makes a difference.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Mowed all on home site yesterday and in 4 hours of mowing I didn't notice any issue with steering. I believe the problem has been fixed.:thumbsup::cool2::thumbsup:

 

[TailDragon]

Glad to hear this, went by Barlows last Saturday after work and saw your new wing on the building. Looks good but did not see your plaque/name on it.
Will try to bring a mower up this Saturday to clean up my lower field, The hay has not been cut for a while,

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Glad to hear this, went by Barlows last Saturday after work and saw your new wing on the building. Looks good but did not see your plaque/name on it.
Will try to bring a mower up this Saturday to clean up my lower field, The hay has not been cut for a while,

This weekend will be horrible time to come up unless you love the Lake and Holiday traffic. It has been bad since at least Wednesday and will be even worse today and tomorrow. Maybe coming early, early may help. Start a fire, if your land is out 192, and I'll see it from my front porch. My Church is having food, inflatables and fireworks for anyone that wants to come Friday evening so if you come then stop by there and eat. It's Potters Place on the 914 bypass just down from where 192 crosses it. I to am waiting for my plaque to be installed.

 

[milkman]

Mowed all on home site yesterday and in 4 hours of mowing I didn't notice any issue with steering. I believe the problem has been fixed.:thumbsup::cool2::thumbsup:

Hey John, see post #2 :cool2::laughing::laughing:

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Hey John, might just be the nut behind the wheel.:laughing: A few on here with the BX have had a similar problem and it turns out to be the seals in the steering cylinder are leaking internally. There is a kit to replace those seals on the BX and I would think that your F uses a similar set up. Hope you get it fixed.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/87375-steering-wanders.html

Mowed again yesterday, the two and a half hour modified mow (Didn't mow trails, behind brothers house and not the front yard where I couldn't tell for sure if I had mowed or not mowed) and it never missed a beat or failed to turn the rear wheels when I turned the steering wheel. Why didn't I listen to you before?

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Checked the loose nut and it's tight.
I talked to Steve Barlow today and he called someone who said no history of my problem with the F3080 but Steve thinks it could be foaming/bubbling up the Hyd fluid and I should check dipstick next time it does it and if there are air bubbles on the stick then that will prove one possible problem.
I'll take a copy of your thread also for their consideration. This is my new F3080 with under 15 hours and this is its first mowing season, the one that is doing it the worst.
Thanks for info. Still have a 2 bottom plow for sale.:laughing:

Looks like I did follow up on your advise and "Kubota" seemed to dismiss it. Guess "Kubota" (sure it was regional rep that dismissed it) was wrong for sure.
I had went to Barlows and told Gary I wanted to see a parts breakdown of the entire steering system so I could figure out the potential areas for the problem. I'm usually a logical thinker when I can grasp the system to my level of thinking. He brought it up on the screen and said I could get the same "stuff" on Kubota site. Told him good but he knows what each part does and I wanted to go thru it with him answering questions as I tried to break it down to my level of thinking/understanding. He and I went over the entire parts breakdown of the steering system with me asking him exactly how/what/function each part had to do with the steering. Obviously most of the parts couldn't cause it to do what it was doing. The pump had already been replaced so the odds of several being bad seemed slight but in my mind still possible.
As we progressed down the line on the parts and function Gary said if the steering cylinder had a problem it could get really, really hot and to check it the next time it quit steering. Gary said that's how they determine which cylinder/or if a cylinder is bad on a fel. Next time I mowed I finally got off and felt of the almost burn you hot steering cylinder when the steering malfunctioned.
Any way, months of frustration are now history but I will (try to) remember it and if someone posts a similar problem I'll send them to this thread. I'll pay more attention to my old buddy Milkman next time.
Milkman, don't you need a Dearborn 12" 2 bottom plow? Your usually good for a few hundred dollars when I get something or find something that's a good deal. Or a Barrett Crossbow (The one in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnOuHLAtDoc#t=958 ) For $150 or I'll always trade.

 

[milkman]

John, glad you got it sorted out, sounds like you have been through quite an ordeal. You do have a super dealer that will work with you till the end. I'd like to come and do some more horse tradin' with you, I always enjoy the visit. I can't come up with anything I'd like to have right now, unless you have a couple of knee joints, I bet you and Ron could even install them.:laughing:

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

John, glad you got it sorted out, sounds like you have been through quite an ordeal. You do have a super dealer that will work with you till the end. I'd like to come and do some more horse tradin' with you, I always enjoy the visit. I can't come up with anything I'd like to have right now, unless you have a couple of knee joints, I bet you and Ron could even install them.:laughing:

Using the knee joints I have, but need a new or different one in my right shoulder if you come up with a volume discount deal.
Ron sometimes mentions he wished he had his RTV back. RTV is one of those items I never thought much about and bought one to entertain grands while they will spend time with me (9 year old twin Grandson and granddaughter and a 3 year old grandson) but wife and I use it often and wouldn't consider giving it up now and should have bought one years before I did.
Load your truck up and come trade "some stuff" anytime. You and brother always welcome. Maybe get youn's to do some work while your here.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

A bump for the F owner with steering issue.