Need Help w/ Kubota L3710 Front Axle Bevel Gear Housing Lesak

[whitefacenh]

I hasve a 2000 L3710HSTC w/ approx 500 hours. it has developed a small drip/leak on both sides of the front axle on the bottom of the bevel gear housing. Has anyone had experience with this and how hard it it to repair?

Thanks in advance for any help

 

[rbargeron]

I have worked on both front gear cases of my 1996 L3600 (same as L3710). There are four seals at each wheel where leaks can develop - two are moving lip seals (A, B)and two are static seals (C, D)

A good way to be sure where your leak is coming from is to clean everything up with the wheels off and see where the drips re-appear. With luck it's just the bottom cap C or the o-ring D weeping a bit.

But the A seal is known to be a weak point on these axles. It can let oil out - or worse it can let water in - leading to failure of the bearings. Kubota has redesigned the seal - so hopefully the new one is better. On my rig I replaced the A seals and the C caps on both sides. One side also needed bearings.

The repair job was not hard - it does need a good pair of snap ring pliers. I can give more details if anybody wants them. (sorry didn't take pics)

As always, prompt and cheerful refund if info is bogus. Take care, Dick B

 

[whitefacenh]

Dick, Thanks for the detailed help!

I'll try to narrow down where the leak is coming from this weekend but I'm relatively certain it is from the bottom cup/cover.

Thanks

 

[Jim1764]

Whitefacenh, did you get around to changing out those oil seals? I too have a L3710 GST, (1999) with the same leaks. Haven't attempted to make the repair yet. Would like to know how you're experence was.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[Jim1764]

rbargeron, do I have the correct parts highlighted in these parts diagrams?

Jim

 

[Deerlope]

I just had my dealer replace the "A" seal in my 03, L3830 at 856 hours. I do a lot of heavy lifting with my fel.

 

[rbargeron]

rbargeron, do I have the correct parts highlighted in these parts diagrams?

Jim

Yes - exactly right. Sorry I didn't see this until now - also have your PM asking for some procedure steps - will answer it here and by return PM.

Looking at the diagram I posted above, first step is to take off the wheel and drain the oil from the axle - most direct draining is by prying out the bottom seal cap (C) - it's plastic and there's a notch in the housing to get started.

Next, take off the drive flange and cover (six bolts, 2 nuts on studs) - it takes some prying or tapping (10, 11, 12, & 13 come off together)

Back where cap (C) was, take out the snap ring below the bottom bearing. The lower bearing, small gear (17) and shaft (15) can be worked down by prying down against the small gear through the hole in the housing. Once this is out, you can see another snap ring about halfway up - take that one off and (16) will drop down and off.

Part of the (A) seal will remain on the axle - take this off and clean up the axle with a wire brush so the new part fully seats. For reassembly, I put both parts of the new seal on (16) and pressed it up on the axle until the snap ring would go back on. The o-ring (D) was in ok shape - but I used a little silicone sealant around the flange anyway.

Hope this helps. Good luck and take care, Dick B

 

[repete]

After replacing MANY bearings, seals and two axle housings on my 2550 I finally realized that I was probably putting an extraordinary load on the front end by:

1) carrying more weight than it was designed to do.

2) reversing my front tires (setting them to a wider position).

3) wrapping baling twine around the front axle destroying the wheel seal and taking out the bearing after all the grease drained out in the pasture. Wheel actually fell off... Drove it back to the barn in reverse with the bucket down steering with L and R brakes.

Bottom line in my book is avoid overloading, keeping the wheels narrow and checking for debris on the parts often.

I keep an extra seal for A and B on hand but have never replaced large "O" ring seal.

Treat it nicely. I know from experience that the casting parts are spendy (X2)

 

[Unkownuser]

Just FYI. To the guys that are having front axle leaks. These leaks are most often caused by not properly ballasting your tractor. When you lift a load with your FEL, it picks the back of your tractor up (if the ballast is not correct) and puts all the weight on your front axle. You may not see or feel it but it does. If you do not believe me, have someone stand behind you when you lift a load and watch the bottom of your rear tires. Anyway, I digress. If you want to prevent this problem, put water in the rear tires or get a ballast box. Usually, improper ballast will cause the axle to begin leaking about every 400-600 hours for an 兎very day use, a little quicker for commercial guys. Just a thought.

 

[rbargeron]

Filling the rear tires increases the load the FEL can pick up before raising the back end. So the load on the front axle tends to be increased by adding liquid to the back tires. Only by adding weight behind the rear axle does any load transfer away from the front axle. The answer to front axle failure is better front axle design.