B-26 Hydraulic Pump Noise?

CurtisC · Nov 23, 2015

I recently performed 400 hr. service on my 2009 B-26TLB. While there's not a lot of hrs. on it, this machine has had a moderately tough life pulling trees/ stumps and working in rocky hillsides cutting in roads and has always performed well. I started noticing a new whining/rattling noise (I assume from the hydraulic pump) after the engine had a couple of minutes warm up time and with no demand placed on the hydraulic system. Raise the bucket or otherwise load the system and it quiets down - it also quiets down after its been working a while. Some other background data: 1. Air temps at start up were cool but not cold mid 40's - 50's. 2. The hydraulic system had seen some standard hyd. oil for a brief period in it's early life (around 50 hrs.) but the system was flushed and refilled with Super UDT and just received a new load of same along with filters at 400 hr service. 3. The noise is a similar to the "whine" heard when wrong oil was used or when tractor is first started in very cold weather mixed with a bit of "rattle" - its almost as though something's loose and rattling to engine vibration. I've poked around and looked for a loose anything with no luck. 4. Hydraulic performance (transmission, B/H, loader, & Pwr steering) continues to be good but I did notice some momentary hesitation the other day in the power steering after warm up while driving uphill in a tight spot. 5. The B/H does come off and on a fair amount but I can't remember if noise showed up immediately after a reinstall or not.
I'm somewhat sensitive to the sound of running machinery and always suspicious of change. For those of you familiar with Kubota hydraulics - thoughts?

troutsqueezer · Nov 23, 2015

All I can tell you is that my B21 has always had a whine like you describe. After it runs for twenty minutes or so it goes away. I used to wonder about it but after years of hard work, it is no longer a concern.

CurtisC · Dec 21, 2015

Thanks troutsqueezer, interesting that you were the only reply. "Noises" are pretty tough to figure especially if all you've got is someone's description to go on - however it was the change that got my attention. Not much to do but press on as you did and monitor hydraulics performance.

cmhyland · Dec 23, 2015

My understanding is that generally a whine in the hydraulic system is air in the lines... If it goes away after some running time it may be self purging. I recently changed all my hydraulic fluid and had a whine... I ran all the PTOs and raised and lowered the 3pt and loader and finally it went away....

Regards,
Chris

wcampbell47 · Dec 23, 2015

I put 1200 hours on a B3200 purchased in 2012. It whined the day I bought it and the day I traded it. Did all the maintenance at the scheduled hours. I located an L3901 at a dealer that seemed not to whine as much. It was gone when I went back to purchase it. The L3901 I did get whines and I have resigned myself to the fact that it does. I run it with ear muffs that have a radio. Just tune the radio to my favorite station and play in the dirt.