Broken 'Bota

[theboman]

Broken \'Bota

Well a stick or something got my radiator on my B7500, ah, from INSIDE the engine compartment! Darn the luck.

Bush hogging away some pretty tall stuff on the hill and plooey the steam started rolling. I instanly hit the kill switch and popped the hood and the steam was a rollin'.

I took off the side covers and found antifreeze every where but couldn't find where it came from. I'm not shaking after I find it's only antifreeze.

Hmm, its nearly dark, on the side of a hill and I must go 30' forward before I'm able to roll down the hill with the engine off. I fired it up (the temp guage is fine) and drive the 30' and coast off the hill in neutral to my brothers shop (he lives beside me).

Well after 5 minutes with a trouble light and nothing sticking thru the radiator or no punctures we can find on the hose he decides to fill the radiator with water and it'll come out somewhere... sure enough water seap immediately from top of the radiator on INSIDE the engine compartment. There we see something had damaged the radiator. Darn, darn, darn..but at least it's the radiator.

So, anyone ever remove the radiator on B7500? I found 4 bolts and the hose and that's all I found on a fast inspection.
I was gonna order a new radiator but my brother said that's about crazy since the are easily and cheaply repaired....

So...again, anyone ever take off the radiator? Kubmech where are you?

 

[5030]

Re: Broken \'Bota

I have a feeling that the "ole radiator shop" is out of luck. Most Kubota's, at least the newer ones, have radiators with plastic tanks that make a radiator repair by conventional means impossible. Besides, the radiator passages are aluminum, not copper.

 

[theboman]

Re: Broken \'Bota

Shucks.... I hate pricing a new one.

 

[GareyD]

Re: Broken \'Bota

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Shucks.... I hate pricing a new one. )</font>

Hope you're sitting down....had my L3430 less than an hour, and backed over a stick...poked completely through the radiator /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Looked and it was mostly plastic, couldn't be repaired...ordered a new one.. $300 and took 5 days to get

Made me say bad words, and cry big tears!!!!

GareyD

 

[theboman]

Re: Broken \'Bota

New radiator for a B7500 $199. The dealer said the local radiator shop can fix a lot of them and to take it there first. He told me not to be crazy. He suggested if it could be repaired and was the repair was under $100 that would be his suggestion, but over $100 he's suggest getting a new one and that would take 2-3 days.

I'll keep ya posted and may send pic.

 

[theboman]

Re: Broken \'Bota

I took the radiator off in about 30 minutes and had no clue what I was doing. A bolt in each corner. 3 hoses.

My tip. Losen the exhaust pipe and turn it away from the tractor to get to the bottom bolt and hoses.

I know what happened to the radiator, but not clue on the cause. There's a semi circle on the left side where the FAN BLADE hit the radiator! The fan blade (plasic) shows some wear where it hit the fins. I just don't have a clue on how this happened.

I believe there's no saving the radiator. It only leaked from the top but lots of damage in that one place.

I still may post a pic in a few days... Off to Louisville for the rest of the week... Back a week and then off the California (work) for 3-4 days leaving around the 19th.

 

[theboman]

Re: Broken \'Bota

Well the radiator guy said it's too much damage to be fixed so I ordered a new $197 radiator for my B7500.
Did I tell you the fan blade got into the radiator? Still ain't figured that one out.

I did take a few pics and should have online next week.

 

[theboman]

Re: Broken \'Bota

The new radiator is installed. Took less than 45 minutes to put it in and run the tractor for 10 minutes.
Pics a coming of the damaged goods.

I do have one question for B7500 owners. The right side of the radiator (air filter side) sets 1/4" farther from the front than the left side. Does this match yours?

 

[theboman]

Re: Broken \'Bota

The plot thickens, kinda.
I checked and the radiator is where it's supposed to be. There's these knobs that set in holes.

I do believe Kubota has improved the radiators on the B7500 somewhere down the line. My reasoning. When I used to bush hog in 4X4 low the temp guage would stay about 1/2 way. Now, it's not even 1/3, lower than where it's at when I mow grass. Now take into account that my grill was plum full of leaves, etc this evening and the temp never got near to what it used to get. I'm driving up and down a hill, steep in places, backing over things etc.. The machine stays cooler...
Am I going nuts?