Need help with a Kubota in a Thomas bobcat!

[slowcobra]

Lucky me has been volunteered to work on a Thomas 135 bobcat. It has a Kubota V1903-E 1.9l with a build date of 2001. The background on it is they ran it out of fuel last week. After screwing with it for a while they managed to get it running again, I guess this took them forever. Anyway it was running for about 20 mins or so and then they went to move it. Somehow they accidently engaged the PTO drive. Don't ask I have no idea how. Anyway this killed it and since then it will not start. I took a look at it today. It appears to be getting fuel to the injectors(I cracked the lines on 2 of the 4). It has power to the glow plugs. However when you attempt to start it all it will do is crank. Its giving black smoke out the exhaust like it is getting fuel. Without the fuel no smoke, right? To me it doesn't seem like the glow plugs are working. Or it has some sort of crank/cam sensor that is junk. My knowledge with the kubota is limited however my mechanical knowledge isnt. If someone could help point me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it.

Todd

 

[beenthere]

Welcome to the forum.

I'd gather this is a Thomas 135 skidsteer?

Have you been able to talk to a dealer mechanic?

 

[slowcobra]

No I haven't. I just got the call about it today. I told them I would see what I can do about it. Someone from The Diesel Stop recommended I check over here... so here I am.

 

[KennyV]

Todd...
You can check the glow plugs with an ohm meter or put 12 volts to them, you should feel them getting hot. OR you can start it on WD40 to see if it will in fact run. Kubota diesel is not any different than any other small diesel engine. If it is getting fuel, air and compression it will run. Unless someone has done something to interfere with the arrangement of things… running out of fuel, may put an air lock in the fuel lines, but that is easy to solve… I assume you have isolated the problem to be with the engine and not anything to do with the safety lockouts etc. on the skid steer. KennyV.

 

[slowcobra]

When you turn it to preheat(cycle the glow plugs) I never feel them getting warm. Thats why I initially thought it had a power issue. I did confirm that there is power to the glow plug strip. I'm thinking that the plugs are shot in it and it just coincidentally happened to have its last hurrah prior to the PTO incident. From the information that I got it seems to have taken a long time to recover from running it out of fuel. That to me sounds like it was already having GP issues. Im just trying to rule out the obvious or not so obvious. I dont want to go buy GP's and have them not be it. I hate doing the "well just throw parts at it till it works again" thing. As for the safety lockouts, no I haven't looked into that. I thought about it but according to the hour meter it only has about a 100 hrs on it also it looks to be **** near new. I thought it was like a 2003 or 2004 when I first rolled up. I figured with that low of hours and the condition it was in I could over-look that. Probably a mistake. lol I appreciate the feedback.

 

[KennyV]

Todd,
Remove the power strip from the glow plugs and measure from the terminal to engine block, if they read open, they are bad. KennyV.

 

[slowcobra]

I will give that a shot. I really appreciate the help with this. This was a call I received from my mom to help out where she boards her horses. I hate being the good son.

 

[slowcobra]

Well it looks like it has 2 dead glow plugs. I hope that is the only problem with it. Find out tomorrow if they get the plugs for it.

 

[dmftoy1]

Keep us posted! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Have a good one,
Dave