Oil & Fuel LS R4041H and 50 Hour Maintenance

   / LS R4041H and 50 Hour Maintenance #1  

YardBikeBob

Silver Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2013
Messages
210
Location
Missouri Ozarks, Booger County
Tractor
LS R4041H
The 50 Hour Service on my LS R4041H is basically a filter change. For the first change, I went back to my dealer to make sure I get the right stuff (and kick tires). I also bought a gallon of hydraulic oil to 'top off' the tractor just in case.

Here is the process for performing this service:

  1. As all the filters are simple screw-on canister filters, a simple strap wrench will do the job.
  2. First change the oil filter on the lower right side of engine. This filter screws onto the side of the block just above a large diameter pipe.
  3. As the filter mounts horizontally, be sure to put a drain pan under the motor to catch the excess oil.
  4. Use strap wrench to unscrew filter. Ponder how there is nary a drop of oil in the filter.
  5. Note how the oil filter rubber seal peals off the filter and adheres to the engine block. A long time ago I learned, demonstrably, that 2 rubber seals are not better than one in this instance. Scrape off old seal, screw on new filter.
  6. Proceed to other side of tractor to remove fuel filter.
  7. Note sensor wire and drain attached to bottom of fuel filter. Disconnect same to prevent snapping them off while unscrewing filter. Run the strap wrench high on the filter to prevent snapping off the plastic nipple for the drain.
  8. Filter might be tight. Use sufficient force to break the seal on filter.
  9. Note as the strap wrench rotates it scrubs off the head of the air bleed screw. Name seems to be a misnomer as fuel is now bleeding copiously out of the air bleed.
  10. Rush over to the other side of the tractor for drain pan. Excess haste will bring shin into contact with loader blade. Kick empty drain pan over to other side of tractor pondering the merits of Kioti bragging how all service can be performed from one side of their engine.
  11. Giving loader blade wide berth, limp back around to left side of tractor, as fast as prudent and place finger over air bleed hole to staunch fuel spill while ascertaining shin damage. Ponder why fuel would be leaking.
  12. Marvel how fuel tank behind driver's seat provides efficient gravity feed to fuel filter.
  13. As the drain pain still has a few inches before it overflows, hobble over to welding cart for vice grips.
  14. At rear of tractor, clamp off the fuel line as it leaves the tank. Note how the factory barely tightened the hose clamp and fuel has been seeping out for the last several months.
  15. In the interests of brevity, I will not cover how clamping off the return line at front of tank on right side of seat, and the resulting troubleshooting, has no positive effect.
  16. Return to left side of tractor and complete fuel filter removal. Note that filter is brimming full. Dump into drain pan while enjoying the satisfaction that you used the big one this time.
  17. At work bench, unscrew sensor/drain from old filter and attach to new filter, using the only wrench large enough for the fitting -- a bench vise.
  18. Rummage though old motorcycle bolt pile for replacement air bleed screw. Back at tractor, fiddle the broken bit of the air bleed out. Spend as much time as necessary poking around the motor to retrieve the head of the broken air screw to reuse rubber washer.
  19. Installation is simply the reverse of disassembly.
  20. Below cockpit deck on right side of tractor is the hydraulic oil filter. Note the large diameter pipe mentioned in step #2 terminates here. As this filter also mounts horizontally, drag the drain pan under filter while avoiding sloshing the diesel fuel waste onto shop floor.
  21. The hydraulic filter is the largest of the bunch. Use strap wrench to loosen. It is advantageous to have replacement filter at hand as you loosen the old filter.
  22. As you loosen the old filter, note how much hydraulic fluid is draining and consider similarities. Like very large cattle on flat rocks. It will probably occur to you what was in that large diameter pipe and its purpose.
  23. As the drain pan is filling fast, place old filter adjacent to pan, seal up, as there is no way there is room for it in the drain pan. Quickly grab new filter and attempt to install.
  24. There may be hard hydraulic lines at front of filter preventing easy alignment of threads when installing new filter. Work a little faster.
  25. Monitoring the rising level of hydraulic oil in drain pain is not conducive to this effort so do so sparingly.
  26. Once new hydraulic filter is properly installed, review safety procedures. Rule #1: Only do these types of things when she is not around.
  27. At this point, the majority of work is complete. Remove superfluous vice grips from fuel return line. Remove vice grips from fuel tank outlet. Tighten 1/4" hose clamp on fuel line and note what a great rust preventive diesel might be.
  28. 'Top Up' the hydraulic level from dipstick hole at rear of tractor using the entire 1 gallon supply and hope for the best.
  29. Remove new bolt from air bleed on fuel filter and wait until fuel is again spurting out of the hole -- no pumping required. Tighten bolt. Start tractor and check for leaks.
  30. Move tractor out of shop so you can mop up the mess.
Check 'sticky' on TractorByNet on maintenance. Determine that the dealer sold you only 3 filters when your HST-equiped tractor needs 4 filters. Start calling auto supply houses. . .

Strap Wrench.jpgFuel Filter.jpgAir Bleed Screw.jpgFuel Shutoff.jpg

And that's all there is to it!

Bob
 
   / LS R4041H and 50 Hour Maintenance #2  
Wow! I have 40 hrs on mine, what fun I have to look forward to! Will fuel continue to flow after I take the filter off if I don't break the bleed screw? I really enjoyed the post, very well written, I tried not to laugh because it sounded a lot like some of my adventures. Thanks for the insight.
 
   / LS R4041H and 50 Hour Maintenance
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Well, that project had so many 'Doh!'s in it, I had to pass it along. Thanks for the kind words.

Yes, I'm thinking clamping off the fuel line will be needed when changing fuel filter.

Bob
 
   / LS R4041H and 50 Hour Maintenance #5  
That sounds like how my projects usually go.
 
   / LS R4041H and 50 Hour Maintenance #6  
YardBikeBob, Thanks for the advise and laugh. I'm about to attempt the 50 hr on my 3039. Sounds similar.
 
   / LS R4041H and 50 Hour Maintenance #7  
Once again, YardbikeBob has shown his perchance for writing. This sounds a lot like my past weekend. If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all.

Gloom, despair and agony on me.

I'm at 26.9 hours now, and I'm contemplating buying my filters for the 50 hour maintenance now.

Here's a tip: I had to top off my hydraulic fluid about a week ago. Because I couldn't see very well, I way overfilled the sump. I eventually moved the tractor inside on a level concrete floor.

Then, I used the old fashioned kerosene heater pump and pumped the excess hydraulic fluid back into the container from whence it came. After that, I re-measured the fluid level and added enough at a time to top it off properly.

Of course, I capped the extra hydraulic fluid off and proceeded to back right over it and sprayed the rest of it on the concrete floor! :laughing::confused2::eek:
 
   / LS R4041H and 50 Hour Maintenance
  • Thread Starter
#8  
I used the old fashioned kerosene heater pump and pumped the excess hydraulic fluid back into the container from whence it came.

Clever idea! I own one of those!

Of course, I capped the extra hydraulic fluid off and proceeded to back right over it and sprayed the rest of it on the concrete floor! :laughing::confused2::eek:

Now that is funny. I don't care who you are!

My best Darwin moment was buying my first framing air nailer. Bought some nails and went after some scrap lumber laying against the garage wall. A few nails for testing purposes and then a dozen more for fun. Lay the lumber back up against the garage wall.

Moving my daily driver back into the garage the right mirror rolls the plastic trash barrel along the wall and knocks over a shovel. The shovel slides along the wall out of sight below the passenger window. Keep moving in and 'Psst'!

The shovel kicks the heavily-nailed lumber down onto its side and momentum slides it into the path of the right front tire. Three holes in the sidewall of a pretty nice Z-rated sports radial.

Unlike her, it's only funny a lot later. If we were in an elevator I mighta decked her.

Bob
 
   / LS R4041H and 50 Hour Maintenance #9  
Clever idea! I own one of those!



Now that is funny. I don't care who you are!

My best Darwin moment was buying my first framing air nailer. Bought some nails and went after some scrap lumber laying against the garage wall. A few nails for testing purposes and then a dozen more for fun. Lay the lumber back up against the garage wall.

Moving my daily driver back into the garage the right mirror rolls the plastic trash barrel along the wall and knocks over a shovel. The shovel slides along the wall out of sight below the passenger window. Keep moving in and 'Psst'!

The shovel kicks the heavily-nailed lumber down onto its side and momentum slides it into the path of the right front tire. Three holes in the sidewall of a pretty nice Z-rated sports radial.

Unlike her, it's only funny a lot later. If we were in an elevator I mighta decked her.

Bob

Very funny stuff!!!! :laughing:

I thought that kinda stuff only happened to me!!
 
   / LS R4041H and 50 Hour Maintenance #10  
That is some funny sh*t. I have had some crazy stuff happen to me but that tops any of mine.

Completed my 50 hour service and it went fairly well. The only problem was the hydraulic filter. I was all set to swap it quick, and I couldn't get the new one started. I began to wonder if i had the wrong filter. The fluid stopped coming out after about 5 Qts. Then i got it on. All is well. Keep laughing
Very funny stuff!!!! :laughing:

I thought that kinda stuff only happened to me!!
 
 
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