L3400 hydraulic leak

[mjfox6]

mjfox6 -

It looks like you dropped a zero from the number. It is 38180-37140, and about $5. My dealer had that and the return hose in stock. Now I can change out the one with the duct tape on it!

Thanks again.

Regards,

- Just Gary

You are correct, I missed the zero. I need to work on my copy and paste technique! Glad you found it.

 

[bigballer]

i haven't used my tractor ('05 L3400 - 200hrs) much lately but when i have noticed the loader was jerky and not moving too fast, i figured it needed greasing and it seemed to help a bit but did not fully resolve the problem. today i went to use the tractor and steering is very hard at points and the wheels are jerking a bit on the turn.. hmmm something going on, so what do i do come inside and hop online only to find this thread in less then 2 minutes. go back outside and what do i find?

 

[flakrat]

Thanks for the thread, my L2800 experienced the jerky front end loader while lifting and the hard power steering today, 199 hours.

I looked all over the underside and under the hood. Didn't think to look next to the brake pedal. Sure enough, split on the outside of the bend in the hose.

 

[bullbreaker]

Thanks for the thread, my L2800 experienced the jerky front end loader while lifting and the hard power steering today, 199 hours.
I looked all over the underside and under the hood. Didn't think to look next to the brake pedal. Sure enough, split on the outside of the bend in the hose.

Yes Sir
Thats a common minor problem with them.(L2800/3400)
While your at it next time your at Bota dealer you might want to pick up at extra trans/hydro fluid site glass about $13 also.

Boone

 

[maritimefarmer]

On my L2800, I had to replace that hydraulic hose twice - at 300 hrs and 700 hrs. The second time I attached the hose to the vertical steel pipe just deep enough to fasten clamp which is 3/4" less than the factory installation. And painted the steel pipe to prevent rusting. This seems to have relieved some tension in the hose that would crack where the steel pipe ends.
The tractor is now just over 1,000 hours and the hose is flexible and shows no sign of cracking. I feel confident that this issue is now resolved, but I will confirm in another 200 hrs.

 

[wallymortar]

My L3400 HST with 367 hours just developed the same problem. I can answer some of the questions. The operator's manual refers to a hydraulic system "dipstick" but it is really a round sight glass in the left side of the transmission near the clutch lever. Look across the foot rest and you will see it. It can get oily so you might need to wipe it clean. Proper fluid level is at least halfway up in the sight. If the hydraulic reservoir is full, there will be a little bubble remaining at the top of the sight glass. There is one hydraulic reservoir but two pumps on the HST model. The filler for the hydraulic fluid is a screw-in plug behind the seat on the top third of the differential. One pump is inside the transmission; the other is on the right hand side of the engine block as you pictured. As some stated, I would not expect a hydraulic pump the supplies the loader and power steering to fail after only 367 hrs, especially given that fluid and filters were changed at the prescribed interval and the old filters and fluid appeared clean and normal. My HST seems to operate normally but my loader is slow to respond (about a 30 second delay) before any action and then rises slowly with a jerky motion. Power steering is not right either. If I am raising the loader it almost shuts down the power steering. I assumed the hydraulic filter (there are 2) was clogged but knew I just changed the fluid about 100 hours ago. I just changed entire hydraulic fluid (6+ gals) and both hydraulic filters. No issues with the old filters that I could see and the old fluid looked like new. I read all the threads and they are very helpful. My dealer said it sounded like the hydraulic pump and suggested removing it and checking for scoring inside. The pump is apparently not re-buildable and a new one costs just shy of $1,000. However, I did notice dampness under the transmission all the way from the engine back that I didn't expect in a fairly new, lightly used tractor. The leaking pump intake line sucking air makes the most sense of anything I have read or heard and would explain the dampness under the tractor as well as the jerky motion of the loader which would result from inadequate fluid supply to the hydraulic pump that supplies the loader and power steering. I am going to check mine to see it I find any cracks or breaks. None were obvious from casual inspection of the mounted line but that doesn't mean there isn't a break. Kubota paints over the lines so the paint could hide a crack or one could be hidden while the line is mounted. Also, there appears to be a gasket on the flange where the line attaches to the pump and that could be faulty too but, after reading these posts, I am suspicious of the pump intake line itself. I will update you when I investigate further.

 

[wallymortar]

I posted a thread on 8/19/15, discussing a problem similar to that described by others. I have now inspected my L3400 and found a cracked hydraulic pump intake hose just like many described. The split is about 1" above the connection to the steel supply pipe. I like your suggestion and plan to install a new hose the same way you did. This is a really dumb design on Kubota's part and ignored could result in damage to the hydraulic pump that costs just shy of $1,000. BTW, replacing the pump was my dealer's suggested fix. Obviously, this problem has existed on multiple Kubota models for some time and any dealer should have received a Kubota tech bulletin about this, assuming Kubota recognizes and acknowledges the problem. I would also expect a redesigned part to keep this from happening. FYI this is the soft hose leading from the metal pipe to the hydraulic pump and the part # is TC220-33332.

 

[teg]

...I would also expect a redesigned part to keep this from happening...

It is... the new replacement hoses don't crack like the old original hoses. It's just on the older models, L2800 and 3400, as far as I can remember...

 

[wallymortar]

Good to know. I haven't gotten a replacement hose yet so I'll check it out when I do. My dealer is usually very honest & reliable so I'm a bit upset they wouldn't have suggested the hose being the problem rather than trying to sell me a new pump for $900+. Obviously, I'm late discovering this rather common problem that, based on the posts here & on a Kubota forum, has been an issue for quite a while. I apparently didn't experience the problem until now because of the relatively low hours on my tractor. Thanks for the update.

 

[maritimefarmer]

As per my last post 6 years ago, I installed the new hose not as deep as the original. The tractor has gone over the 1400 hours mark with no cracks or leaks, confirming my hypothesis of a bad install/design flaw at the Kubota plant. I saved myself replacing that hose twice since. You take the wins where you can.