L47 TLB Three Point Installation Questions

[heliman]

First, I want to thank everyone on the forum for helping me grow into Tractor ownership.

I recently purchased the Kubota Three Point Hitch kit (L3961) for my L47 TLB. When I went to install the three-point hitch, I discovered that the lower link pins had a collar on the neck that increases the diameter on the pin. This is preventing the pin from being fully inserted into the tractor mounts. When I asked my Kubota dealer about this, they stated that these are the correct pins and that we should machine the collar off. This doesn稚 make sense to me given that this is the Kubota kit.

A few questions:
1) Has anyone experience this same issue? If so, what did you do?
2) Did they sell me the wrong kit?
3) Will machining the collar down impact the integrity of the pin and the whole three point hitch?
4) Will machining the collar down void the warranty on the tractor or the attachments?
5) Am I missing or doing something wrong on the install?

To help explain this, here are some photos:

Instructions:

Part #3 is the Pin that does not fit


The Lower Link Pin is part TA040-3941-2

This is a picture of the Pin.

 

[Peter 315]

Hold on I will go look

 

[Peter 315]

Hi ,Same pin is there paint inside the hole, Mine have grease on them

 

[heliman]

Peter,

Thank you for the reply. I really appreciate it.

I double checked the holes on the tractor and they do not have paint inside them. Just doesn't make sense why they don't fit.

Thanks again.

 

[TMGT]

Looking at the picture it appears the outer hole is also stepped for the pin, I would make sure there isn't any paint/rust/burs holding the pin up. Maybe take some emry cloth and clean the inside of the hole up.

 

[mikester]

My M59 pins don't have a step in them maybe your machine uses a different pin than the one provided. Did they order the kit based on your tractor serial number or model year only? There might be a newer/older kit number for your machine.

Did you try measuring the hole diameters on each side with a caliper? If all four holes are the same size that will confirm things for you.

 

[rScotty]

My M59 pins don't have a step in them maybe your machine uses a different pin than the one provided.

Now that's interesting! The pins for my M59 are also stepped . They look like the ones Heliman posted for his L47. So there must be more than one kit for the M59s and by extension could be more than one for the L47s.

This M59 is one of the first ones, one of the first group that came over and those were all bundled with a set of options which included the 3pt kit - which I've never installed or used. The 3pt kit just hangs in the barn doing nothing but making me feel guilty about never having even tried it to see if it fit...

So I don't know if my stepped pins will work or not. When it gets nicer outside today I'm going to lay down under the tractor and try. BTW, the two pin diameters are 21.9mm and 23.9 mm. So the holes should be 22 & 24 mm.

3) Will machining the collar down impact the integrity of the pin and the whole three point hitch?
Not theoretically. The critical shear shear resistance takes place on the smaller pin diameter as it is now. So reducing the bearing area in the area that contacts the cast iron tab on the tractor will not impact the integrity of the pin in shear.

4) Will machining the collar down void the warranty on the tractor or the attachments?
It shouldn't. The smaller hole through the cast mounting point on the tractor actually increases the strength there. And machining the pin doesn't change the shear strength of the pin because the part machined is the bushing area, not in the area most likely to fail - which is the area of the pin stressed in shear.
5.) Am I missing or doing something wrong on the install?
No idea....
rScotty

 

[Peter 315]

Now that's interesting! The pins for my M59 are also stepped . They look like the ones Heliman posted for his L47. So there must be more than one kit for the M59s and by extension could be more than one for the L47s.

This M59 is one of the first ones, one of the first group that came over and those were all bundled with a set of options which included the 3pt kit - which I've never installed or used. The 3pt kit just hangs in the barn doing nothing but making me feel guilty about never having even tried it to see if it fit...

So I don't know if my stepped pins will work or not. When it gets nicer outside today I'm going to lay down under the tractor and try. BTW, the two pin diameters are 21.9mm and 23.9 mm. So the holes should be 22 & 24 mm.

3) Will machining the collar down impact the integrity of the pin and the whole three point hitch?
Not theoretically. The critical shear shear resistance takes place on the smaller pin diameter as it is now. So reducing the bearing area in the area that contacts the cast iron tab on the tractor will not impact the integrity of the pin in shear.

4) Will machining the collar down void the warranty on the tractor or the attachments?
It shouldn't. The smaller hole through the cast mounting point on the tractor actually increases the strength there. And machining the pin doesn't change the shear strength of the pin because the part machined is the bushing area, not in the area most likely to fail - which is the area of the pin stressed in shear.
5.) Am I missing or doing something wrong on the install?
No idea....
rScotty

My 3 point hitch is under the tractor but the pins are in , I took the pin out it is also stepped same as the ones posted, I could go measure them . You should not have to do any work on the pins they should fit

 

[mikester]

Now that's interesting! The pins for my M59 are also stepped . They look like the ones Heliman posted for his L47. So there must be more than one kit for the M59s and by extension could be more than one for the L47s.

This M59 is one of the first ones, one of the first group that came over and those were all bundled with a set of options which included the 3pt kit - which I've never installed or used. The 3pt kit just hangs in the barn doing nothing but making me feel guilty about never having even tried it to see if it fit...

So I don't know if my stepped pins will work or not. When it gets nicer outside today I'm going to lay down under the tractor and try. BTW, the two pin diameters are 21.9mm and 23.9 mm. So the holes should be 22 & 24 mm.

3) Will machining the collar down impact the integrity of the pin and the whole three point hitch?
Not theoretically. The critical shear shear resistance takes place on the smaller pin diameter as it is now. So reducing the bearing area in the area that contacts the cast iron tab on the tractor will not impact the integrity of the pin in shear.

4) Will machining the collar down void the warranty on the tractor or the attachments?
It shouldn't. The smaller hole through the cast mounting point on the tractor actually increases the strength there. And machining the pin doesn't change the shear strength of the pin because the part machined is the bushing area, not in the area most likely to fail - which is the area of the pin stressed in shear.
5.) Am I missing or doing something wrong on the install?
No idea....
rScotty

Sometimer's disease must be rearing its ugly head...I just checked and yes my lower pins ARE stepped...and a tight fit.

TMGT is probably on the right track about checking things to be clean and rust free. Maybe a little steel wool on the inside of the hole might clean things up.

After seeing how tight mine were to go in I'd guess it's just a tight fit. I don't think machining down the pins is a great idea at most a little emery cloth on the pin and some anti-seize compound.

 

[rScotty]

Sometimer's disease must be rearing its ugly head...I just checked and yes my lower pins ARE stepped...and a tight fit.

TMGT is probably on the right track about checking things to be clean and rust free. Maybe a little steel wool on the inside of the hole might clean things up.

After seeing how tight mine were to go in I'd guess it's just a tight fit. I don't think machining down the pins is a great idea at most a little emery cloth on the pin and some anti-seize compound.

Well, that's good Mikester...you've just saved me from laying in the snow today trying to see if my M59 stepped pins fit. As long as they might, that's good enough for me.
I'm still wondering if the L47 and M59 (& M62?) share a common 3 point kit.
rScotty