Painted filters

[helvit]

So changing out all filters and fluids on my new old (234 hrs) BX1500 everything went easy. Engine oil black as coal. 20 or 40 little metal shards on the hydraulic fluid trainer. Machine runs great.

Here and there on the web I run into statements from posters that the "painted filters are from the factory". My two canister filters were painted gray. So... does that mean it was serviced by the dealer using "factory" filters, or something I don't want to hear?

 

[Deano]

On my 50 hour, the engine oil filter I received was white, and the hydro filter was gray. At 300 hours the hydro filter I received and installed was white. My neighbors was the same way. Not sure why the gray, but I would not assume the filter was not changed. Hope this eases your concern!

Deano

 

[PHILIP8N]

As the tractor is assembled at the factory, it is assembled with bare unpainted or primed parts. Once parts are assembled, everything is given a final coat of grey paint, including the oil filters that were assembled to the tractor. Orange sheet metal is installed later. If your filters were painted they were from the factory. Dealer filters, which I buy and use, are white with Kubota in blue letters. Dealers do not paint filters. Philip.

 

[bp fick]

So changing out all filters and fluids on my new old (234 hrs) BX1500 everything went easy. Engine oil black as coal. 20 or 40 little metal shards on the hydraulic fluid trainer. Machine runs great.

Here and there on the web I run into statements from posters that the "painted filters are from the factory". My two canister filters were painted gray. So... does that mean it was serviced by the dealer using "factory" filters, or something I don't want to hear?

You don't want to hear what I am thinking.

Put it this way. Factory filters come painted because they are painted during production in place.

I've never, ever seen an aftermarket, in-house Kubota or Wix/Hastings/Fleetguard/Napa painted in Kubota grey. How could they be?

My guess and my sincerest hope for you was that at least the fluids were dropped in the past.
How long have you had this machine?
Did you purchase it new or from a private party?
You've paid to have a dealer service this unit?

 

[gwdixon]

If the filters did not have any markings then they likely are the originals that were sprayed on assembly. Replacement filters usually have a part number, name, tightening procedure, and so forth printed on them.

Even if the filters hadn't been changed at 50 hours, you are getting to them at 234 hrs. It is not a disaster at all and things will likely be just fine.

Call it an "extended" break-in period. How the machine was treated before you bought it is probably a more important factor for its longevity.

The screen having metal shards is probably another hint that yours is the first service. Later services usually don't have any, or at least not many, shards. The point is that the screen is doing its work.

The original filters did their work also and are rated to filter for the 200+ hours that you have now.

It is not the best circumstance but nothing can be done about it now. Just enjoy your tractor - it will be OK.

 

[thetooth]

I just bought a used B7500 the engine oil filter was white and the hydraulic filters had 1 grey and 1 white . When they were replaced they were all white .

 

[kuboman]

Factory filters no doubt. 234 hrs and no oil changes...not a big deal. As stated before the kind of treatment it received is more important than the oil change.:thumbsup:

 

[helvit]

Well, so be it. They were factory grey. To a degree, I fault the dealer, who is local to here, sold the machine with tiller, auger, FEL, mower etc. etc. to an obviously not knowledgeable woman with an estate no more than 10 miles down the road, and never followed up. Odds are she was there at least once.

However, the machine runs beautifully. I got it just a couple of weeks ago and have put on about 15 hours, mostly heavy FEL + chain brush removal and rough grading in my woods.

The air filter looked not too bad. Surfaces visible under the engine oil filler port were clean. Zerk sites were not neglected, except maybe one for some reason. Radiator screen was clean. I didn't buy it directly from her, but from a fellow who wheels and deals in these things, sold the implements separately and the tractor/fel to me. Seems he just washed it up and put it out for sale, I doubt if he knew the lack of service history, although he does a lot of business with that dealer.

So far my fresh engine oil is not too bad looking, but I'll change it and the filter pretty soon, and then again.

This little machine apparently is too tough to get upset by a measly couple hundred hours of stupid. That in itself sets a good example.:thumbsup:

 

[rswyan]

Engine oil black as coal. ..... So far my fresh engine oil is not too bad looking, but I'll change it and the filter pretty soon, and then again.

Engine oil color is not (necessarily) an absolute indicator of condition of the oil ..... oil that is as black as tar may be totally fine and have much useful life left in it.

Diesel engines are by their very nature, very dirty things .... the oil will get black pretty quickly in the normal course of operation (and not entirely because of soot) ..... don't sweat it - use good quality oil and just do the maintenance at the appropriate time/intervals and you will be fine.

And if you really wanna know what's going on with the oil, pull a sample just before you change it and send it into a lab and have a UOA done (Used Oil Analysis)

Blackstone is who I use:

Blackstone Labs

 

[bp fick]

GWDIXON said it well. It isn't the end of the world. Change it all out now and move on.

Guys who "wheel and deal" know darn well to look at filters, imho. Generally, it's the cost. They just sell 'em as is. They often cannot recoup their costs of doing the service on them. I've seen that many times.

Good for you to notice and get on with it. When I was younger, I worked in a garage and once did an oil change on a car with 77K miles and it had the painted filter on it. I changed the oil (sludge) and informed the owner, in case he wanted to come again in 500 miles and change it again. "Nah... it'd be fine", he said. Turned out he was the original owner and just couldn't have cared. Glad that isn't your attitude.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

GWDIXON said it well. It isn't the end of the world. Change it all out now and move on.

Guys who "wheel and deal" know darn well to look at filters, imho. Generally, it's the cost. They just sell 'em as is. They often cannot recoup their costs of doing the service on them. I've seen that many times.

Good for you to notice and get on with it. When I was younger, I worked in a garage and once did an oil change on a car with 77K miles and it had the painted filter on it. I changed the oil (sludge) and informed the owner, in case he wanted to come again in 500 miles and change it again. "Nah... it'd be fine", he said. Turned out he was the original owner and just couldn't have cared. Glad that isn't your attitude.

I worked with a school teacher/real estate agent one time years ago. At about 70000 miles on her car the engine was destroyed. She was divorced and her ex husband had taken care of mechanical/car stuff before the divorce. She couldn't understand why it tore up. She had been told to always have the oil checked to make sure it had oil in and wasn't low. She had this done fairly faithfully at gas stations when she got gas. Some one forgot to tell her to also change it. Had never been changed.

 

[EE_Bota]

So changing out all filters and fluids on my new old (234 hrs) BX1500 everything went easy. Engine oil black as coal. 20 or 40 little metal shards on the hydraulic fluid trainer. Machine runs great.

Here and there on the web I run into statements from posters that the "painted filters are from the factory". My two canister filters were painted gray. So... does that mean it was serviced by the dealer using "factory" filters, or something I don't want to hear?

All filters are from some factory, but just because it is gray, does not mean it is from the Kubota factory.

I changed my hydro oil at Christmas. It had a gray filter on it, but was marked with a paint pin with the hours and the date. I replaced it with a filter bought from Messick's, and it was gray, and I marked it with a paint pen for hours and date. I ordered a replacement from Messicks, since I want to keep on on hand. It is white!

Gray filter does not mean original Kubota factory installed filter. I just gave two examples where the filter is not from the Kubota factory, yet was still gray.

 

[Skyco]

All the talk of white vs grey made me go in the garage and look.
Brand new in the box genuine Kubota oil filter for my BX24-

it is black

Brand new in the box genuine Kubota trans filter for my BX24-

it is grey

 

[EE_Bota]

Ohhh, bad news Skyco...grey ones are for "grey market" tractors.

 

[David_Kb7uns]

Between the 4 Kubotas have had Grey, Blue, White, Yellow, and Orange for hydraulic filters all from Kubota. Black and White for engine oil filters, some with ridges, and some smooth. If you know which part numbers to find you could probably find a oil and hydraulic in Grey but would bet that if they were still all Grey on the tractor that they had not been touched.

David Kb7uns

 

[gwdixon]

As far as the color of the filter is concerned it doesn't matter. The issue is whether or not the filters on the OP's tractor were the originals or had been changed.

To that end and regardless of the color, has anyone purchased post-original filters (maybe gray) that have no markings. The originals have nothing printed on them because they were painted the gray color while in place according to another poster.

Every post-original filter that I have seen or purchased has some decal or writing printed on it.

 

[helvit]

That should have been in the original question.... Gray. Blank. No markings.
Not so sure about "painted in place".. nothing else is that color.

 

[Skyco]

Every post-original filter that I have seen or purchased has some decal or writing printed on it.

The two spare filters I have on hand-
a grey trans filter and a black oil filter-

Neither has anything printed on the filters themselves. Both were bought sometime after I bought the tractor in July 07....so yes there are genuine Kubota filters new with no writing on them.

 

[KennyV]

So ... with all this color variation and lack of any marking on Kubota filters... it may be safe to guess that even Kubota shops around for a cheaper vendor for their replacement filters...

As to the possibility that they had not been changed in over 200 hours... As someone else has pointed out on a previous post about oil filters, engines use to be manufactured with no filter at all, this was cars trucks and tractors. That was also when oil quality was not as good as todays lubes...
So I'm with all those that say, don't give it a second thought, use a good diesel rated oil, pick ANY color replacement filter and change your oil every 100 hours or once a year... you will find many other things to be concerned about... KennyV

 

[EE_Bota]

The filter I took off at Christmas had no marking other than the hours and date it was installed. I will check the filter (gray) I have on now when I get home.