L3400 oil change question(s)

[ctgoldwing]

Today I did my 1st engine oil / filter change. After almost pulling the wrong plug, the oil drained terribly slowly out of both drains. So slow in fact I though I my have been very low in oil. Not so tho. After evrything drained there was plenty of oil in my waste pan.
But why so slow? I did warn the engine up before starting. It wasn't blisteringly hot but the oil was certainly warm. When I pulled the oil fill 'plug' it did seem to come out a little faster - but not much.

For the 1st time I noticed there are 2 small holes in the dipstick. Are they the high / low level marks? My manual shows a flattened area on the bottom of the stick that is marked but I do no have that. . . Previously when I checked the oil level I just assumed the lower hole was the minimum level but now I'm not so sure.

 

[k0ua]

If I remember correctly, my experience was the same, seemed like a long time to drain, and like you I pulled the stick which helped some, Lots of oil came out tho. yes As I remember the 2 holes are lower and upper.. I used the vacuum cleaner trick on the hydraulic fill port to keep from losing so much fluid on the hydro and the hydraulic filters., lost less than a quart, maybe only a pint.
James K0UA

 

[kuboman]

Today I did my 1st engine oil / filter change. After almost pulling the wrong plug, the oil drained terribly slowly out of both drains. So slow in fact I though I my have been very low in oil. Not so tho. After evrything drained there was plenty of oil in my waste pan.
But why so slow? I did warn the engine up before starting. It wasn't blisteringly hot but the oil was certainly warm. When I pulled the oil fill 'plug' it did seem to come out a little faster - but not much.

For the 1st time I noticed there are 2 small holes in the dipstick. Are they the high / low level marks? My manual shows a flattened area on the bottom of the stick that is marked but I do no have that. . . Previously when I checked the oil level I just assumed the lower hole was the minimum level but now I'm not so sure.

I believe it is slow because of the positive crankcase ventilation. By opening the fill port you relieve some of the vacuum created when you drain the oil. I had the same experience with my B3200.

 

[Thomas]

I found its better to pull dip stick out also oil cap..oil flows little faster.
I believe L28000 has the same dip stick markings as your L3400..lower mark low/high mark high.

 

[ccsial]

Same here. I pull the oil filler plug to speed it up.

 

[Chilly807]

Mine drained fine, no slower than any other oil change I've done. If you're using 15w40 it's going to be slower than 10w30, so that may have been a factor.

Sean

 

[Boeing]

I'm getting ready change the hydraulic oil filter.....what's the "vacuum cleaner" trick?

 

[woodchuckie]

To keep from losing lots of fluid when you take the filter off. You put the vacuum in the fill hole and it sucks, preventing the fluid from running out. I park mine on a steep slant to prevent the loss.

 

[TripleR]

We lose less than a quart when changing the filters on our L5030 without parking on a slope or using a vacuum.

 

[Boeing]

What are the suggestions as to "CHANGING" hyd oil? I have 386 hours on my newly purchased Kubota. The sight glass is crystal clear. I was going to change the filter only. OK or Bad idea? How do you gt RID of over 10 gallons of hyd oil? Years ago we used to just pour it down the dirt driveway to keep dust down....I guess that's not acceptable now....:ashamed: