L4200 GST questions - Help!

[npaden]

Okay, I've been tinkering with my new to me 1996 L4200 GST and have a few questions.

Kenny mentioned that there should be 2 springs in the forward and reverse lever but I can't figure it out.

The parts diagram only shows one: (Part 60)
(These pictures are very small - 13kb so I went ahead and posted them in the thread instead of linking them)

Something seems to be missing on mine that makes it harder to shift back and forth and for sure I have to push the lever down to get the electronic neutral indicator to allow the tractor to start.

I pulled the tilt steering shaft screw out but I couldn't get the broken off handle unscrewed. I may have to take it to someone to get it drilled out and retapped. The part only cost $19 so maybe I'll just buy a new one.

Something seems messed up with the seat also. It doesn't seem to be very stable. Is there something keeps the rear part of the seat more stable?

Last questions are electrical. For some reason after I had the tilt steering wheel moving the tractor won't turn off from the ignition switch anymore. I turn the key off and pull the key out and the tractor keeps running. I have to pull the kill switch to shut it off. It was working correctly earlier today so I'm not sure if I messed something up or if it just happened to break somehow?

The hazard lights don't work also (they never have) is there an easy way to troubleshoot them?

I got a little better with the shifting, but it still jumps into gear pretty hard with a little clanking on the higher gears. Everything is quiet and smooth in gears 1-4 but from 5 on up it jumps in pretty hard.

I put in another hour or so of seat time and everything seems to be working well. Just want to get the kinks worked out.

Thanks in advance for any input!

Nathan

 

[npaden]

Oh yeah, one more question.

This afternoon when I went to start it up it really took a while to get it started. Not sure if I am giving it too much fuel or not enough or what. I tried for quite a while and was about to give up. I opened the fuel cap and tried one last time and then it started. It seems like it wasn't getting enough fuel or something. I looked at the fuel filter and it seemed clean.

Any ideas on that?

Thanks, Nathan

 

[npaden]

Okay, I've been searching through old posts and think I found the answer for one of my own questions. The tractor not shutting off with the key sounds like a bad connection on one of the fuses. I'll sort that out tomorrow when it gets light outside!

I pulled them all out and checked to see if they were good trying to figure out if that could be the reason that my back hazard lights didn't work and must have not got one of them back in good and clean.

LOTS of information out there, just takes a while to sort through it all!

Thanks, Nathan

 

[KennyV]

WOW… Hello Nathan….
Let’s see if I can get one or more of these…
About the spring, There is only ONE /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif.. It has TWO legs, one of mine was broken off, still captive in there but not attached to the other one.
Next about your tilt wheel lever, if you drill a small hole in the broken off part and use an easy out it should work… Use a little PB Blaster before you try removing it, that stuff is the best penetrating oil I have found. If you have them, use a left hand twist drill bit to drill the hole… that will usually remove broken off threaded parts and you will not have to mess with an easy out… (easy is not necessarily an accurate description of that tool’s use /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif), but they do work if you take your time…
About your seat… Notice the hinge at the front, part #190 and #200, the pin #040 should be a very tight fit… if it is not get the next larger diameter pin and drill out the hole in #190 and #200 that is the only thing that supports lateral movement of the seat. Also on that seat items #030 are rubber bumpers that the seat pan set on, if they are worn out or missing the seat will not stay put like it should when it is setting on those gripping rubber stops. I replaced my complete seat with the deluxe reclining seat with armrests… what a difference /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif, the only short coming with my reclining seat is the left arm rest is slightly in the way of the creep speed selector lever, but I don’t need to switch that lever very often and when I do the arm rests do rotate up and out of the way.
Your electrical problem MAY be something you unplugged at or behind the key switch just to the right of the tilt lock lever…
The warning flasher uses a separate flasher than the turn signals, look around you should find 3 round flashers one is for turn signals the other for the warning lights. The system is wired so if you have the warning flashers on and you use the turn signals for a right turn, the right lights will continue to flash and the left side will go to solid on, no flash, until you manually cancel the turn signal by placing the lever switch in neutral again.
About the shifting… 1 through 4 is low range, 5 to 8 are high range on that GST, there are separate shifter clutch valving for low range 1-4 & high range 5-8… All this shifter clutch engagement regulation is operated by a pressure circuit from the POWER STEERING pump… there are 2 hydraulic pumps on this tractor /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif. IF you have other than smooth shifts, the first thing I would suspect is the wrong hydraulic/tran fluid. You don’t have lots of cold where you are so you do not necessarily NEED multi-visc trans fluid or synthetic but it wont hurt. I am planning to switch to a real synthetic, (Amsoil), when I find a decent price for the stuff. Synthetic trans fluid has been talked to death on this forum. I don’t know that your, OR my, climate really will benefit using it but I think I might try it my next change. I have used regular Tractor Supply brand (equivalent to Kubota UDT) it works fine and I only have had minimal shifting sluggishness when it is well below freezing, and that clears up after only a few minuets of operation so it has not been an issue. …
And lastly I think your starting problem is connected to the electrical issue with the key switch… I think you have also disabled your glow plugs, you have an automatic timed, (according to temperature), system that controls the glow plugs. You need to look around the area just to the right of where the tilt wheel lock lever. I think you will find the problem there. Your L4200 should start at idle position after you allow the glow plug sequence to complete.
I hope I have hit at least one of your questions /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif… KennyV.

 

[JDPN]

Kenny, I also have a '96 L4200 GST
1. I did not know that you could turn the engine without using the kill lever, thats how we always turned it off. Are there any benefits to using the Lever v. the key?
2. late '96 or early '97 i think there was some kind of problem with the GST; someone from the dealer had to come to do a little adjustment or repair, but i don't remember why. Did that happen to you?
Glad to know others with 4200's

 

[KennyV]

Hello JD:
L4200 GREAT utility type tractor… Small & powerful enough to make it work like a larger tractor…
1. Either will shut off fuel to the rack. The only benefit using the key, I wont try to start it with the red knobbed pull in the out position… Do you have a shut off solenoid in your fuel delivery system? My L4200 is a 1998… I wouldn’t think there were any great differences between years.
2. Among the adjustments in the GST are the clutch engagement control valves in the 1-4 & 5-8 shifts (pressure settings)… mine have always been perfect. (you will notice a slight difference between cold fluid operation verses normal operation temp). The biggest concern would seem to be the adjustment of the rotary valve used for gear selection, but there again I have never had any problems with that either. WSM dose not note any difference between years, so I think they all would be the same.
Sorry it took so long, late in the day, to respond. I tend to keep strange hours. Time on the computer is not that frequent. Good to see another L4200er /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif. How many hours on yours? KennyV.

 

[KennyV]

JDPN
Gosh I forgot to ask…not in your bio /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif… Where are you located??? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif KennyV

 

[npaden]

Thanks for the replies so far!

I've got the key shut off sorted out. I just pulled the fuses back out and cleaned them off and the shut off works with the key now.

I took a couple pics of the shuttle shift lever. Maybe the spring is upside down? You can see that you have to push down on the handle quite a ways to get the neutral switch to connect.

http://padens.com/files/tractor/Kubota/shuttleshift_front.jpg

http://padens.com/files/tractor/Kubota/shuttleshift_back.jpg

Can anyone tell anything from those?

I broke the left threaded bolt remover that I had inside the bolt so I guess I'm just going to order the entire assembly screw for the tilt steering wheel. It's only $19.

I'm planning on replacing all the fluids and filters so that might take care of the hard shifting in the high gears.

How much does a deluxe reclining seat cost? I might go ahead and spring for the whole setup.

Starting is still not that reliable. After messing with the fuses I started it right up on idle and then shut it back down with the key. I went to start it back up again and couldn't get it to start. The glow plug indicator goes on for a second or two and you can hear the solenoid click off. I cranked it for about 15 seconds and then would turn it off and back on and then crank again for a couple minutes and it wouldn't start. It's about 70 degrees outside. I tried various throttle settings and it still wouldn't start. I went back in and ate dinner and went back out and it wouldn't start on idle again but on the 3rd try with the throttle at full it started. I might call the dealer and see how much they would charge to do a checkup on it.

Thanks for the help so far!

 

[npaden]

Looking at it closer I think the spring is for sure upside down. I did flip it the other way and when it was that way it kept the lever in contact with the neutral switch pretty much all the time but I guess the little metal strip on the neutral switch is hanging down farther than it should i guess.

It didn't seem to help the shift back and forth between forward and reverse regardless of which way the spring was set. The spring has been in that position for a long time because it has worn little grooves in the handle where it connects. I wonder why someone would put it in upside down?

I ordered all new filters today and hopefully will get them by the weekend and be able to change all the fluids and filters out.

 

[npaden]

Kenny,

Do you recall if your spring is the same way or is mine upside down?

Thanks, Nathan