2017 BX23S drive over mower deck stuck at "top" dial position

[climax102]

I bought this BX23S equipped with loader, backhoe, and drive over belly mower. The previous owner used it only 200 hours mowing 4 acres. I do not intend on using the mower here in the Ozarks because I have only trees, and rocks. I needed to remove the fancy drive over mower, and that is where my problems started. I raised the mower to the top, and could only turn the cutting height knob clockwise to "top". It would not go to "zero" like instructed. I have spent hours reading suggestions, and more hours trying to get the height knob to zero. I have turned the adjustment bolt behind the left tire down, and up, but no luck. I can feel the cutting height shaft jamming up against metal when attempting to turned. I even tried jacking up the mower deck to take the pressure off of the height knob shaft. At this point I just want the mower deck off. I think I was in better shape to remove the deck when it was set at 3", than top. The height knob only turns clockwise. My question is can the deck be removed without driving over it. Will the PTO shaft present a problem ? Suggestions appreciated


UPDATE:
If you are ever have the problem of the "Mower link cam" is stuck in the "TOP" position, while your deck is attached, and you have tried everything else do the following.

1. Detach any rear end attachment, and safely jack up the rear end enough you can see the mower link cam. It is located just in front of the left rear axle, almost against the frame. (see picture)

2. Remove the nut in the center of the "Mower link cam". This will require a 14 mm socket, and extension. I used my battery powered hammer drill. It took just one short pull.

3. From the deck, pull the Cutting height knob straight out of the "Mower link cam"

4. You can then take anything like a small dowel rod, and push the cam out from the top. You could also get under the rear end again and pull the cam out. I am 74, and every trip saved to getting on the floor is avoided.

5. Now you can lower you mower deck down, and remove it normally. Once removed you have easy access to the area where the hangup problem is needing fixed.

Here is some pictures of the "Mower link cam" in, and out of the tractor

 

[JWR]

At least on other BX Kubotas that height knob cannot / should not be turned except when the hydraulic has lifted it to the top. Myself and many others have broken that knob trying to turn it harder. The problem is that the full weight of the deck rests on that adjusting mechanism UNLESS you have it lifted all the way up. So....

It sounds to me like you don't have it all the way up (but you have jacked it up to release the load...) OR the linkage underneath is not adjusted such that the lift system raises it high enough to ease the load off the knob-connected adjuster. Maybe the knob does not really have to be all the way to zero? I don't own one of that type driveover deck.

I see no reason why you can't unfasten the deck from the hanging attachment hardware and slide it out sideways like we all used to do before the later fancy mechanisms.

 

[eddieirvine]

what JWR said also i blew air in every where i could to clean the adsjustment gears, i then sprayed a light lube over everything in there and this made it a lot better, it catches a lot of dirt in that area on the discharge side, so try that clean it good and lube the hell out of everything that knob turns you'll be good

 

[climax102]

At least on other BX Kubotas that height knob cannot / should not be turned except when the hydraulic has lifted it to the top. Myself and many others have broken that knob trying to turn it harder. The problem is that the full weight of the deck rests on that adjusting mechanism UNLESS you have it lifted all the way up. So....

It sounds to me like you don't have it all the way up (but you have jacked it up to release the load...) OR the linkage underneath is not adjusted such that the lift system raises it high enough to ease the load off the knob-connected adjuster. Maybe the knob does not really have to be all the way to zero? I don't own one of that type driveover deck.

I see no reason why you can't unfasten the deck from the hanging attachment hardware and slide it out sideways like we all used to do before the later fancy mechanisms.

I also can see no reason it can't be connected like the standard deck, except the PTO shaft connects different, and since I am now stuck in the "TOP" cutting height knob setting, I have very little clearance. Also since the height knob only turns clockwise my deck frame only lowers to about 4" above the floor stuck at TOP. I am afraid if I disconnect the wrong thing it can cause damage. Tomorrow I will detach the loader, and backhoe so I can jack the rear end up, and place safety jacks under. Then I should be able to tell more about how it all works. This is much more complicated than the standard mower deck. About 60 years ago I worked with new stubble mulch plows in Western Kansas. At that time the rules were never tighten down any bolts, and always have a long alignment punch, with a huge hammer. Today this method could cost me hundreds of dollars.

 

[climax102]

what JWR said also i blew air in every where i could to clean the adsjustment gears, i then sprayed a light lube over everything in there and this made it a lot better, it catches a lot of dirt in that area on the discharge side, so try that clean it good and lube the hell out of everything that knob turns you'll be good

I sprayed silicone, and white lube lithium grease everywhere I could see something moves. What I am hearing, and feeling is the stair case type gear, at the bottom of Grass cutting height knob, is hitting against solid metal. If I can get the deck off I should be able to see the problem.

 

[JWR]

I understand your predicament. I doubt there is much chance of you doing damage under there. If you are stressing something during the dismount you'll be able to tell it & stop.

 

[07wingnut]

What works sometimes if your deck has been adjusted a little to tight with respect to the TOP position is this. Lift the deck hydraulics up to the maximum, get off the tractor on left side. Use one hand to put some tension on that knob in the direction to get to zero, and with the other hand yank up on the edge of the deck. That will usually momentarily take the load off that knob and allow it to turn. Works everytime on my BX23.

 

[climax102]

What works sometimes if your deck has been adjusted a little to tight with respect to the TOP position is this. Lift the deck hydraulics up to the maximum, get off the tractor on left side. Use one hand to put some tension on that knob in the direction to get to zero, and with the other hand yank up on the edge of the deck. That will usually momentarily take the load off that knob and allow it to turn. Works everytime on my BX23.

Today I got under the tractor, and took a few pictures of the height control gear. I tried to adjust the clearance on the gear, but no luck. I am beginning to think removing the gear by removing the nut in it's center, and loosen the nut on the lag bolt holding what appears to be a spring that holds the shaft in a set position. This would allow the deck to go to zero, or even a little lower so I could use the normal steps to remove it, or just slide it out like normal mower decks. As a retired design engineering manager, I would fire the idiot that designed this problem gear.

 

[climax102]

What works sometimes if your deck has been adjusted a little to tight with respect to the TOP position is this. Lift the deck hydraulics up to the maximum, get off the tractor on left side. Use one hand to put some tension on that knob in the direction to get to zero, and with the other hand yank up on the edge of the deck. That will usually momentarily take the load off that knob and allow it to turn. Works everytime on my BX23.

Thank you for the suggestion. Yesterday I was able to get the original dial setting from 3 to "top" by this method, but it would not go past "top". I went under the tractor this morning, and that gear is a mickey mouse setup. My suggestion to anyone buying a new BX would be buy the cheaper deck, the drive over can be a real problem removing it. I bought the tractor for the loader, and backhoe that seem to be well designed. Once this deck comes off it will probably go on the market.

 

[climax102]

At least on other BX Kubotas that height knob cannot / should not be turned except when the hydraulic has lifted it to the top. Myself and many others have broken that knob trying to turn it harder. The problem is that the full weight of the deck rests on that adjusting mechanism UNLESS you have it lifted all the way up. So....

It sounds to me like you don't have it all the way up (but you have jacked it up to release the load...) OR the linkage underneath is not adjusted such that the lift system raises it high enough to ease the load off the knob-connected adjuster. Maybe the knob does not really have to be all the way to zero? I don't own one of that type driveover deck.

I see no reason why you can't unfasten the deck from the hanging attachment hardware and slide it out sideways like we all used to do before the later fancy mechanisms.

Getting under the tractor this morning, the (let's call it a stair step gear) starts at zero, and as you turn it (while the deck raised to the top) every notch increases the cut height. When lowered back down the piece of heavy, welded steel ( pictured in lower right) sits on the gear, causing a bar it is welded to set the height. If I could turn it just one more notch the bar would return to the lowest possible setting, and the deck could be removed. I would thought Kubota would have had a redesign, and recall on this problem many seem to have.