2910 Steering problem

ronjhall · Jun 23, 2001

Bird:
That’s the temperature at inlet fitting to FEL valve. I have a Pyrometer to check these temperatures. The engine was about 150-degrees at the valve cover. I need to check the actual temperature of the oil in the transmission. 200-degree oil should not cause these problems. But keeping temperature lower will help. Is that the temperature now that you are using Amsoil? I remember you giving some temperature readings when you were hooking up your Tip & Tilt. Have you ever checked the temperature after running tractor for several hours?

Bird · Jun 23, 2001

Ron, the only times I've thought to check the temperature was after running it an hour or so at PTO speed (tilling instead of mowing). I'll have to try to remember and do that the next time I mow.

Bird

hayden · Jun 23, 2001

Alan,

I share your frustration, but my experience comes from owning a JD garden tractor. I won't bore you with all the details other than to say my tractor's oil pressure comes and goes (to zero) for the first few minutes of operation unless I overfill the crankcase by 1/4 qt or so. It also blows clouds of smoke when I start it after it's been sitting for more than a week or so. The smoke smells like antifreeze (it's liquid cooled) and the coolant level drops ever so slowly. It's been like this from day one.

Without dwelling on the tractor's problem, which I've concluded I just need to live with, I can say I got completely and totally unsatisfactory support from JD and the dealer network. The problem hasn't been fixed, and everyone proclaims it to not exist. One factory rep went so far as to tell me I should remove the oil pressure warning light.

As you might guess, I'll never buy a JD again. The tractor may be green on that side of the fence, but the grass isn't.

Peter

StoneHeartFarm · Jun 23, 2001

Okay, time for a dumb question. Is it possible to add an auxilliary hydro return tank to increase the capacity of the system? Hydro thats running 40 degrees hotter than the engine just doesn't sound right. An auxilliary tank such as those from Northern would increase the quantity of fluid, leaving more time for it to cool before it has to go back to the pump. I remeember seeing a graph oof some test on automatic transmissions. Basically, an automatic transmission that is running at minimum temperature will last a long time, one that is run hot (if I recall right, hot was around 260 degrees) will not last more than a few thousand miles. Every 10 degrees in rise takes a big chunk of life off the trans. I would be concerned that this excessive heat will destroy seals, etc in the front end or pump.

Keep us posted on Kubota's position on this one.

SHF

frank_f15 · Jun 23, 2001

RON: seems to me that if this was a wide spread problem, kubots would know about it. has to be a lot of tractors similar to yours , working in much hotter conditions than u are. i would think it just might be your machine. but again i don't know. sorry i can't be more helpful. but i wish u luck and keep after them.