Backhoe BX23 backhoe dismount catches fender? Plastic side shrouds...

creex · Mar 23, 2009

Hey gusy - just got to play a little with my recently purchased bx23 and noticed two things - wondering if they are commonly know because I cannot find them in a search...

1. When dismounting the backhoe, the upper mounts of the BH catch the inner corner of the fender and the sheetmetal gusset between the fenders. Just enough to sprang it. Apparently it has happened before because you can see where those areas, identical on both sides, have had the paint touched up. In fact the touchup is not holding.
I don't see any reason not to trim about 1/2 inch off the bottom of the gusset sides, and radius the inner fender corners enough to clear. Anyone done this?

2. I realized that the lower hood sides (below the black) - The orange section that would be behind the mounting points of the FEL - are one wrap-around plastic piece. Where it meets the firewall/dash panel it mounts by a tab on either side fitting into a slot in the firewall. On mine the left side tab is broken off and the back end flops a bit when running at a speed that vibrates. Anyone else had this and come up with a creative fix?

dodge man · Mar 23, 2009

To answer question 2, I have a BX2350, and where the plastic hood meets the cowl/dash area is a lousy fit. The tabs aren't borken on mine, but I can't get them to engage half the time. I just let it stick out and don't worry about it. It seems to be more of an apperance thing more than anything else. This is also most likely why Kubota went back to steel for the front end on the BX series.

ACHINBAC · Mar 23, 2009

Creex,
Had similar issues regarding #2 when I got my bx24 - cowling vibrated & fit wasn't great. In pic #1, I put a support under the lower front corners of the cowling (it's above the stainless eye), in pic #2 I put a rubber bumper under the rear edges, in pic #3 I installed a hex head cap screw in the battery cover which pulls it in against the cowling (you might be able to do something similar to the area where your tab is missing) pic#4 I epoxied the joint between the headlight assembly and the hood on both sides, #5 I installed sound deadening foam to the hood and cowling (the stuff is lead cored and very heavy) which dampened the vibration - quieted the motor too. Also in the last picture I substituted the stock washers under the black knobs that clamp the cowl with the bigest washers I had on hand - also put a rubber washer under them.

Can't speak to the backhoe as the mount may be different than mine.

Dave

Tollster · Mar 23, 2009

Adjust the outrigger height one way or another so that when you curl the bucket it will not hit the fenders. When I frst got mine I had the same issue, but soon resolved it without trimming shears.

tommu56 · Mar 23, 2009

I had the same issue till I found.
Lift hoe with out riggers and bucket.
Release locks and pin them out on hoe out raise outriggers till they just clear the ground and hoe is resting lower mount and bucket.
Roll hoe back with bucket till latches clear fenders.
Put out riggers down to lift hoe of bottom mount.
Move tractor forward about 4-6"
Lower hoe to ground.
Turn tractor off.
Move the hoe controls to relive pressure.
Uncouple lines loop tractor back to it self and hoe to it self.

tom

Berniep · Mar 24, 2009

creex said:
.....

1. When dismounting the backhoe, the upper mounts of the BH catch the inner corner of the fender and the sheetmetal gusset between the fenders. Just enough to sprang it. Apparently it has happened before because you can see where those areas, identical on both sides, have had the paint touched up. In fact the touchup is not holding.
I don't see any reason not to trim about 1/2 inch off the bottom of the gusset sides, and radius the inner fender corners enough to clear. Anyone done this?
.....

I bent mine a little the first time I did this also. The secret is to NOT LET THE OUTRIGGERS TOUCH THE GROUND until the hoe is fully rolled back away from the tractor, pivoting on the lower mounts. If you even have them close to the ground it can raise the hoe as you roll it back and it will catch the sheetmetal.

creex · Mar 24, 2009

When I did this, I did not use the outriggers at all, so they were completely clear. I lowered the bacakhoe to the ground, undid the latches and curled the boom forward. It still caught the sheetmetal.

tommu56 · Mar 24, 2009

Maybe it isn't sitting down all the way on the bottom mount.

How far back do you have the bucket when you take it off?

I usually have it extended back 5 or 6'.

tom

Berniep · Mar 24, 2009

I am unclear as tro how you would take the backhoe off the tractor without using the outriggers. How do you get it to come up off of the lower hooks?
I could see maybe if there was a mound of dirt under the swivel portion of the unit then maybe it would tend to lift the whole thing as you rotate it away from the tractor. I will take some pics in the morning (as long as it's not storming) and show you how much clearance I have so you can compare.

Berniep · Mar 25, 2009

Ok it was drizzling a little bit but I got it out at shot a couple pics with my cell phone.
This is how I start, level ground and nothing under the backhoe.
A little up pressure to get the tension off the latches.

In this picture the lathces are as close as they ever get to the sheetmetal.
There is about an inch and a half clearance
You can see where I bent the sheetmetal the first time I did it with the outriggers down.

Here you can see the bottom hook. You need to make sure that the cross bar is completely seated in these hooks. If not that could cause the backhoe to ride higher and hit the sheetmetal but I think it would come loose as soon as you started digging.

Here it is rolled all the way back from the tractor. You can see how it rolls down and back. At this point I would pick it up off the bottom hooks with the outriggers and drive forward a few inches then set it on the ground.