BX24 Radiator fan replacement

[310-510]

When the 2" diameter hardwood tree branch thrust up through the radiator fan shroud, and into the radiator fan, the Kubota BX24 made a noise so vile, sent shrapnel flying, and shook so hard that chills ran down my spine. After all, I had just killed my favored companion that has lasted longer than some of my relationships. The tree branch even managed to bend a few radiator fins.

I coaxed my companion 300 or so yards to the trailer, loaded her up, and rush her to the ER room at the Kubota dealer. (65 miles away)

The Kubota doctor wanted over $300 in labor to replace her radiator fan and much more to replace her HST fan, so this is the story about repairing the companion.

And so the story begins.

The radiator fan was about $22 and after looking around a little bit, the $7 HST fan was missing a blade and was ordered also. The shroud was $56 and only about 4" of the bottom was broken so an administrative decision was made to not replace the shroud.

Parts will not be here until Thursday (3 days from now) and my hope is to have her apart, cleaned up, and ready for the parts by Thursday and back on the job by Friday morning.

Does the radiator have to come out to replace the radiator fan?
Anything I should watch for while doing the job?

 

[radioman]

Ouch! not a good feeling. sorry about your BX24 dude. At this time i haven't had to replace anything serious on mine except the taillight from backing into brush. I gotta figure out how to build a taillight protector or have it replaced with bulletproof lens .Looking at mine i think it would be easier to pull the air filter Assembly then the radiator shroud with the coolant tank still attached. From there not sure what you need to do till you have gotten that far. Good luck and keep us posted with pictures.

 

[310-510]

Start by removing the flail mower, removing the loader, and placing the tractor in the garage.

A few pictures of the damage.

Remove the grill guard, the bonnet side and the air cleaner. Be sure to plug the air intake to keep junk from going in the engine.

Found a piece of the fan.

The fan shroud, or what's left of it and the radiator with just a few bent fins. I straightened what I could. And put a pan under the tractor to catch the coolant, otherwise you have to clean the floor before the parents notice.

A few pictures of it apart. Oh, and yes, loosen the alternator.

Only 1 broken bolt. The stick must have hit hard.

The fan that does not provide much cooling.

A picture of the HST fan that will be replaced also if I can figure out how. Tomorrow's project is taking the HST fan out. Any suggestions or guidance?


Remove the Bro-Tek skid plate.


Overall, less than 2 hours, spent a little quality time with the parents, and it appears I'll be back on the job Friday morning.

 

[310-510]

Ouch! not a good feeling. sorry about your BX24 dude. At this time i haven't had to replace anything serious on mine except the taillight from backing into brush. I gotta figure out how to build a taillight protector or have it replaced with bulletproof lens .Looking at mine i think it would be easier to pull the air filter Assembly then the radiator shroud with the coolant tank still attached. From there not sure what you need to do till you have gotten that far. Good luck and keep us posted with pictures.

Radioman,
The air filter assembly is part of the radiator shroud. Sure wish all I ever broke was a taillight protector. I only need taillights on the road and the closest my BX gets to the road is in the ditch.

My BX is used for everything I do away from the house. Since I am on crutches or in a wheelchair most of the time, the BX is my 4 wheel drive and is the only way to get where I need to go. Running over brush, trees, rocks, and small children that may get in the way occasionally causes damage, but if not for getting there, no work would be accomplished and a bigger couch would be required to hold my ever widening bottom.

Almost 300 hours of hard service in the last year and another 200 or so hours will be required over the next 60 days.

 

[radioman]

Nice pics. Good progress so far. Now for me to eat my hat about air filter assembly. ACK ! As usual I have learned alot here on TBN. As for replacing the HST fan, do a search here. I seen several members reported they had to move the engine forward just to be able to slide the fan shaft out. Not a simple project for sure. I see from the pictures you only have one fin broken off. You sure you want to replace it now since you have no skid plate yet ? I'd wait till i get a skid plate and then replace the HST fan. who wants to replace the fan twice ?

 

[310-510]

The picture doesn't tell the whole story. There is another fin broken on the top out of the picture. It did end up broken even though I have a Bro-Tek rear skid plate. More skid plates are in the works. As far as replacing the fan twice, I ordered 2 HST fans just in case.
Thanks, I'll spend a little time searching for the easiest way to change the HST fan.

 

[actionaj]

Lucky that it didn't bust your radiator. I would have never thought that a limb would make its way into the fan. I will think twice now when ever I run over any limbs.

 

[310-510]

The parts for the radiator fan replacement finally arrived this morning. 4 days for parts.
The first item I reviewed was the HST fan.


After figuring out the fan replacement was not an easy fix (for me) I decided to let it go for this job and replace it when I get back home in late November or early December.

When the stick went into the fan, it damaged the boot at the engine end of the driveshaft. This too would require removing the driveshaft and would be better served at home. An old inner tube, a little "Goop", and a couple of tie wraps should hold it together for 45-60 days.


I learned that the shroud has to be in place (not bolted), then the fan goes on, then the radiator slides in, then the shroud is fastened. If not in that order, you can try again, and maybe again. I was never very good at origami.


The tractor is back together, running just fine, and not overheating or leaking.

The next step (besides getting back to work) is to work with Bro-Tek on extending the skid plates more forward so this can NEVER happen again.

 

[DGS]

Hello carsce
I thought the Bro-Tec was designed to stop just what happened to your machine
I do realise that any design can't protect against every possible scenarios but given what has happened to you I am thinking about another way of cooling that Hydro Trans
Have you talked to Richard at Bro -Tec or has he contacted you and if so what has he said
Good luck
DGS

 

[bird1968]

Hi Carsce,

As promised, I've got the Radiator/drive shaft guard done.

Let me know what you think, PS. never mind the PTO hydraulic pump in the picture.

Richard

 

[310-510]

Bird1968,
Thanks Richard,
That looks real good. Just got back from another 18 hours of seat time over the weekend. It would have been 24 hours except I took another stick in the HST fan this time. Tomorrow the HST shaft will be torn out and the fan replaced.

Carl

 

[310-510]

Just finished putting the BX back together from the HST fan replacement. Moving the engine forward was not as tough as I thought it would be. The worst of it was getting the handles off the levers for removal of the fender. It appears as if the handles had melted to the metal lever from the Arizona heat! The entire job was 10 hours of work over 2 days.

 

[310-510]

It didn't take long to get another stick in the HST fan. Just under 24 hours of seat time and I heard the fan noise twice.

The pictures are of my new fan installed and almost completed and my new HST fan with a stick. The last picture is the same stick except from the fan end. The stick end is barely visible near the fan.


Nothing was broke, it just made lots of noise.

 

[santacruzer]

Carse,

Sorry about your experience...what a PITA that must have been!!

I have a BX 2350.... pretty close in most everything to the BX24. I wake up screaming at night for the fear of the same thing happening to me. I haven't done anything about belly protection yet (I guess I secretly like living on the edge). I had considered the entire Bro Tec underbelly kit but from what you say the "stick thing" happened even though you did have the Bro Tec.

Since you are now in the ranks of those that can be called "one having a considered opinion" what would you advise at this point to avoid the "stick thing" again. That Bro Tec looked pretty good but....sh** happens I guess.

The low profile of the BX has a lot of advantages... but sticks never sleep.

Thanks. Paul

 

[donn12]

Carce,
My HST fan boot ripped off and I did not replace it. I don't think the original boot had anything in it. Is a replacement boot a necessity? And would you recommend the Brotek protective plate?
Thanks for your help!

 

[310-510]

If I had not been cheap and would have bought the Bro-Tek front skid plate with my rear skid plate, the HST fan would have been safe. Richard (Bro-Tek) is building a radiator fan protection plate and I will post results here after a week or so in the woods.

Santacruzer, get all the skid plates you can! I like Bro-Tek's.

Donn12, The HST fan shaft (referred to as the propeller shaft) has 4 small ball bearings and rubber ring dampers inside. They sit in grease. I stuffed as much grease as possible behind the snap ring and washer, then put the inner tube fix over the top. Dirt would sure make those small parts wear out faster IMHO. And yes, I would recommend Bro-Tek's skid plates.

If Bro-Tek's plates can protect my BX24 in this stump row cleanup, it'll protect your BX also.