Rock Crawler
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2017
- Messages
- 2,210
- Location
- Pittsburgh, Pa.
- Tractor
- 2021 Kubota L3560 HSTC, 2011 Craftsman Excellerator GT (680hrs), 2018 Husqvarna TS354XD, 2017 Husqvarna HU800AWD, 2019 Kawasaki Mule Pro DX (Yanmar)
After having a stick go into the HST cooling fan on day 3 of owning the BX25, and going through the process of replacing it... I decided that I needed to modify the factory steel shield so that it continued forward and upward to more adequately close off access to that area.
Since I do not have a good way to bend steel, I measured each of the 3 flat segments of the factory pressed shield and created a 3 segment plate addition that matched the angles. To do this, I fully welded the seams and flush ground the welds with a flapper wheel. The plates I made were created at 8" total length, allowing 2" overlap and 6" of extension. I had to trim back the right hand side and shape it to fit around the front driveshaft as well as the HST control linkages.
The added length brings it right up at the back side of the fuel pump and protects the exposed steel hydraulic lines, and severely inhibits any sticks/objects from getting up over the front edge and back down to where the fan is at.
I am fully aware of the $160 aftermarket options on the market, but being cheap and handy... I decided that they were really overkill for what the problem is. All it needed was some help and it would eliminate all but most lucky of objects from getting back into that area.
While doing this, I grabbed some weld on 5K LB D-Rings and a chunk of 1"x2" tubing and mounted some nice tie down / pull points to the bucket. This makes trailer tie down a breeze... and I can lasso off of them and pull objects if desired. They have a 15K LB break strength, so they are major overkill as well.
I ran to tractor supply and grabbed a couple cans of Krylon Kubota orange and primer to finish off the job.
This total cost was around 3 hours of time, some scrap steel, left over D-Rings from a past project, and a few cans of $7.99 paint.
I may add a drop box on that rear right corner (your left looking at my photos) to go back over that HST filter. I don't know if that filter getting punctured is a common occurrence, but it wouldn't be that hard to add another level of protection and prevent me having another sad day in the woods.
Since I do not have a good way to bend steel, I measured each of the 3 flat segments of the factory pressed shield and created a 3 segment plate addition that matched the angles. To do this, I fully welded the seams and flush ground the welds with a flapper wheel. The plates I made were created at 8" total length, allowing 2" overlap and 6" of extension. I had to trim back the right hand side and shape it to fit around the front driveshaft as well as the HST control linkages.
The added length brings it right up at the back side of the fuel pump and protects the exposed steel hydraulic lines, and severely inhibits any sticks/objects from getting up over the front edge and back down to where the fan is at.
I am fully aware of the $160 aftermarket options on the market, but being cheap and handy... I decided that they were really overkill for what the problem is. All it needed was some help and it would eliminate all but most lucky of objects from getting back into that area.
While doing this, I grabbed some weld on 5K LB D-Rings and a chunk of 1"x2" tubing and mounted some nice tie down / pull points to the bucket. This makes trailer tie down a breeze... and I can lasso off of them and pull objects if desired. They have a 15K LB break strength, so they are major overkill as well.
I ran to tractor supply and grabbed a couple cans of Krylon Kubota orange and primer to finish off the job.
This total cost was around 3 hours of time, some scrap steel, left over D-Rings from a past project, and a few cans of $7.99 paint.
I may add a drop box on that rear right corner (your left looking at my photos) to go back over that HST filter. I don't know if that filter getting punctured is a common occurrence, but it wouldn't be that hard to add another level of protection and prevent me having another sad day in the woods.
I looked at what happened, how it happened or how it could happen again... and I looked at the aftermarket covers sold and thought that they sort of went "all out" on making a bigger cover than really is needed for the problem. I was initially going to start at the rear lower frame steel just behind the rear axle and come straight forward past the filter and fan and turn up, then shoot forward and tie into some unused frame bolt holes. But the more I laid under the tractor, the less I felt it was really in need of all that. So this just keeps on running that factory angle forward and up and severely closes the gap in, and a stick would have to go up real fast from the front tire, hit that small gap, and turn down and travel about 18" to the fan. The odds are far less likely, as in... I am not planning on swapping HST fans again.... ever. And the cost... well you just can't beat the cost savings compared to $169 for the BXpanded or BroTek versions. Those retail versions are surely fantastic, but my bet is that for the cost of some scrap and a couple hours I have pretty much protected the fan every bit as well. They protect the HST filter, where mine not (yet) have that ability. But that is another couple hour project to add that feature and then I would say I will be good to go. I believe the time to do what I did this past weekend was 4 Coronas with lime. Another 3-4 Coronas and I will get that filter protected :drink: