I would like to thank each one of you for contributing to this discussion. The input you've all offered here has definitely changed my attitude. At first I was ready to give up and cut my losses on this tractor. After getting nowhere initially with my dealer, I thought I'd have to sell it at a tremendous loss *if* I could find a buyer that needed a KL130 loader and a broken tractor to go with it. The situation has changed now, thanks to you folks.
One of the suggestions above was to first contact my dealer and then contact Kioti directly. Well, I had already tried the dealer which resulted in the tractor going to the back of their lot and being forgotten about for nearly three weeks. So yesterday, I called the main Kioti contact number. I described the problem with the tractor and the dealer situation (or lack of it) to the customer service representative, and sent some high-resolution photos to her via email. I'm now waiting for an official response, but she told me there is a possibility that Kioti might choose to handle this as an out-of-warranty repair, which means they will provide the parts and I pay for the labor. The catch is, the repair work would have to be done through the selling dealer.
After I got off the phone, I drove up to see the dealer again. Before, I was The Invisible Man. And I was pretty sure we'd never see each other again. But Kioti said I needed to re-build that bridge, so I took a chance and happened to catch the owner right before closing time. I told him I'd called Kioti customer service and showed him some 8x10 prints of the oil pan and piston photos. I also brought along a can with all the little piston pieces, and shared what Kioti had told me about the possibility of an out-of-warranty repair which would have to be through their shop. Suddenly I wasn't invisible anymore. His service manager joined us and took photos of my prints to email to his Kioti rep. They told me they had never seen a lower piston failure like that before and that in their opinion it's most likely not a case of operator abuse. They said the piston will tell the full story of what happened to it, and they were ready to clear a bay and pull it. I said many thanks and I hope we can do that. It depends entirely on Kioti.
If Kioti wants to examine what's left of that piston and all of the pieces that came out of the oil pan, then I'm more than happy to oblige, but it's strictly a matter of how much it will cost me to provide that for them. Right now it looks like I'll have to cover the labor involved, and I don't yet have a figure for that estimate. I'm already out $500 on this thing. It cost me $250 for the second mechanic (see original post) to go over the engine top to bottom to find the source of the knock, which initially sounded like a top-end clatter. I know that's how you do it -- top to bottom. He checked lifters, injectors, etc. and the oil pan was one of the last things on that list. The other $250 was what I had to pay a fellow in my neighborhood to come over and shred my place, which badly needed it and couldn't wait because we had company coming over for the weekend. That $500 is on me, no argument there. How much more am I going to pay is the question. I'll have to balance the dealer's labor estimate against my Plan B.
Plan B involves a third diesel mechanic, a local fellow whom I've done business with for many years (he just bought a Mahindra... hmm). If I can get my hands on a new piston and a ring set, he says he can put 'em in. If Kioti chooses to pass, then I'll go this route. And then most likely sell the CK35 or trade it in. Either way, I'm better off now than I was when I started this thread, thanks to you guys. Much appreciated.
