Clunking noise at idlle M7040

[Deano]

If they don't know what it is how can they say it isn't a problem. That would bother me a little. But they are looking into it - That is a good thing.

I was thinking just that....

 

[rbargeron]

It's not that Kubota doesn't know what's causing the noise, they know it's a flow interaction in the hydraulic plumbing. It's not a mechanical threat to anything, but more of a nuisance that some customers will want fixed and others won't care about. Therefore they don't dive deep to fix them all. Their policy is probably to fix the ones people object strongly about.

Back a few years, my L4150 made a random noise like that and the cause was a pump suction pipe that didn't reach down into the oil deep enough - so it sucked an air bubble once in a while. The fix was to replace the pickup pipe with a longer one (maybe a $10 part) - but it required separating the tractor to install it. My dealer said Kubota had authorized it under warranty on a case-by-case basis - it was more about customer goodwill than fixing a mechanical defect. I had bought my tractor 2nd hand so I had to buy the pipe. Still have it on the shelf - fixing the noise wasn't worth the trouble.

 

[brain55]

It's not that Kubota doesn't know what's causing the noise, they know it's a flow interaction in the hydraulic plumbing. It's not a mechanical threat to anything, but more of a nuisance that some customers will want fixed and others won't care about. Therefore they don't dive deep to fix them all. Their policy is probably to fix the ones people object strongly about.

Back a few years, my L4150 made a random noise like that and the cause was a pump suction pipe that didn't reach down into the oil deep enough - so it sucked an air bubble once in a while. The fix was to replace the pickup pipe with a longer one (maybe a $10 part) - but it required separating the tractor to install it. My dealer said Kubota had authorized it under warranty on a case-by-case basis - it was more about customer goodwill than fixing a mechanical defect. I had bought my tractor 2nd hand so I had to buy the pipe. Still have it on the shelf - fixing the noise wasn't worth the trouble.

This is very true. There are certain repairs that don't warrant a recall. I can speak about the L4150 issue because I witnessed it first hand. One of our customers was the first on the list to get the extended pick-up. In his application he had severe cavitation because of the pick-up location. I upgraded a few of them but certainly not every single one we sold. For most it was never an issue.

Brian

 

[kuboman]

I think I might of just added more fluid to bring the level up.:confused3:

 

[Tx Jim]

Back a few years, my L4150 made a random noise like that and the cause was a pump suction pipe that didn't reach down into the oil deep enough - so it sucked an air bubble once in a while. The fix was to replace the pickup pipe with a longer one (maybe a $10 part) -

This same thing may be causing the noise on the M7040's. I looked in the hyd oil filler hole and one can see tiny air bubbles with engine is running.

 

[rbargeron]

I think I might of just added more fluid to bring the level up.:confused3:

Right on the money Kuboman - they actually included two other parts in the kit with the longer pipe - a gasket for the housing and a new shorter dipstick so the oil level would be kept higher.:thumbsup:

 

[brain55]

Right on the money Kuboman - they actually included two other parts in the kit with the longer pipe - a gasket for the housing and a new shorter dipstick so the oil level would be kept higher.:thumbsup:

Are we still talking about the L4150 because I don't remember it that way. The way I remember the problem was that the transmission gears were churning up the hydraulic oil causing an aeration problem for some people. The parts in the kit as I remember were the gasket, the tube, and a new drain plug with a spring pocket in it along with the spring to hold the new tube in place. The tube was used to move the hydraulic pick-up to a calmer part of the transmission. I don't remember a different dipstick, to me adding more fluid could exacerbate the problem. As much as I liked the L4150, it did have some idiosyncrasies that needed addressed.

 

[rbargeron]

There could have been different versions of the kit. As I remember it there was no drain plug in the bag, just a short dipstick, the gasket and the longer pipe - which supposedly went deeper in the same location. The explanation was that the tips of the nearby gears were above the oil level so they scooped some air down into it. The new oil level was about an inch higher which, along with a deeper pickup, was supposed to cure it. (The symptom was a snapping sound from the FEL hoses when going along at road speed - they'd jump too.) I put more oil in mine and it made enough difference that I stopped thinking about it. Maybe there was more than one noise issue with the L4150? I do remember in those days the service guys in Columbus had a very positive view of that chassis - considered quite trouble-free. I've been bragging about my L3's ever since :thumbsup:

 

[Caddo]

Just to be sure, are you familiar with the issue with the M7040? If so just out of curiostiy where did you hear that, and what exactly is the fix, thanks in advance for the info...

It's not that Kubota doesn't know what's causing the noise, they know it's a flow interaction in the hydraulic plumbing. It's not a mechanical threat to anything, but more of a nuisance that some customers will want fixed and others won't care about. Therefore they don't dive deep to fix them all. Their policy is probably to fix the ones people object strongly about.

Back a few years, my L4150 made a random noise like that and the cause was a pump suction pipe that didn't reach down into the oil deep enough - so it sucked an air bubble once in a while. The fix was to replace the pickup pipe with a longer one (maybe a $10 part) - but it required separating the tractor to install it. My dealer said Kubota had authorized it under warranty on a case-by-case basis - it was more about customer goodwill than fixing a mechanical defect. I had bought my tractor 2nd hand so I had to buy the pipe. Still have it on the shelf - fixing the noise wasn't worth the trouble.

 

[PoorPlowboy]

My MY2012 is doing it also. I honestly thought I had left the air conditioner on and the compressor was cycling, until I climbed back in and noticed that the A/C was turned off. Definitely sounds like a compressor cycling on and off to me.