Dirt everywhere, need advice.

[corey9212]

Hello I have a cab on my BX2660 and as much as I love the cab I hate how dirty it gets inside after every use, I look like I came out from blasting rock in a mine from doing simple things like mowing the lawn and disking. I have to leave the windows open so the engine stays cool otherwise overheating is imminent. I want to completely seal the cab off but need to figure out a way to cool the engine, I have tried removing that plastic piece from under the battery but then that whole compartment becomes a small dirt box. Any ideas would be great.

 

[Danner]

I didn't know there was a cab for the BX series. Is it a Kubota cab?

My only thought for you, is that you will have to "duct" some air to the back of the radiator, and that air can't run through the cab interior if you want any kind of sealed environment.

 

[radioman]

danner- there are cabs for the BX's. They are third party companies and it kind expensive too. sims, tektite to name a few have them.

corey, I am surprised you have dust in your cab. The engine fan pulls air from cab area so its making me wonder if you need to remove the battery and check the radiator fins? I think it may be plugged?

There is not much I can suggest to help, but be creative and figure out a air source with a blower to draw more air into the cab so more air can come in and go through the vent under steering wheel. Maybe you could remove that vent shroud and add a 12 volt fan in its place blowing in? You might want an alternate source of air from outside ducted to it. This could help.

 

[corey9212]

I didn't know there was a cab for the BX series. Is it a Kubota cab?

My only thought for you, is that you will have to "duct" some air to the back of the radiator, and that air can't run through the cab interior if you want any kind of sealed environment.

Kubota does have cabs for their BX's but they are aftermarket cabs with a very heafty price tag. You would figure with how much they cost they would have thought about this problem.

danner- there are cabs for the BX's. They are third party companies and it kind expensive too. sims, tektite to name a few have them.

corey, I am surprised you have dust in your cab. The engine fan pulls air from cab area so its making me wonder if you need to remove the battery and check the radiator fins? I think it may be plugged?

There is not much I can suggest to help, but be creative and figure out a air source with a blower to draw more air into the cab so more air can come in and go through the vent under steering wheel. Maybe you could remove that vent shroud and add a 12 volt fan in its place blowing in? You might want an alternate source of air from outside ducted to it. This could help.

I keep the vent clean and the screen in front of the radiator clean as well but I will take a direct look at the fins and see what I find. It is horrifically dirty, I do know that dandelion fuzz is not preventable inside the cab cause it's everywhere but the dirt is massively everywhere, I can't even see my gauges at all after I'm done cause it is covered that bad and everything else is the same (including me.) I will think of ducting solutions. If I had to put a duct in it how big would it have to be (let's say for a furnace duct coming from it how big around would be best)

 

[BotaBigot]

Don't see a simple solution to dust problem with "reverse flow" BX cooling system. Ducting would take space from operator area, and if run to most logical left side, would affect getting in/out and park brake. My only suggestion would be to seal cab tight, and using free-flowing disposable furnace filter(s) with at least same area as grille under steering column, install it/them on flat side/front (top?) surface of cab where minimally affects visibility. Fab some kind of holder(s) for filter(s) that would facilitate replacement...replacing filter(s) when engine temp goes up. Don't know how hot sealed cab would get in summer, or if air coming thru filter(s) would keep you cool enough...

 

[638]

BotaBigot has the answer. Put a good filter in the roof of the cab over your head. Fresh, clean air for you and the engine. Again, be sure to seal the openings around the peddles and under the seat if needed. You want all of the air to come through the filter.

 

[corey9212]

That could work but if it's on the roof then how do I keep dry? Cause won't the filter let water through? I feel like we are on the right track and heading in the right direction.

 

[Volfandt]

The older 00 & 30 series BX's have a removable intake plate under the battery but I'm not sure the redesigned 50 & 60 series battery holder/dash have it. The intent was to remove this plate in the winter when folks installed their cabs so it could draw intake air from beneath the BX and the std intake screen could then be sealed w/tape etc.

If the 50 & 60 series still have this removeable plate under the battery, I'd recommend to find some kind of furnace or car cabin filter that could cover the opening to provide some prefiltering of all the debris mowing produces. Perhaps a removable fine mesh screen would also work. You could then seal up the std intake screen to keep the engine fan from drawing air through your cab.

Course option 2 would be to just remove the cab during the summer. NYYankeesfan (I believe it was him ) rigged up a hoist setup where he can easily lift off/on a cab on his BX. On for winter, off for summer.

Good luck
Dave

 

[radioman]

The 50 series "plate" under battery appears to be plastic as its shiny black in color and its held together with a bolt in middle. I dont recall what it looks like under that black plastic cover as I removed and reinstalled it 2 yrs ago.

 

[leonz]

About you tractor cabin,

SHort of replacing the cab you own with a high end Lauren Cab:

The only way you can have a clean cab is to install a forced draft filtration
system on the roof line using a 12 volt squirrel cage fan with an engine intake air filter to keep the dust out by pushing clean air into the cabin to keep the dirt out.

:thumbsup::drool:

 

[corey9212]

Yes it does have that plate but it is plastic and I have it removed already but there is not very much room for air intake there cause the frame goes under there and leaves little holes. I am intrigued on that forced draft filteration, with that on the roof what do you do to keep the water out there the fan and screen is. Does Lauren cabs have a website that I could see what they have? Thanks.

 

[taborekle]

That could work but if it's on the roof then how do I keep dry? Cause won't the filter let water through? I feel like we are on the right track and heading in the right direction.

I have a RV with several built in roof vents. I've purchased one of these for each roof vent. They allow the air to circulate while keeping the rain out.

Larry

Maxxair Vent Corporation

 

[BotaBigot]

...what do you do to keep the water out...

Cap w/rear opening...

 

[leonz]

Yes it does have that plate but it is plastic and I have it removed already but there is not very much room for air intake there cause the frame goes under there and leaves little holes. I am intrigued on that forced draft filtration, with that on the roof what do you do to keep the water out there the fan and screen is. Does Lauren cabs have a website that I could see what they have? Thanks.

Laurin home page
Laurin inc | Cabines, canopes et compacteurs pour tracteur et camion


Use a complete and identical BX Kubota engine sized paper
element engine air filter mounted on the squirrel cage fan
intake using a piece of sheet metal to connect the air cleaner
to the intake side of the fan.

The actual Kubota engine air filter housing and intake air
precleaner will prevent water from entering the air filter
provided you mount the dust dumping nipple down!!!!

This will be the least costly solution for you as the fan
will be controlled by a simple speed switch with a
circuit breaker off the battery HOT terminal ONLY!!!


If your going to keep the tractor the high end Laurin cab will provide you with air conditioning and heating and year round shirt sleeve comfort.

Thier line of high end cabins have pressurised cabin air systems is identical to the ones on the Kubota M8540 Narrow Utility Orchard tractors.


You will have the option of mounting the fan and filter almost anywhere EXCEPT near the front of the tractor as you will be sucking in exhaust fumes.

Placing it along the rear of cabin roof line is the better location as you can mount it there and it will be below the roof and avoid being whacked off by a tree branch or heavy tree limb.

All you need is to chat with a sheet metal shop to build the coupling and a bracket to mount it to the cabin rear.

 

[corey9212]

Just an update, I am still struggling with the dirt problem, got ahold of Lauren cabs and am waiting for a reply (but doesn't look promising cause they don't deal with end users.) I am looking for the squirrel caged fan and for some reason I can't find one that is 12 volts and everyone I talked to just looked at me with a blank face.

 

[radioman]

what about this fan? Surplus Center - 12 VDC DRAFT INDUCTION BLOWER
There seems to be a bunch of 12Vdc squirrel fans on thier website. I have thought about your dust issue.
you might still have dust to deal with unless the current holes are dealt with. Frankly- there are so many of them on the BX. You might need a leather apron draping around the seat custom cut to every curves and bumps there. Maybe you could take a foam tube for keeping hot water pipe warm and slip it on the levers to stop air from coming in, etc. Again use leather or something similar to cover the HST hole in floorboard and brake shaft on both sides.

did you try removing the plastic under the battery and sealing off the vent and did help at all?

 

[corey9212]

what about this fan? Surplus Center - 12 VDC DRAFT INDUCTION BLOWER
There seems to be a bunch of 12Vdc squirrel fans on thier website. I have thought about your dust issue.
you might still have dust to deal with unless the current holes are dealt with. Frankly- there are so many of them on the BX. You might need a leather apron draping around the seat custom cut to every curves and bumps there. Maybe you could take a foam tube for keeping hot water pipe warm and slip it on the levers to stop air from coming in, etc. Again use leather or something similar to cover the HST hole in floorboard and brake shaft on both sides.

did you try removing the plastic under the battery and sealing off the vent and did help at all?

Those are exactly what I'm looking for, just a matter of trying to find one locally cause the cost to ship that into Canada can be huge (I've paid sometimes twice what an items worth to ship it up here.)

The cab is semi sealed, the space under the seat is sealed, the spaces around the levers are all sealed, I just have to figure a way to seal the foot controls.

I did try removing the plastic under the battery and I completely sealed off the vent, all it did was keep the engine running cooler but I still had the issue of dust getting in the cab cause if I didn't have a window open I would overheat way before the tractor, lol. That's why a filtered fan would work great cause it could suck in fresh air to keep things cool and with a filter on it the air would be clean as well.

 

[blueriver]

if I didn't have a window open I would overheat way before the tractor, lol. .

Maybe you can find a small roof mounted a/c unit ... wouldn't that elimate the window's open as well resolve the dust problem?

 

[corey9212]

Maybe you can find a small roof mounted a/c unit ... wouldn't that elimate the window's open as well resolve the dust problem?

It might as long as it was filtered, but I haven't heard of a 12 volt DC a/c unit, even the one for my RV requires 120 volt AC to operate

 

[blueriver]

It might as long as it was filtered, but I haven't heard of a 12 volt DC a/c unit, even the one for my RV requires 120 volt AC to operate

It was a thought ... http://www.swampy.net/golfcartairconditioner.html