Drain plug torque Bx2370?

chucky79 · Mar 3, 2015

i know i know, snug it up. I learned the hard way one time that its best to use a torque wrench on oil/differential bolts. Its time for my 50 hr service and would like to know if anyone knows the oil pan drain plug torque value and the hydrostatic drain plug torque value as well. Me and the dealer looked through the service manual for 20 minutes today and found every torque number under the sun but those two. The techs laughed at us and said you just snug it up. Im sure to a guy who does it day in and out thats fine but i just wanna know because well.....i do.

skyhook · Mar 4, 2015

Put your torque wrench on it before you take it off, set it at 10lbs and see if it "clicks",
keep going up in lbs until you find the setting its set at now.
When you remove it, torque it back at the same setting, which should be about "snug"....lol

dragoneggs · Mar 4, 2015

Good and snug is enough... no need to fret... or over tighten. Grease your zerks and change your fuel filter more often if you want to worry about something. Don't take me wrong here.

s219 · Mar 4, 2015

skyhook said:
Put your torque wrench on it before you take it off, set it at 10lbs and see if it "clicks",
keep going up in lbs until you find the setting its set at now.
When you remove it, torque it back at the same setting, which should be about "snug"....lol

I suspect that would give too high of a torque reading. Same problem can happen when tightening an existing bolt that has been snugged. There is usually a spike in the torque to get it started, which makes the initial reading a little bogus. You can see this on an old-school torque wrench with the beam and pointer, but it's almost impossible to register with a click-type wrench.

Back to the topic though -- I think it's way too easy to strip out the Kubota drain plugs. So I normally choke up on the wrench with my hand up around the socket, to minimize my leverage.

I'm also not a fan of re-using the crush washers. They get pretty deformed from the initial factory snugging, and you can see the visual damage. Once they are smashed, they don't have much more elasticity in them to seal and minimize stripping. I reused them at my 50 hour change, but plan to order new ones for the next service. A fresh crush washer will give gently when you get to the right "snug" point, which makes it easy to know when to stop.

I might see if I can get the stamped type of crush washers. I like those over the solid aluminum or copper ones, as they very obviously "crush" when you approach the final torque. You can feel them crush and then resist, which is when it's time to stop.

G31 · Mar 4, 2015

Do NOT overtighten the HST screen bolt. I tried to put it back as tight as it was to remove, and I snapped mine off. Thank goodness the threads survived, and it was loose enough to back out with a drill bit. The manual tells you torques based on the bolt size and head stamp. I think the 12mm bolt is ~50 ft lb. I noticed "snug" will eventaully walk it's way loose after a bit.

The only torque spec I could find was in the loader manual.

k0ua · Mar 4, 2015

Idon't know about the Kubota, but the Kioti plugs go into aluminum.. So just "snug" will do.. NO MORE.

chucky79 · Mar 4, 2015

50ft llbs on 12mm seems VERY excessive to me but who am i. I have a beam type wrench in shop so i used it to remove the factory tightened plugs just as a test. the oil pan broke free between 15 and 20ft lbs and the hyrdo train went between 45ft lbs and maybe 50lbs lbs. It was tight fit under there. When i put them back i did the "choke up on the wrench" approach and then went behind with my torque wrench and did the oil plug to 15ft lbs and the hyrdo plug to 40ft lbs. I was remarkably close with both and hand tight so ill probably just use these figures for the duration as they "felt" right. I also worried about the screen bold and choked up on a 1/4 ratchet when installing as to not break it off of strip. All in all not a bad night. I blew out my air filter but will probably go get a new one since its a year old even though only at 50hrs. I may do my fuel filters soon too just because. I also went and tightened up all my coolant clamps after warm as i think i may have lost some coolant over the summer to seepage. Put prob a turn on each clamp so that should do it. I did find some interesting stuff in my hydro fluid but i will start a new thread for that. Stop by and take a look and give me your opinions if you dont mind.

dragoneggs · Mar 5, 2015

s219 said:
Back to the topic though -- I think it's way too easy to strip out the Kubota drain plugs. So I normally choke up on the wrench with my hand up around the socket, to minimize my leverage.

I'm also not a fan of re-using the crush washers. They get pretty deformed from the initial factory snugging, and you can see the visual damage. Once they are smashed, they don't have much more elasticity in them to seal and minimize stripping. I reused them at my 50 hour change, but plan to order new ones for the next service. A fresh crush washer will give gently when you get to the right "snug" point, which makes it easy to know when to stop.

Exactly how I grip my socket wrench! :thumbsup:... and always a good idea to replace the washer if you can. Most of these type plugs don't have enough pressure behind them to worry about torque. If it does drip, give it another bit of turn and you are good. I never use torque wrenches on drain plugs... the last thing you want is a stripped, cracked, or broken plug.

BXman98 · Mar 5, 2015

try to put some thread lock on the oil drain pan plug threads, snug it in, then put in the new engine oil.

servmgr64 · Mar 5, 2015

In my shop we service about 60 cars a day & always replace the drain plug gasket & torque to 18 ft lbs. the manufacturers spec. When I service my BX2350 I replace the drain plug gasket & use a torque wrench set to 20 ft lbs. never comes loose & is not in so tight that you need a breaker bar to get it out.

varmint · Mar 5, 2015

Sorry, but I think if you can't tell what a "snug" tightening is, maybe you should leave the servicing to someone else. Or, use a 3/8 socket set, and a short ratchet handle, and you can't do too much harm; or just follow the good advice above. On a more reasonable note, I still have a selection of aircraft crush washers from the 50's... copper rolled around asbestos centers, so they crush very nicely, seal perfectly, and don't loosen. I have no idea if they still make them, but I wouldn't want to work in that factory.

chucky79 · Mar 5, 2015

oh I definitely know what "snug" is but ive learned all that is relative to the person. Snug with a 1/4 ratchet and snug with a 1/2 drive are totally different things. Ive learned in the past not to trust flunky dealer service shops. They tend to be over worked, under paid, and rush through the jobs. I've had bolts / parts left off, wrong fluid put different vehicles, and seen many a drain plug stripped at oil change centers. People don't pay as close attention to something when its not their own. That's why I do my own maintenance and repairs on everything I own from cars, to tractors, to my house if I am capable. Taking pride in your craft just doesn't exist like it did years ago.

varmint · Mar 5, 2015

Boy, are you right about a crappy work ethic being all too common. I had a skilled mechanical engineer friend, who ran a diesel engine test facility for Detroit Diesel Allison's heavy transmission dept., who would have anxiety attacks whenever he took a new car he owned into the dealer for warranty work- it was not if, but what, they would damage or screw up.
But I still maintain that you should be able to discern proper tightness of whatever size plug you are tightening into aluminum or iron... it ain't rocket science. Just tight enough it won't leak or fall out.

chucky79 · Mar 5, 2015

I hear YA man I just like to be thorough and if there were torque values available I was going to use them. Being that it appears kubota doesn't specify I'm not gonna stress to much. Especially after seeing how tight they were from factory doesn't seem likely I'll have issues doing it hand tight going forward.

dragoneggs · Mar 9, 2015

BXman98 said:
try to put some thread lock on the oil drain pan plug threads, snug it in, then put in the new engine oil.

Personally, I think putting on thread lock is overkill and DO NOT don't put Red Loctite on. Blue if you feel you must but as many have said... just snug it!

chucky79 · Mar 9, 2015

Yea, I may be ocd about torque values but no lock tight that's for sure.

G31 · Mar 10, 2015

The torque spec I saw was on the loader...ignore it. Mine is tight, but not like a gorilla put it on. However, the factory put it on like that. I had to really crank on it to break it loose! And yes, i turned it the correct way.

I just checked it...snugged up enough to prevent walk-out. I did hand tight with socket, then put it on a ratchet and turned a little more to reinstall.

Loctite 222 in the purple bottle is the only one I'd use. I have some 271 (red) and it takes a lot to break loose. I use it to install sights and picatinny rails on pistols and rifles only.

xzcVAbc5 · Apr 2, 2015

Use a standard length 14mm wrench for your oil pan drain bolt and I can't imagine you'll mess anything up. When I changed my oil on the BX I tightened it as much as I would on any car or truck I've ever changed oil on.