I drove Kubota with about 1 pint of engine oil for 30 feet

[Industrial Toys]

Diesels like their high capacity sumps for cooling.

Without load and at low rpm for a short time, I am guessing if the pump was still getting oil, no harm done.

Working on womething a while ago with a buddy, my lady friend chimed in, that "maybe the rad was flooded". You know, she was right!

 

[4570Man]

Diesels like their high capacity sumps for cooling.

Without load and at low rpm for a short time, I am guessing if the pump was still getting oil, no harm done.

Working on womething a while ago with a buddy, my lady friend chimed in, that "maybe the rad was flooded". You know, she was right!

I doubt the pump was touching the pint of oil. Even if it was the oil filter would quickly swallow that small amount. It does appear that she avoided catastrophic damage.

 

[4570Man]

View attachment 573013View attachment 573014He was mad because I ran the tractor with almost no oil in it.

So I drained the oil this morning and strained with sock and put the oil back in. I found nothing in the sock. On the bottom of oil drip pan (I used clean 6 quarts container), all I found are these. They look like paint flakes. When I squeezed with my fingers they broke into smaller pieces. I don’t it’s sharp enough or thick enough to cause any damage. At least so I hope. What do you think?

And why the oil is dark already? Is it normal for diesel engine? Or was it because some of the old oil still left and gotView attachment 573013View attachment 573014 mixed in? Should I replace the filter?

Maybe if you feel like cutting it open like Rob suggested. Otherwise I’d leave it alone.

 

[void777]

Evitin

A trick i learned to find metal shards in oil place an earth magnet in the drain pan.

 

[ruffdog]

Most initial bearing material would be nonferrous metal and would not stick to a magnet. I would just run it and just keep a keen eye and ear to strange stuff happening. After a while, then I would change oil and cut the filter and look for metal just to confirm what is going on.

 

[Industrial Toys]

If it was me. Nothing would sound right. Like when you get a machine back from a friend. lol

 

[ruffdog]

If it was me. Nothing would sound right. Like when you get a machine back from a friend. lol

Yep....exactly! That is the big thing to overcome.

 

[rgr33]

For my own piece of mind, I would immediately change oil and filter. Straining through a sock isn’t the best way to go about it, I would rather see a strong magnet swirled around the drain pan containing the oil.

New oil and filter is cheap, compared to the risk of further damaging the motor.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I re-read the op to see if the hours were mentioned. 250 and she doesn't think the filter (and oil?) have ever been changed.

Does Kubota not use break-in oil? Just curious. Funny, I always assumed that oil was higher quality, and it's not, being designed to wear-in parts.

 

[Evitin]

It appears that your engine has faired well.

If you had not changed the filter previously, Now would be a good time.

Diesels make sooty black oil, and that soot sticks inside. darkening fresh oil immediately. Even just that little bit that doesn't drain out holds a lot of "lamp black" ;-) If the filter was not changed, there is a good amount of blackness in there as well.

I think your "low oil level damage possibilities" concerns can be put aside. "Just don't do that regularly" ;-)

Well, I definitely learned something. Thank you. I changed the oil filter at the same time I changed the oil (yesterday) and then made this mess. I don't want to spend money again buying filter but I guess that's cheap insurance.