Kubota B2630 flipped on the left side

[TrellBuilt]

Hey guys,

We have a Kubota B2630 that flipped in on the left side an hour ago. Got it uprighted in about 30 mins and it was hard to crank. We did get it to crank with a lot of white smoke from the exhaust. Let it run for a few mins and the smoke cleared and everything seems to be fine. We have a small hill to the house and as I started uphill it started to smoke again from the exhaust but stopped smoking when I got off the hill. I parked it at a place where I can work on it if needed and I am a little worried that maybe something bad happened.
Let me know what you guys think and if I need to start tearing it down to check things.

The good things are
I didn't get hurt but the mental stress of a big repair bill and the horror of seeing your loved tractor on its side like a dead cockroach is almost too much pain to bear.
I didn't break my phone, hate buying overpriced phones.
I didn't break the new post hole digger
No one else seen me flip it but the wife and she will not tell anyone we know. Little embarrassed.
Thanks for the help
Trell

 

[Citydude]

Well, that's unfortunate. Usually it's best to let the machine set overnight to let the crankcase oil leak out of the cylinder or cylinders after tipping it over. Getting it upright in 30 minutes is a crap shoot on how much oil was in the cylinder or cylinders. If it sounded good to you when it started you might be good. But, I'm far from a specialist on the subject.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Were you able to turn off the ignition as soon as it rolled? If so, maybe not too much oil in the cylinders. As Citydude said, usually wait 24 hours before starting to avoid a hydrolocked cylinder. Being that you were able to start it, and it seemed to run ok, you may have dodged a bullet!

Start it up tomorrow, let it idle for a bit, then slowly throttle up. Listen for any sound that is different.... if you hear any abnormalities, shut it down.

Please report back with your findings.

 

[hornett22]

It should be fine. Let it sit a few hours to drain back down.

 

[ruffdog]

This is what the pros do to prevent hydrolock and a big repair bill. Who wants slightly bent rods?

 

[dodge man]

Diesels are very high compression. There isn’t a lot of room for fluid between the piston and head. The problem is fuel and/or oil can get up in a piston while it on it side. You crank the engine and wham, you have a bent rod. Tge best thing is to pull the glow plugs, injectors or turn it over by hand. I’m not saying you bent a rod, everything may be fine.

 

[ljjhouser]

Waiting to see if you came out ok. Don't be too embarrassed. Just please learn from what happened and how to avoid it. I knew a guy who was mowing acreage with cruise control and fell asleep - ran over a 6' wall. And did not even get hurt. Had insurance and dealer replaced the tractor.

 

[Str8 6]

Probably had some oil in the exhaust and during the hill climb it got hot enough to start smoking it off. Same thing happens after we replace a turbo that pumped oil into the exhaust, the more load you put on it the more it smokes until all the oil is gone.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Glad no one was hurt.

The rest can be replaced, if needed.

You've already started it and ran it. If you were going to bend a rod, it would already be bent.

Start it up and drive it around today. If it runs ok, you are twice blessed.

 

[TrellBuilt]

Update…. We started it up a few times and seems to run fine. No Weird Noises and stopped smoking when climbing the hill so that is good. Will go back to work with the tractor this evening and will update everyone if something breaks.
Thanks for everyones help
Trell

 

[Thomas]

Glad issue has improve,good time change oil and filter.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

That's good news! Keep a close ear on the sounds, hopefully all is good!

 

[crashz]

Glad you are OK! Now that the initial shock is wearing off, go check the fluids. Might have leaked a little out.

 

[Billrog]

Check and wash around battery.

 

[M59]

Hey guys,

We have a Kubota B2630 that flipped in on the left side an hour ago. Got it uprighted in about 30 mins and it was hard to crank. We did get it to crank with a lot of white smoke from the exhaust. Let it run for a few mins and the smoke cleared and everything seems to be fine. We have a small hill to the house and as I started uphill it started to smoke again from the exhaust but stopped smoking when I got off the hill. I parked it at a place where I can work on it if needed and I am a little worried that maybe something bad happened.
Let me know what you guys think and if I need to start tearing it down to check things.

The good things are
I didn't get hurt but the mental stress of a big repair bill and the horror of seeing your loved tractor on its side like a dead cockroach is almost too much pain to bear.
I didn't break my phone, hate buying overpriced phones.
I didn't break the new post hole digger
No one else seen me flip it but the wife and she will not tell anyone we know. Little embarrassed.
Thanks for the help
Trell

TrellBuilt,

Good to hear you walked away unhurt and from responses that your tractor is probably undamaged.

I am curious, if you don't mind my asking, how did the tractor get over on its side when land looks pretty level?

 

[Henro]

TrellBuilt,

Good to hear you walked away unhurt and from responses that your tractor is probably undamaged.

I am curious, if you don't mind my asking, how did the tractor get over on its side when land looks pretty level?

Loader looks like it is pretty high. Adds to the tip over possibility.

Sounds like the OP got lucky as far as possible engine damage goes. I did too, ten years or so ago.

The issue with hydrolocking is more related to the PCV tubing, than leakage past piston rings, as I came to understand later.

What happens is crankcase oil can follow the PCV tubing and find its way into the cylinders, (whichever have a valve open) and when you turn the engine over, you can hydrolock, and bend a connecting rod, even if the engine does not start, just from the power of the starter motor.

Message is, if you tip your tractor over, take the glow plugs or injectors out, and turn the engine over to expel any oil that might have gotten into the cylinders. IF you do not do this, you might get lucky, or you might cause engine damage. Sounds like both the OP and I got lucky. I know I did.

Should I tip my tractor over again, which is HIGHLY unlikely I think, I will NOT take the chance and try to start it without ensuring that there is no oil in the cylinders.

 

[ruffdog]

A bent rod will mean that cylinder has lower compression so it will smoke a bit. I hope you got lucky!

 

[j13smiley]

What caused it to tip? I assume you had seatbelt on?

 

[SmallChange]

Just a point of curiosity: I've heard that, about getting oil above the piston and then cranking and bending or breaking something, especially bending a rod. What I'm curious about is how a starting motor creates enough torque to bend a rod. I mean, the rod's straight, a casting with a ribbed cross section and not all that long, and it's designed to handle millions of loadings caused by the explosion of hot air fuel mixture. It ought to take a huge amount of torque to bend it by compressing its length, way more than the torque required for the compression stroke. And when cranking the engine, it's turning relatively slowly, so not a lot of inertia. Why in the world are starting motors so over designed that they could bend a rod???

 

[ruffdog]

Just a point of curiosity: I've heard that, about getting oil above the piston and then cranking and bending or breaking something, especially bending a rod. What I'm curious about is how a starting motor creates enough torque to bend a rod. I mean, the rod's straight, a casting with a ribbed cross section and not all that long, and it's designed to handle millions of loadings caused by the explosion of hot air fuel mixture. It ought to take a huge amount of torque to bend it by compressing its length, way more than the torque required for the compression stroke. And when cranking the engine, it's turning relatively slowly, so not a lot of inertia. Why in the world are starting motors so over designed that they could bend a rod???

It's not just the power of the starter motor. It is the power of the rotating mass and the inertia it has, and how it is amplified by the mechanical advantage being multiplied at near top dead center. If you instantly stop the piston just before TDC, the crankshaft still may roll through if the rod slightly bends. Now, what if the previous cylinder ignites adding even more rotating mass speed to the equation? A person may not realize hydro lock just bent a rod.