Kubota L3540 Fluid change??

[hunt4570]

Ok, I have a Kubota L3540 HST with loader. Changed the trans/hydraulic fluid and filters today. Followed my manual to the letter, drained the system, R&R both filters, the book says it takes 11.1 gallons of fluid, I put in 10 gallons and the dipstick says I'm quite a bit overfilled. Let it run for a while (per book) before operating the tractor, still over full, went for a ride, raising and lowering the bucket and such and still overfilled. Why, and should I drain some fluid out?
Thanks.

 

[RjCorazza]

I never get 100% of the fluid drained. The OEM fluid capacity spec includes the fluid in the loader rams and hydraulic hoses, plus imagine getting all of the oil out of a very large irregularly shaped container.
Drain to the correct level and you're done!

 

[hunt4570]

I never get 100% of the fluid drained. The OEM fluid capacity spec includes the fluid in the loader rams and hydraulic hoses, plus imagine getting all of the oil out of a very large irregularly shaped container.
Drain to the correct level and you're done!

Thanks, I was afraid you were going to say that.

 

[RjCorazza]

Does your 40 series have a dipstick for the hydraulic fluid, or the sight glass? Reason I ask, is that the sight widows are notoriously difficult to accurately read.
On my previous L3410 I would take a final check of the sight glass level after the tractor sat unused on a level surface overnight.

 

[dstig1]

Grand L 40's have a dipstick in the rear Diff housing. If you have a simple hand pump, stick a tube down in there and pump some out to avoid the nightmare mess of pulling one of the drain plugs just to take out a couple quarts. If you don't perhaps a trip to an auto parts or farm/equipment store is in order to get a simple/cheap hand plunger pump.

 

[hunt4570]

Does your 40 series have a dipstick for the hydraulic fluid, or the sight glass? Reason I ask, is that the sight widows are notoriously difficult to accurately read.
On my previous L3410 I would take a final check of the sight glass level after the tractor sat unused on a level surface overnight.

It, as stated above, has a dipstick. My last one a 3010 had the window.

 

[hunt4570]

Grand L 40's have a dipstick in the rear Diff housing. If you have a simple hand pump, stick a tube down in there and pump some out to avoid the nightmare mess of pulling one of the drain plugs just to take out a couple quarts. If you don't perhaps a trip to an auto parts or farm/equipment store is in order to get a simple/cheap hand plunger pump.

I do have a suction pump I may try it, just afraid the volume is too much. I'll let you know, heading that way now.

 

[hunt4570]

Grand L 40's have a dipstick in the rear Diff housing. If you have a simple hand pump, stick a tube down in there and pump some out to avoid the nightmare mess of pulling one of the drain plugs just to take out a couple quarts. If you don't perhaps a trip to an auto parts or farm/equipment store is in order to get a simple/cheap hand plunger pump.

So I tried my suction gun, about the size of a grease gun, it would have taken me all day, maybe all week, so I pulled one of the rear plugs, oily hands but a done deal!

 

[hunt4570]

So kinda on the same line, yesterday I was in TSC , was thinking about one of those pumps to transfer my fluid from the 5 gallon bucket instead of muscling it in there, read the instructions and it said each pump equaled 3 ounces.... so 10 pumps per quart and I needed to put in 10 gallons.. talk about a no go!

 

[dstig1]

I have a small hand pump I used to fill mine on the 400 hr fluid change. It took a while as it does not pull much per stroke like you found, but the time actually goes pretty fast and I didn't have to balance those heavy 2.5gal containers over a funnel in the air...

Glad you got 'er dun

 

[hunt4570]

I have a small hand pump I used to fill mine on the 400 hr fluid change. It took a while as it does not pull much per stroke like you found, but the time actually goes pretty fast and I didn't have to balance those heavy 2.5gal containers over a funnel in the air...

Glad you got 'er dun

Yeah, I had to balance a 5 gallon bucket over the funnel!
And thanks.

 

[big bubba]

5 gal pail pump works great for volume

 

[hunt4570]

5 gal pail pump works great for volume

The 5 gal bucket pump I looked at delivered 3 oz per pump, for 10 gallons that's 1280 pumps, I don't think so!

 

[big bubba]

works great for my 15 gal hyd change. sure beats a small transfer pump or suction gun that really gets messy. i'm not afraid of repeated handwork as long as it limits contaminants & reduces the mess...
good luck on the change, regards

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/traveller-transfer-pump-for-5-gal-pail?cm_vc=-10005

 

[hunt4570]

works great for my 15 gal hyd change. sure beats a small transfer pump or suction gun that really gets messy. i'm not afraid of repeated handwork as long as it limits contaminants & reduces the mess...
good luck on the change, regards

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/traveller-transfer-pump-for-5-gal-pail?cm_vc=-10005

Yep, that's the exact one I was looking at, 3 oz a pump, no thanks.
I muscled those 5's up there and was done pouring in 10 minutes.

 

[big bubba]

Yep, that's the exact one I was looking at, 3 oz a pump, no thanks.
I muscled those 5's up there and was done pouring in 10 minutes.

here's another op for you, maybe out of your price range. saved me a lot of labor refueling. but it would work for hyd oil as well. will make quik work out of a 5 gal container, faster than my mr funnel can accomodate (@ full throttle) flow can be regulated @ nozzle trigger. best regards

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LXGMP92/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[hunt4570]

here's another op for you, maybe out of your price range. saved me a lot of labor refueling. but it would work for hyd oil as well. will make quik work out of a 5 gal container, faster than my mr funnel can accomodate (@ full throttle) flow can be regulated @ nozzle trigger. best regards

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LXGMP92/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Probably wouldn't use it enough to justify buying it.

 

[big bubba]

probably so, yours sounds like a small task. lots of gadgets out there, good luck on the change, regards

 

[LD1]

Late to the thread but Did you pull ALL the drain plugs? The kubotas I have had there are multiple for the hydraulic/trans fluid. There are the big ones under trans and/or rear end.....but you also have to pull two out of either axle.

In either case.....sometimes I over fill a bit.....if I raise the loader and dump the bucket (makes the loader consume the most fluid) and get back to within a good range then I know its not "that" overfilled and I leave it alone.

If yours is a HST and you use the appropriate kubota SUDT.....chalk it up to a lesson learned at nearly $30/gal for the oil

I just bought the two hydraulic filters, 2-buckets of SUDT, and an engine filter from the kubota dealer. (I use rotella T6 for the engine sourced elsewhere). That was ~$480. So with the rotella I'll have about $520 in this next service