L2500 Popping Noise in 4WD

[steve10391]

I pulled my wifes car out of the garage and brought the Kubota in for a job I have been dreading. About a month ago I was pushing some brush and I heard a popping sound from somewhere. I reached down and put in 2WD and the noise went away. Well you can imagine the thoughts going thru my beany little brain. I had visions of stripped gears and metal parts floating around in gear oil and possibly thousands to fix it. I posted previously looking for a parts breakdown for my tractor and several memebers were kind enough to send me links to the books I needed. After studying the power flow to front wheels I decided to tackle it myself. After a couple of hours I was able to get the front axle off myself with a good floor jack and regular hand tools. It was a little bit of a wrestling match there for a while but I managed to get it on the floor in one piece. Before I removed the front drive system I raised the front wheels off the ground with the FEL. I put it in 4WD and roatated the axle so one wheel was touching the ground. I roatated the other wheel back and forth and I could hear and feel it slipping. It was definetly coming from the front. That eliminated the the drive parts in the transmission where the driveshaft transfers power from the rear to the front drive system. I got lucky this time, it was stripped coupler. There is a coupler at the rear where it comes out of the trans then the driveshaft then another coupler to connect the driveshaft to the front input gear shaft. The front coupler was the culprit. I will be on the phone Monday morning trying to scrounge up some parts. Might be hard to see in the picture but I am not real comfortable with the condition of the front input shaft. You can also see that the coupler is completely stripped. Anyone have any thoughts or experience with a situation like this?

 

[carpenter383]

I rebuild automatic transmissions here and there on the side. Sometimes the splines on a stator support look like your front input shaft and I always replace them. Those worn splines mean alot of "slop" And a new coupler my not last very long if it's mated to that. If it's not real hard to replace the coupler, then you might save the money for a new input shaft and get by for a while, but that's for you to decide. Are the other splines/ coupler worn too?........It's hard to see the tag in the pic, but how much wieght are those jack stands rated for? LOL I'm not really one to talk cause I've been know to do that type of stuff myself, but BE CAREFULL

 

[steve10391]

Now dont be making fun of my jack stands. They are rated for 10 lbs less than tractor weighs and dont worry I plan on having my buddy crawl under there when we put it back together so I will be careful. LOL Well I do have the FEL for a backup. The other splines and couplers look good. Now about the the worn splines. It appears to be the pinion gear shaft and it is sold as a set with the ring and pinion. Afraid to even guess the cost of that. I think I will try the coupler and use the 4WD only as needed. I have owned this L2500 for 10 years and I dont think I ever drove it in 2WD much. A little concrete here and some blacktop there took its toll over the years. My little Kubota doesnt owe me a dime. I have ask it many times to go above and beyond the call of duty.

 

[KennyV]

Steve...
When you reassemble that spline on the new collar use Loctite (Formula 660), Quick Metal.
I have used it in some extreme places. (On the final drive of my Cat crawler and also on my Cat motor grader.) The stuff is amazing and will definitely fill and repair worn areas. If I had not used it myself I would have never believed it could work. Stayed together for many years and is still working. KennyV.

 

[carpenter383]

Steve...
When you reassemble that spline on the new collar use Loctite (Formula 660), Quick Metal.
I have used it in some extreme places. (On the final drive of my Cat crawler and also on my Cat motor grader.) The stuff is amazing and will definitely fill and repair worn areas. If I had not used it myself I would have never believed it could work. Stayed together for many years and is still working. KennyV.

I like this idea, I wonder though could it be taken back apart? Is that stuff something like JB weld?

 

[KennyV]

Parts will come apart for later dis-assembly, this is not like thread sealer or locker. The stuff is a little expensive but is very amazing. KennyV.

 

[Harvest Moon]

Now dont be making fun of my jack stands.

Don't mind me, I'm not the safety police but I have personally witnessed a concrete block, hollow 8", collapse under the weight of a little farmall cub. I guess it didn't look that little when it was falling. No one got hurt, could have been killed, was a stupid thing to do in hindsight, 8" hollow block...

Wasn't my idea, I was only 12.

Good luck with your repair.

 

[638]

Don't use any kind of 'Lock-tight' on those splines, use grease. They have to slide in and out as the front axle pivots.

 

[steve10391]

Thanks KennyV I will check that out. The splines are not real bad but they are not like new either. I think I will give that 660 a try. There are 3 other places it can slide a little back and forth as needed. Oh yea I forgot to mention I have the OSHA approved solid concrete blocks. I want my friend to be safe while he is under there. LOL

 

[sandman2234]

Not much help with the front end, as the only one I have taken apart was on a Ford 1100.
The front end loader is probably holding most of the weight of the tractor, and the blocks are probably just there as insurance, and to get some of our blood pressure up.
You might consider what your friends widow is going to tell her attorney about you if somebody drops something on a hydraulic fitting (or wrench slips and hits fitting?)and breaks it off while your working under that tractor. Hydraulic pressure suddenly released, causing the front end loader to collapse, allowing full tractor weight on the blocks, in a shock load, causing failure of the blocks, which weren't really supposed to be supporting any realistic amount of weight anyway, collapsing and killing your friend. Not a good day for anybody, except maybe the attorney...
Get a cheap pair of jackstands at least, (or good pair of jackstands)! Your friend might even chip in and help pay for them, just to keep his wife from collecting his insurance money!
David from jax