Oil & Fuel L3240 Greasing Front Axle Support, breather cap removal

[ruralNearDallas]

I want to maintain my front axle support like the Kubota engineer intended.

Looking at the attached pictures of the instruction manual, you can see I am supposed to remove the breather cap in order to get the grease in. I think it is important to get the air out to let the grease in, but also to prevent blowing a seal or o-ring.

I can't get the breather cap off. See the attached pictures showing the breather cap. It is threaded (I am almost sure) with a square head. It seems to be soft. When I try with a wrench or vise grips, it seems to be starting to round off.

I called dealer, but he just did not see the need to remove. He even said too much grease would come out the zerk, but how would it get past the check ball.

I hope someone can help with how they did, or would get it off.

 

[arsenix2001]

Your best bet would be cresent jaw shaped vise grips at this point, i see you have used vise grips, but are you making them tight, like needing to pop a vein with both hands to get them to latch so hard you need another pair of plyers just to squeeze the release tab to get them off?

 

[Johnbro]

Well, the grease won't come out the zerk while the grease gun is shooting it in, that's for sure. I'd be pretty concerned if my dealer told me something as idiotic as that. You definitely need to remove the old breather cap--but before you do, get a new one from the parts dept; don't put the buggered up one back on!

 

[PHILIP8N]

My plug came out easily with the appropriate sized 8 point socket or open end wrench. Find a way to get it out and replace with new as suggested. If you do not like the square head, replace with hex head. One thing that has always concerned me is the zerk directly behind this one, there is no breather cap to remove and I never feel like I get enough in this one. Philip.

 

[kevinj]

My plug came out easily with the appropriate sized 8 point socket or open end wrench. Find a way to get it out and replace with new as suggested. If you do not like the square head, replace with hex head. One thing that has always concerned me is the zerk directly behind this one, there is no breather cap to remove and I never feel like I get enough in this one. Philip.

The key is the proper tool!!! An 8 point socket is the correct tool in this case. The plug is just a simple pipe plug.

 

[canoetrpr]

I had this problem on my L3400 the first time I greased the axle as well.

I bought a teeny tiny pipe wrench - smallest I could find at Princess Auto (equivalent of Harbor Freight) - a suggested by another TBN member. Bought a new one from the dealer. Undoubtedly the old one had been put on too tight (in my case by me on a previous service!). In your case, perhaps by the dealer or whomever else assembled it.

Full disclosure here - I have not been removing it when greasing since then. I tend to do one squirt of grease in there. Really I should stop being lazy and remove it as recommended.

 

[ruralNearDallas]

Everybody,

Thank you so much for your replies and information. All of it was very helpful.

I managed to get it out, and greased and replaced.

I also greased the other fitting as someone suggested. I, too, wonder where the grease goes when it gets full.

 

[beppington]

I also found that an 8-pt socket (can't remember which size now) fits the Kubota OEM breather plug.

I removed mine & greased both zerks.

I also found that when I re-installed the breather plug, new grease actually squirted out of the zerk on the opposite side (right side of the tractor, when seated) ... Apparently I had it full!

I also wonder about the zerk to the rear on the left side - Where is its breather hole, or do the two zerks go to the same chamber, so that the one breather hole is all that's needed?