More pond damage shows up

[Gary Fowler]

A few month ago I posted about my daughter letting my Kubota RTV 900 get into the pond because she didn't set the park brake. Well today another item showed up. The starter just stopped working, started drove 50 yards and then it wouldn't start. Took it off and it was all rusted inside and had some water run out of the flywheel area.

A few days ago, my winch also quit working. I thought at the time it was the contactor switch. I now thing it might also be suffering from PDWD (post delayed water damage). I guess I will find out when I get all the parts to fix it.

BTW: called my local Kubota dealer for a starter. He didn't have one in stock and said 3-4 days to get one. I had alreadu searched online and could get one in 4-5 days with free shipping for $69 (add $8 for 2 -3 day delivery). Just for giggles I asked the dealer the cost and what a surprise. His quote was $225. I have replaced that starter 2 years ago when the OEM starter quit working just like this one so I know the ebay starter works just as well as the Kubota.

Had a similar incident with my carb on my lawnmower, online got one just like the OEM (same model numbers on the carb) for $29 including shipping. Over $200 for a OEM carb which is a ridiculous price for a small engine carb.

 

[skipperbrown]

Sorry to hear of your continuing issues. I know if a car is submerged above the axles and water gets inside the car, the insurance company will automatically total it due to experiences with ongoing issues. Did you consider making an insurance claim? It seems to fit the requirements of sudden loss.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Sorry to hear of your continuing issues. I know if a car is submerged above the axles and water gets inside the car, the insurance company will automatically total it due to experiences with ongoing issues. Did you consider making an insurance claim? It seems to fit the requirements of sudden loss.

I dont have a policy on it other than my homeowners and it has $1000 deductible. So far no where near that total cost for materials (my labor is free of course). Harbor Freight may get a call for a new winch.

 

[Diggin It]

Had a similar incident with my carb on my lawnmower, online got one just like the OEM (same model numbers on the carb) for $29 including shipping. Over $200 for a OEM carb which is a ridiculous price for a small engine carb.

Have a Husqy push mower with a Koehler XT6 that has been acting up, leaking fuel among other things. Decided to check on a carb. First prices I found from parts places were close to $60 with shipping. I only paid $200 for the mower in '11. For $60 for the carb alone, I figured I'd be just as far ahead to put a $99 Predator engine on it. Checked further and found a carb on the Bay for $15, shipping included. If I only get a year or two out of it, I'll still be ahead.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Gary, sadly - your troubles are just beginning. Having experience with my mower getting submerged during a storm not so long ago, I've found that you may as well begin preventative repair/maintenance on every part on your RT900. Every electrical connection, every metal joint, every control will need to be completely disassembled, cleaned, and lubed if appropriate. You'll find silt, mud, and corrosion either present or beginning.

On the upside, you can probably take your time in going completely through the RT900 and attacking the occasional problems as they show up. The electrical connections will be the most deceiving. They'll look perfectly fine, but then, you can't see inside of them. Even years from now, after you've cleaned and/or lubed every part possible, you'll find evidence of the UTV swimming ordeal. Some will not effect the operation, but many will.

If possible, the only fix I could recommend would be to clean up the RT 900, slap on some wheel shine and polish - and trade it off. In the long run, you'll be time and money ahead.

 

[Diggin It]

If possible, the only fix I could recommend would be to clean up the RT 900, slap on some wheel shine and polish - and trade it off. In the long run, you'll be time and money ahead.

Considering your first two paragraphs, the third seems a tad unethical.

 

[ultrarunner]

Riding mower was submerged for about a week

When I pulled it out I immediately drained fluids and set up a blower to ventilate... it’s been several years a no issues... did the fill and drain a second time after a mow

 

[Gary Fowler]

The RTV was only submerged for a few hours. I already had to replace the electrical starter switch due to the muddy water making it hang up in the glow plug heat position and replaced the fuel gauge which quit working immediately.
I drained, flushed and refilled all the fluids and changed all the filters on the engine and hydraulics.

Today I took apart the starter, cleaned it up and lubed it and it is working again. I was so amazed that it worked that I took off the winch, removed the motor (it was full of rusty water also) washed it out with clean water then bathed it in WD40, dried it with compressed air, then lubed it up and reassembled after polished up the armature and commutator. It worked great again.
A new starter is on the way, I have a new winch contactor (which I dont need right now) and a new control switch is coming so those parts will go in the spare bin to replace when they quit working again.
While I was in the mood, I replaced all the winch cable also since it had some frayed spots on about half of it.

The only other problematic thing that I need to address is the gear neutral switch on the transmission. It takes a little wiggling to find the position to activate it when starting. That has been happening long before the pond swim though. Probably have to get that from Kubota dealer for at least an arm if not a leg.

 

[Gary Fowler]

If possible, the only fix I could recommend would be to clean up the RT 900, slap on some wheel shine and polish - and trade it off. In the long run, you'll be time and money ahead.

I only has around 700 hours on it. I wont be getting rid of it in my lifetime unless motor and transmission both go out. Both seem to not have sustained any damage from that incident. It has been about 4 months now and no other issued other than the starter and winch since I first got it out of the water. The ignition switch and fuel gauge popped immediately but all the rest of it still work. Really isn't any thing else other than lights/light switch that isn't on the ignition switch as far as electrical

 

[Gem99ultra]

Considering your first two paragraphs, the third seems a tad unethical.

Perhaps. Or maybe its the standard thing to do - Used Car lots are full of examples in today's world.

 

[kthompson]

On a flooded car, not 100% sure but think that is at least regulated by law if not illegal. However ethics have much higher standard than does the law.

 

[Richard]

Gary: Sorry about your situation.

When I was probably age 10/12 ?? (been while!) My father bought me a Yamaha 60 CC minibike. We lived near woods but you had to cross the creek to get there.

Went riding one day, had rained and water was high. Engine stopped while I'm in creek, I dropped bike with water coming at me. Dragged bike out of water, took home and let sit for probably a year. Engine was totally siezed.

Over following winter, with hardly any tools (I'm talking I used plieres, screw driver and maybe a hammer.... My father had ZERO tools to speak of)

Anyway, I wrestled that thing out of the frame, onto a table in basement. Took entire thing apart. Diagnosed that it LOOKED like it needed "this thingamijig" or two...

Took me several months to get this done. Put things back together and it fired right up the first attempt, though I recall it taking a number of kicks to get the fuel through the system.

Ended up giving it to a neighbor friend who was several years younger than me.

(couple years later, I got another dirt bike.....but this time, it was a brand new Yamaha YZ-465, a bit of a jump from the 60 CC bike!)

I did all this from wits and trial/error. I didn't have a manual for anything at this age, no help from Dad.... was just me and my project.

Water isn't your friend, especially the longer you wait.

 

[buck12]

Years ago I helped my neighbor get his JD riding mower out of our shared lake. It was totally submerged (only the top of the seat back was visible) for at least 30 minutes. That mower is still cutting. He had to replace a starter soon after and deck spindles.

I would not stress too much. Fix the issues as they arise and keep going.

 

[EddieWalker]

Glad you got your starter issue worked out. Here in Tyler, there is a business that specializes in rebuilding starters and alternators, and also selling aftermarket replacements that are brand new. The starter on my New Holland backhoe was something like $600 at the dealer. The parts guy told me about this business and suggested I go there to have them rebuild my old one for a lot less then buying their new one. They owner of that business told me that it was a waste of money rebuilding that starter because its not very well built to begin with. For just under $200 he sold me a brand new Bosch starter that has worked perfectly.

 

[Gem99ultra]

On a flooded car, not 100% sure but think that is at least regulated by law if not illegal. However ethics have much higher standard than does the law.

I think you're right KThomson, about there being a 'law' disclosing if a car has been flooded. My brother unfortunately bought one in the past, but no disclosure. Perhaps there's a certain criteria on what constitutes 'flooded'? I have to wonder about all of those thousands of cars in Houston that got flooded during Hurricane Harvey. Brand new very expensive cars. If we only knew...

In addition to having to rebuild a mower that sat under water for a week from Tropical Storm Allison, I've had a pair of 70cc Honda's, ridden off into a creek near the kids favorite riding spot. Those I did not rebuild, or rather dismantle and clean. The results did not take all that long to appear.