oliver28472
Veteran Member
Duh... My mind was on the cutter.
MT160D
- Thread starter Capricious
- Start date
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OP
Capricious
Platinum Member
A busy Saturday; took my elderly father out for a light breakfast and then mowed their lawn (small suburban lawn). Then meet the wife at the place where we do volunteer work, and spent 3.5 hours there. Then came home and worked on the tractor.
As noted before, the tractor was missing the fuel filter bowl, bowl lock ring, O-ring seal and element, and the filter housing had been by-passed with a piece of steel tubing. I initially figured that someone had simply lost the bowl, but lately I have had a nagging feeling that maybe something else was going on with the filter. And there was. No fuel would flow through it.
The filter has a shut-off valve integral with the housing. Although the valve handle turns back and forth, the handle had broken loose from the valve barrel. Found that I could open the fuel valve by removing the handle and turning the barrel with a large regular screwdriver. If I can buy just the "innards" of the valve I will fix it; otherwise, I will live with it as-is, because in order to remove the filter housing the fuel tank has to be removed, and I am not going to go that deep into this machine at this time.
Anyway, drained the tank and installed the element & bowl, bleed the fuel lines & ran the engine for about 20 minutes to insure there were no issues.
Next i drained the hydraulic/trans oil (common sump) and removed the strainer that had casued me so much grief:
Note that someone had mistakenly filled the sump with a chocolate milkshake instead of the recommended fluid.
The hydr. strainer was a bit cruddy:
...but it cleaned-up nicely, and got a new O-ring seal:
Due to time spent trouble-shooting the fuel valve issue I did not have time to change the fluid in the front axle. Will need to do that.
Also want to change the gear oil in the rotary cutter:
The gearbox on the cutter has a plug on top for filling, and a plug on the side for checking the oil level, but I cannot find a plug on the bottom, either above or below the deck, for draining. But the nice thing about little 42 inch cutters is that it is not big deal to just remove the "check level" plug and turn the thing up on its side to drain the oil, and that is what i will do.
Also need to work on the PTO shaft, as there is no shear bolt. Both ends of the shaft use quick couplers, and the input shaft for the cutter gearbox is splined and grooved exactly like the PTO output shaft on the tractor. I will need to buy a universal joint yoke fitted with a shear bolt and install it on the driveshaft. About another $100.00 that I would rather not spend. I can't believe someone was running the thing without a shear bolt, but then I don't think the cutter has been used very much.
Also need to work on the new front bumper:
As noted before, the tractor was missing the fuel filter bowl, bowl lock ring, O-ring seal and element, and the filter housing had been by-passed with a piece of steel tubing. I initially figured that someone had simply lost the bowl, but lately I have had a nagging feeling that maybe something else was going on with the filter. And there was. No fuel would flow through it.
The filter has a shut-off valve integral with the housing. Although the valve handle turns back and forth, the handle had broken loose from the valve barrel. Found that I could open the fuel valve by removing the handle and turning the barrel with a large regular screwdriver. If I can buy just the "innards" of the valve I will fix it; otherwise, I will live with it as-is, because in order to remove the filter housing the fuel tank has to be removed, and I am not going to go that deep into this machine at this time.
Anyway, drained the tank and installed the element & bowl, bleed the fuel lines & ran the engine for about 20 minutes to insure there were no issues.
Next i drained the hydraulic/trans oil (common sump) and removed the strainer that had casued me so much grief:
Note that someone had mistakenly filled the sump with a chocolate milkshake instead of the recommended fluid.
The hydr. strainer was a bit cruddy:
...but it cleaned-up nicely, and got a new O-ring seal:
Due to time spent trouble-shooting the fuel valve issue I did not have time to change the fluid in the front axle. Will need to do that.
Also want to change the gear oil in the rotary cutter:
The gearbox on the cutter has a plug on top for filling, and a plug on the side for checking the oil level, but I cannot find a plug on the bottom, either above or below the deck, for draining. But the nice thing about little 42 inch cutters is that it is not big deal to just remove the "check level" plug and turn the thing up on its side to drain the oil, and that is what i will do.
Also need to work on the PTO shaft, as there is no shear bolt. Both ends of the shaft use quick couplers, and the input shaft for the cutter gearbox is splined and grooved exactly like the PTO output shaft on the tractor. I will need to buy a universal joint yoke fitted with a shear bolt and install it on the driveshaft. About another $100.00 that I would rather not spend. I can't believe someone was running the thing without a shear bolt, but then I don't think the cutter has been used very much.
Also need to work on the new front bumper:
techwrtr2
Platinum Member
Slip clutch on the PTO maybe instead of redoing your shaft?
It's one thing to bypass your filter to test the problem... and it's another to leave it that way. I removed the factory filter assy on my Beaver and repalced it with a generic, largely because I didn't want to wait for one ordered while I tried to work out other problems.
Before I tried tipping my mower deck on its side to drain fluid out of, I'd seek out a suction pump and draw it out that way instead.
It's one thing to bypass your filter to test the problem... and it's another to leave it that way. I removed the factory filter assy on my Beaver and repalced it with a generic, largely because I didn't want to wait for one ordered while I tried to work out other problems.
Before I tried tipping my mower deck on its side to drain fluid out of, I'd seek out a suction pump and draw it out that way instead.
oliver28472
Veteran Member
I had a similar issue with my fuel valve. I ordered a replacement handle from Valley Power. How did you get that bolt out of the strainer? As you probably know the oil had water in it. Good thing you were able to get that out.
OP
Capricious
Platinum Member
Well, I flipped her on the side and drained the cutter gearbox oil yesterday- oil looked good. Only issue was getting the thing back onto the little 4-wheel dolly I was using to roll it around. Had to jack it up onto jackstands. Still need to replace the oil in the front axle, but I'm out of containers for holding used oil.
Adding a slip clutch would be a good option, but would cost more than replacing one yoke on the shaft with a shear bolt yoke. This PTO shaft seems to me to be a lot heavier-duty than it needs to be. The bearing caps are 1 1/4 inch diameter.
OP
Capricious
Platinum Member
Ending up drilling the bolt. Had to cut-away part of the running board that extended into the rear fender well and was blocking straight-in access to the bolt. The same running board extends into the engine compartment and makes getting a filter wrench on the oil filter difficult. I just bent it out of the way there.
If I can get the parts for the valve, I will probably fix it. But I'm not going to replace the whole filter body- besides probably being expensive, I think the fuel tank needs to come out first.
Drained the old fuel out of the fuel tank and ran a small bit of fresh fuel through it as well, but did not flush as much as i would have liked as I am about at the limits of my slop oil capacity at the moment.
oliver28472
Veteran Member
Does your tractor have a screen in front of the radiator? One issue that you will probably encounter when bush hogging that much is overheating. Make sure you have all the radiator fins clear. Don't use a pressure washer for this, it will bend the fins. I would also recommend plumbing in a mechanical temp gauge where the idiot light is plumbed in. I built screens for both of mine out of quarter inch plywood and screen wire stapled to it.
OP
Capricious
Platinum Member
There is real light 'bug" screen in front of the radiator.
I was thinking i would like a temp. gauge. The idiot lights come on when you push the "test" button, but by the time they come on things are already heating up.
I am hoping the smaller cutter (42" instead of the 48" I was thinking i would end up with) will not load the tractor too much.
i try to do something on the tractor every day; Monday night i attacked the adjustable downlinks (turnbuckles). Both were rusted immoble. After a session of oiling and greasing and a lot of threading back & forth with a box-end wrench on the "ears" I have one which can be run up and down it's threads with the fingers. The toplink had much less serious issues but got that straightened out as well. Tuesday night's project will be the other downlink.
I hope to have this thing ready for the field in a couple of weeks, which is not to say that everything will be repaired. The ignition switch needs replaced- it works, but it is a two-hand job to start the tractor. But that is one of several things that will wait until I see just what this tractor will do before i spend the money on them.
oliver28472
Veteran Member
If you have a spare coping saw blade laying around, cut it in two and stick a piece in the switch beside the broken key and try to hook it and pull it out. If you can get it out, take the key to a Kubota dealer and tell them you need a key. Some Kubotas had the same key.
OP
Capricious
Platinum Member
The switch currently rotates because the end of the key is stuck in it. If i remove the end of the key, then the switch will not work. I do not have another key.
Also, the switch is loose in the panel, so i will probably have to remove the panel anyway, so i would rather just install a new switch while it is all apart. i can get a switch with the glow plug position for about 40 bucks or so. If i was willing to operate the glow plugs with a push-and-hold switch (instead of the key switch) I could probably get by cheaper, but then I would need a high amp push button switch in addition to a key switch, and the little bit of money saved would probably not be worth the extra hassle.
I would like a temp gauge, but would like to keep the idiot light as a back-up. I will have to poke around to see if there is an unused water jacket plug somewhere where a sending tube can be threaded in. Or maybe tap into a water line with a "T" or something.
Also, the switch is loose in the panel, so i will probably have to remove the panel anyway, so i would rather just install a new switch while it is all apart. i can get a switch with the glow plug position for about 40 bucks or so. If i was willing to operate the glow plugs with a push-and-hold switch (instead of the key switch) I could probably get by cheaper, but then I would need a high amp push button switch in addition to a key switch, and the little bit of money saved would probably not be worth the extra hassle.
I would like a temp gauge, but would like to keep the idiot light as a back-up. I will have to poke around to see if there is an unused water jacket plug somewhere where a sending tube can be threaded in. Or maybe tap into a water line with a "T" or something.
OP
Capricious
Platinum Member
Tuesday night: freed-up the other downlink. Was rusted up pretty bad. I hope that i have not damaged the downlinks as i had to wrench on both of them pretty bad to free them up.
My set-up is exactly as shown on this photo from Valley Power:
Satoh Parts
Except that if the downlinks are installed correctly in the photo, mine were installed upside down.
Each downlink has (4) pins holding all the pieces together. I was missing (2) pins which had been replaced by big rusty bolts. The remaining pins were locked in place with old nails and so forth. Rather thatn buy (2) new pins and all new cotter keys, I elected to just replace everything with new bolts. I figured that would be a bit cheaper, but it wasn't. I selected extra-long bolts so that the nuts would bottom on the threads, and there would be no threads in the load-bearing areas of the bolts (the extra length to be cut-off once everything is tightened-up.) I also placed washers under the heads and nuts, and used nylon locking nuts.
The geometry of this hitch seems a little different. From what i have seen most downlinks are usually vertical & parrallel. The downlinks on this hitch actually splay outward. In other words, the tops are closer together than the bottoms. That is why there are so many links/pieces to the set-up- to allow for this. With a sideways force on the downlinks i was concerned about the the pins being held in place by mere cotter pins/cotter keys. One of the clevis pieces, a flat bar weldment, was already a bit "spread" and if it were to spread a bit more i doubt a cotter key would have kept the pin in place. The bolts and nuts will certainly stay in place.
My set-up is exactly as shown on this photo from Valley Power:
Satoh Parts
Except that if the downlinks are installed correctly in the photo, mine were installed upside down.
Each downlink has (4) pins holding all the pieces together. I was missing (2) pins which had been replaced by big rusty bolts. The remaining pins were locked in place with old nails and so forth. Rather thatn buy (2) new pins and all new cotter keys, I elected to just replace everything with new bolts. I figured that would be a bit cheaper, but it wasn't. I selected extra-long bolts so that the nuts would bottom on the threads, and there would be no threads in the load-bearing areas of the bolts (the extra length to be cut-off once everything is tightened-up.) I also placed washers under the heads and nuts, and used nylon locking nuts.
The geometry of this hitch seems a little different. From what i have seen most downlinks are usually vertical & parrallel. The downlinks on this hitch actually splay outward. In other words, the tops are closer together than the bottoms. That is why there are so many links/pieces to the set-up- to allow for this. With a sideways force on the downlinks i was concerned about the the pins being held in place by mere cotter pins/cotter keys. One of the clevis pieces, a flat bar weldment, was already a bit "spread" and if it were to spread a bit more i doubt a cotter key would have kept the pin in place. The bolts and nuts will certainly stay in place.
PILOON
Super Star Member
"With a sideways force on the downlinks i was concerned about the the pins being held in place by mere cotter pins/cotter keys."
I well know that problem. Once snow blowing 1 mile down the road one of those pins fell off and got blown away.
Fortunately I had something in the toolbox to temporarily replace the pin. Since then I always carry a spare for every occasion.
An other thing that needs a safety is the 3-point turnbuckle barrels. I lost one somewhere in the snow and an original part was so pricy that I simply purchased a complete pair of generic adjusters for a fraction of the price. Mine are always now safety-ed with wire.
I well know that problem. Once snow blowing 1 mile down the road one of those pins fell off and got blown away.
Fortunately I had something in the toolbox to temporarily replace the pin. Since then I always carry a spare for every occasion.
An other thing that needs a safety is the 3-point turnbuckle barrels. I lost one somewhere in the snow and an original part was so pricy that I simply purchased a complete pair of generic adjusters for a fraction of the price. Mine are always now safety-ed with wire.
skylarkguy
Platinum Member
Sounds like you are getting there...
OP
Capricious
Platinum Member
"..I simply purchased a complete pair of generic adjusters for a fraction of the price..."
I thought about replacing the things, since mine are in such sad shape. I found some stuff like this...
Double HH 24182 Double Hh Mfg Lift Arm Lev Assembly
....but they looked to be a bit too long (although the bottoms maybe can be re-drilled to shorten them somewhat) plus I was concerning about having to bend them to take the proper angle, as the downlinks on the tractor do not hang straight down.
I thought about replacing the things, since mine are in such sad shape. I found some stuff like this...
Double HH 24182 Double Hh Mfg Lift Arm Lev Assembly
....but they looked to be a bit too long (although the bottoms maybe can be re-drilled to shorten them somewhat) plus I was concerning about having to bend them to take the proper angle, as the downlinks on the tractor do not hang straight down.
OP
Capricious
Platinum Member
Still need to change the front axle oil. And there are other things that need to be done, but I hope to hook-up the rotary cutter this weekend and see if the tractor will lift it and spin it. I don't have any heavy grass/brush to try it out on, but if the "dry run" looks good, I'll spring for the ignition switch and also a slip clutch for the PTO, and I'll start making plans to haul this thing down to the Missouri Ozarks and see if it really works.
skylarkguy
Platinum Member
Neat! Good luck. Btw. Where abouts in Missouri are you. I went to school at Truman state...but it was still NMSU then.
OP
Capricious
Platinum Member
Just outside of St. Louis. Went to school in Springfield, Mo, at what used to be called SMSU. But that was over 30 years ago. Yeh, I'm old enough to get the senior coffee @ McDonalds.
The place where this tractor will be used is just about 50 miles or so north of Springfield, or about 135 miles south by southeast of KC
OP
Capricious
Platinum Member
Got a lttle bit more done on the tractor today. Tightened-up all of the bolts that i had installed finger-tight in the 3 point linkages yesterday, and cut off the excess of each. Also tried to pack some grease into those ball joint thingies that take the pins of the impements. I use boat trailer wheel bearing grease on everything, so hopefully some of it will stay in place when it rains. Those balls hadn't seen grease in a long time. Also shot some oil into the holes that the newly-installed bolts are in.
I had mentioned many posts back that there were a couple of "spacers" missing, where the lower arms attach to a steel rod running crosswise under the differential. I cut a couple of 2 inch long sections of steel pipe and installed them in place of the missing spacers. You can see the left one in the photo below- I hit it with some silver spray paint so it would stand out from the rest of the rusty steel.
This is what the underside of the cutter looks like. Not too bad considering that this thing is at least 20 years old, and maybe closer to 30.
I had mentioned many posts back that there were a couple of "spacers" missing, where the lower arms attach to a steel rod running crosswise under the differential. I cut a couple of 2 inch long sections of steel pipe and installed them in place of the missing spacers. You can see the left one in the photo below- I hit it with some silver spray paint so it would stand out from the rest of the rusty steel.
This is what the underside of the cutter looks like. Not too bad considering that this thing is at least 20 years old, and maybe closer to 30.
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OP
Capricious
Platinum Member
Had to mow the lawn last night so did not have much time to spend on the tractor. I did play with the 3 point lift a bit.
As i understand it, this tractor has "position control." If I push the control lever for the hitch to any position within its arc of
movement, the hitch should position itself in a similar position within its arc of movement.
I noticed that if the control lever was in the full down position, and the hitch in the full down position, nothing much would happen if I raised the control lever until it reached about the half-way position, at which point the hitch would begin to raise. Once the control lever was in its highest position and the hitch had stopped raising, I could manually lift the lift arms several more inches. I decided that there must be some issue with the linkages as i could reach under the seat and pull on something and then the hitch would raise higher. There is a tie rod connecting the lift arms to some sort of hydraulic valve. It appeared to me that this tie rod needed adjusting, but there was no more "travel" available in the adjustment set-up. A few mintues poking around my cluttered garage yielded something that I could use as a "spacer" to gain a bit more adjustment in the tie rod, and once I installed that the hitch would raise up to its limits of travel and top-out the cylinder, loading the pump and slowing the engine. The control lever itself has an adjustable stop to limit its travel, and I reset the stop so that with the control lever at the highest setting the hitch would still have about (1) inch of free play before topping out.
This all seems to work now, but i'm going to have to mull over this whole system to try to determine why it needs more adjustment travel than the tie rod could supply. There is something not right somewhere.
As i understand it, this tractor has "position control." If I push the control lever for the hitch to any position within its arc of
movement, the hitch should position itself in a similar position within its arc of movement.
I noticed that if the control lever was in the full down position, and the hitch in the full down position, nothing much would happen if I raised the control lever until it reached about the half-way position, at which point the hitch would begin to raise. Once the control lever was in its highest position and the hitch had stopped raising, I could manually lift the lift arms several more inches. I decided that there must be some issue with the linkages as i could reach under the seat and pull on something and then the hitch would raise higher. There is a tie rod connecting the lift arms to some sort of hydraulic valve. It appeared to me that this tie rod needed adjusting, but there was no more "travel" available in the adjustment set-up. A few mintues poking around my cluttered garage yielded something that I could use as a "spacer" to gain a bit more adjustment in the tie rod, and once I installed that the hitch would raise up to its limits of travel and top-out the cylinder, loading the pump and slowing the engine. The control lever itself has an adjustable stop to limit its travel, and I reset the stop so that with the control lever at the highest setting the hitch would still have about (1) inch of free play before topping out.
This all seems to work now, but i'm going to have to mull over this whole system to try to determine why it needs more adjustment travel than the tie rod could supply. There is something not right somewhere.
OP
Capricious
Platinum Member
Scalped my lawn
