The B2650 count down has begun!

[check]

Rock, are you going to bolt that tooth bar in? It looks like it has tabs for bolting. Enjoy. Jon

Of course he is. He's real smart - look at the tractor he ordered!

 

[Rock Crawler]

Yes, it's bolted on, set tightly back. I have an actually tooth bar as well (from my buddies skid steer) that I'm going to shorten to for my little bucket and then I'll make brackets that fit the same bolt holes from the Piranha.

 

[Dan33Klein]

Got the tiller centered and some pierces straightened.
Just needs to be sandblasted and painted.

 

[Rock Crawler]

Well guys, yesterday I was at 48.7 hours, so I pulled the tractor into the shop and did a 100% fluids/filters change for the 50 hour service.

I started with draining engine oil from both oil pan sumps, replaced the engine filter and re-filled with Kubota recommended oil. Wrote the date and hours on the oil filter. I believe it was a 18mm socket for the 2 sump bolts.

Next, I drained the front axle, the drain plugs are on each outer/lower/rear side of the portal axle, it is actually not a metric bolt. It is a 9/16" socket or wrench to fit this. You'll need almost 4 quarts to re-fill. You fill, then go do something else and re-check it in 15 min or so and add more. It is claimed as 3.7 quarts.

Then I moved to the fuel filter. Pinch the fuel line (it has a steel spring like covering, pull the spring back and pinch with vice grips or line clamp), the plastic body unscrews by hand and you have to use a seal pick or similar to reach into the center of the filter and force it up and out. It is in tight, and it can not be spun. Just work at it, it will slowly walk up and out. Replace the filter and drop 2 new O-rings on, then screw the clear housing back onto the base. Un-clamp your fuel line and you are all set.

Next, go underneath with 2 large pans and loosen the 2 HST (suction and pressure) filters and let them drain, you will not get much fluid out yet, but do this and then hand snug them up. Then at the low point of the rear axle you will find two "lobes" that wrap around your draw bar bracket. On the outside of each lobe is a single 10mm drain bolt. Crack one loose and fill the pan and do a quick drain pan swap. Your expecting 4.5 gallons. Once you get the one done, you just have a half gallon or so in the other lobe, so remove that 10mm and get that drained.

Now lube the rubber seals on your new filters, write the date/hours on them, and install them snug. Make sure you replaced the 10mm drain bolts and then grab your funnel and fill the rear axle with fresh love.

Pull your outer air filter and blow it from inside to outside to blow out any debris, mine was still essentially like new.

Pull your radiator screen up and inspect, blow the screen and radiator clean if you have accumulated and debris. Mine was still clean and new looking so no air blowing for me this time.

Lay under the machine and inspect, look at bolts for obvious signs of movement such as cracked or displaced paint. Look for any indications of fluid leaks at casting mating surfaces. Look at everything, this is a great time to perform a slow visual inspection of any indicators that you can get in front of.

Toss your torque wrench on the wheel lug nuts and click it off on each one. None should move. But check.

Grab a 1/2" ratchet and some sockets and go give a pull on your loader/backhoe sub frame bolts. Again, none should move, but you may find some that do. Mine were all good and screamed tight.

Save the receipt for the fluids and filters (around $225 in 2018) for everything you just did. Write the date and engine hours on that invoice and save it or scan it to your Google drive.

This will take maybe 2 hours, 3 hours if you poke around a lot like I did. Now your new Kubota is off to a great start! And you have 150 hours to go before you repeat the entire procedure again. After that 200 hours, I will fall back to the recommended service schedule where 100% changes are not required that often. But the 50 hour and the 200 hour deserve to get the full gauntlet!

 

[Rock Crawler]

Oh, side note. I put a gauge on the loader line and checked pressure. I was reading low at around 2175 PSIG compared to the WSM range of 2425-2475 PSIG. So I used the Kubota shims (from the BXPanded kit) and shimmed it up to 2525 PSIG. I have not used the loader since, but I suspect that 350 PSI increase may make a noticeable change in loader performance. I know that the way it was (no shims behind that spring), you would stall the loader and never pull a rear wheel off of the ground. So the loader was not strong enough in lifting or curling to get a rear wheel (loaded tires) to lift. From my experience with my little BX, you should be able to at least get a tire to lift a slight amount under full strain. I'm expecting that now I may be able to get that.

 

[rkidd]

Oh, side note. I put a gauge on the loader line and checked pressure. I was reading low at around 2175 PSIG compared to the WSM range of 2425-2475 PSIG. So I used the Kubota shims (from the BXPanded kit) and shimmed it up to 2525 PSIG. I have not used the loader since, but I suspect that 350 PSI increase may make a noticeable change in loader performance. I know that the way it was (no shims behind that spring), you would stall the loader and never pull a rear wheel off of the ground. So the loader was not strong enough in lifting or curling to get a rear wheel (loaded tires) to lift. From my experience with my little BX, you should be able to at least get a tire to lift a slight amount under full strain. I'm expecting that now I may be able to get that.

You will notice the difference on the hydraulics. Mine was about 200psi low, shimmed it up to 2450psi, and could tell the difference for sure.

 

[Rock Crawler]

You will notice the difference on the hydraulics. Mine was about 200psi low, shimmed it up to 2450psi, and could tell the difference for sure.

I always suspected that the pressure was lower than should be, but I decided that I would not even take a peak at it until I had the 50 hour service point in front of me. I kind of chalked it up to break in pressure, leave the pressure low and during the 50 hour service job, take a look and adjust as needed. I was tempted to jack the pressure to the common +10% (2475 + 250 = 2725 PSI) but I shoved 3 thin washers behind the spring, tested it and saw that I was just a hair over the max factory recommended pressure and thought... what the heck, I'll leave it go at that. I could always go up again a bit if I need to, but I really hope that everything feels "matched" at this moderate pressure setting. I think I'll be fine as is.

 

[rkidd]

I always suspected that the pressure was lower than should be, but I decided that I would not even take a peak at it until I had the 50 hour service point in front of me. I kind of chalked it up to break in pressure, leave the pressure low and during the 50 hour service job, take a look and adjust as needed. I was tempted to jack the pressure to the common +10% (2475 + 250 = 2725 PSI) but I shoved 3 thin washers behind the spring, tested it and saw that I was just a hair over the max factory recommended pressure and thought... what the heck, I'll leave it go at that. I could always go up again a bit if I need to, but I really hope that everything feels "matched" at this moderate pressure setting. I think I'll be fine as is.

For sure. Mine is very good set at 2450psi

 

[Danewguy]

Man, I just want to thank you for all your updates. I just took delivery of mine, which I set up exactly like yours, just a few days ago.

It's my very first tractor ever and your posts have been invaluable to me every step of the way, from original research to use and now upkeep!

 

[Rock Crawler]

Man, I just want to thank you for all your updates. I just took delivery of mine, which I set up exactly like yours, just a few days ago.

It's my very first tractor ever and your posts have been invaluable to me every step of the way, from original research to use and now upkeep!

Super awesome to hear! I hope you love your B2650 half as much as I do mine!