This was somewhat odd?

[gwstang]

Like some of you, My L2501, that I purchased this past April, Has approached 50 hours so I ordered the Kubota kit from Messicks and they came yesterday. So, I did the engine oil/filter change and the manual says 5.7 L (6.0 quarts) quarts. So I measured out 6 quarts, used the new Rotella T-6 (comes in a 2.5 gallon container) and did the hydraulic filter (makes a big mess as it gushes out...lol), fuel filter and air filter. I started 'er up and ran it for a few minutes and then shut down. I waited about thirty minutes and checked the engine oil level...it was about a quart too high on the dip stick. Say what? I had let the old oil drain for a good half hour. I proceeded to drain out exactly one quart into an empty quart oil container. That put it right on the full mark. I am wondering if this is one of those "boo-boo's" that made it into the manual for my engine? Seems I read about some of the translations into English being off somewhat? I measured very carefully to get the correct 6.0 quarts, so this baffles me. :confused2:

 

[k0ua]

Like some of you, My L2501, that I purchased this past April, Has approached 50 hours so I ordered the Kubota kit from Messicks and they came yesterday. So, I did the engine oil/filter change and the manual says 5.7 L (6.0 quarts) quarts. So I measured out 6 quarts, used the new Rotella T-6 (comes in a 2.5 gallon container) and did the hydraulic filter (makes a big mess as it gushes out...lol), fuel filter and air filter. I started 'er up and ran it for a few minutes and then shut down. I waited about thirty minutes and checked the engine oil level...it was about a quart too high on the dip stick. Say what? I had let the old oil drain for a good half hour. I proceeded to drain out exactly one quart into an empty quart oil container. That put it right on the full mark. I am wondering if this is one of those "boo-boo's" that made it into the manual for my engine? Seems I read about some of the translations into English being off somewhat? I measured very carefully to get the correct 6.0 quarts, so this baffles me. :confused2:

No, not a misprint.. here is the deal, the 6 quarts are for a new dry engine. Not your used engine. Did 6 quarts of oil come out of your engine? No it did not. I would not measure out oil, I just pour some less than the called for amount in. I would pour about a gallon in, and start checking the dip stick. Keep pouring until dipstick reads full.

Run engine. Let is sit. check oil level It should be a little low because of the amount going into the new filter. top off and be done. All of the old oil, never comes out. It doesnt matter if you let it drain all day. There is oil trapped in the engine. I suppose if you measured the amount of oil that came out, and put that amount back in, then that strategy would work.

You will run into this same problem with the transmission and the front differential also. The amounts listed to fill the cavities are for dry, never had any oil in them cavities.

 

[oosik]

The first time I did the engine oil & hydraulic oil changes I noticed that both took more than listed in my Op manual. The engine oil needed an additional half quart and the transmission need an additional two quarts. I would guess that the capacities, in the manual, are based upon engineering estimates from design drawings and not actual field observations.

Strange - I would have expected the same situation as James indicated - a little less, not a little more.

I've made a note of the amounts in my Op manual and in successive years the engine has consistently needed the added half quart. I've not reached the hours to change the hydraulic/tranny fluid for a second time yet.

 

[newbury]

When doing a first time fluid replacement it's probably best to drain, measure, refill the amount drained.
I just got bit by this with my F350 tranny. Everything I read said X quarts. I put X in and had to drain about 1 quart out.

 

[LD1]

Not sure on the L2501, but my kubota has TWO engine drain plugs. Does yours and did you remove both of them?

There is also a shop-vac trick for changing the hydraulic filter and not making a mess.

Take off the cap that you would use to fill the hydraulics. Put the shopvac over the hole and turn it on. The vacuum it creates allows you to change the filter and only loose a few drops.

 

[tman1020]

Not sure on the L2501, but my kubota has TWO engine drain plugs. Does yours and did you remove both of them? There is also a shop-vac trick for changing the hydraulic filter and not making a mess. Take off the cap that you would use to fill the hydraulics. Put the shopvac over the hole and turn it on. The vacuum it creates allows you to change the filter and only loose a few drops.

A shop vac full of hydro oil sounds like a bigger mess than what the filter would make.

 

[Gator6x4]

A shop vac full of hydro oil sounds like a bigger mess than what the filter would make.

Never seen a shop vacuum with enough suction power to pull hydraulic fluid up and out of the fill port as described by LD1. You don't stick the vacuum nozzle down inside the transmission until you contact a fluid source. You use the vacuum, to create a vacuum, some fluid will still leak out but not much.

 

[LD1]

You wont get a shop-vac full of oil. You are only drawing a vacuum on the cavity. The oil level is quite a ways down from the fill port. You aint gonna suck the oil out. Its a tried and true method commonly used my many members here.

 

[4570Man]

I don't think the shop vac has to actually suck out oil. It only has to create a negative pressure difference in the tractor so the oil no longer wants to run out.

 

[tman1020]

Thanks for the clarification. That makes sense I just pictured myself with A shop vac full of expensive hydraulic oil thinking at least I didn't spill any out of the filter.

 

[k0ua]

There is another way. At least this has worked on two Kubota's and my Kioti. Find the hydraulic vent tube. On the Kubota L series it is under the seat. Yes the little rubber shepatds crook. On the Kioti it is the fill tube rubber plug itself. Plug up the vent hole. I used a no.8 machine screw, but a golf T would work too. Now it will be very difficult for air to get into the tank so the fluid loss when you remove the filter will be slow and small. I have done the last 3 changes this way and it works well. Do NOT forget to remove the obstruction in the vent. It will blow the dipstick out onto the ground when you use your FEL. Don't ask how I know this.

 

[gwstang]

Not sure on the L2501, but my kubota has TWO engine drain plugs. Does yours and did you remove both of them?

There is also a shop-vac trick for changing the hydraulic filter and not making a mess.

Take off the cap that you would use to fill the hydraulics. Put the shop vac over the hole and turn it on. The vacuum it creates allows you to change the filter and only loose a few drops.

Yes it does have two plugs to remove. Good trick on the shop vac, I'll have to remember that one. :thumbsup:

Seems like the engineers that designed these machines (and other types of machinery) would know, or talk to the people that ran them initially at the test facility, that it does not take the full amount the manuals state to refill after a change out. Surely they had performed an oil change and would note this? Or maybe pass it up the chain of command. Yeah, I know how that one goes...

 

[gwstang]

There is another way. At least this has worked on two Kubota's and my Kioti. Find the hydraulic vent tube. On the Kubota L series it is under the seat. Yes the little rubber shepards crook. On the Kioti it is the fill tube rubber plug itself. Plug up the vent hole. I used a no.8 machine screw, but a golf T would work too. Now it will be very difficult for air to get into the tank so the fluid loss when you remove the filter will be slow and small. I have done the last 3 changes this way and it works well. Do NOT forget to remove the obstruction in the vent. It will blow the dipstick out onto the ground when you use your FEL. Don't ask how I know this.

I'll take a look for this under the seat, thanks.