Where did my SUDT go?

[bulldog69]

My L 3000 does the same thing. When I changed the oil I kept a close check on it and added a little to it until I could keep it in the glass most all the time. I would rather have it be a little over full than be low.

 

[N80]

I don't know how long you have owned it and how much you take off the FEL, but you take those few drips and the few drips after you walk away, thats probably where the fluid is going.

I hope that's it. Going to get some SUDT today....after I go by the bank to get a second mortgage so I can afford it.....:laughing:

Next time I change it, it will be UDT. This is a gear drive tractor in warm climate and I think standard UDT will be fine.

 

[Ford850]

Park on the most level area you can find, front of tractor facing downhill. Note fluid level. Turn tractor 180 degrees, front of tractor facing uphill. Note fluid level. Your true fluid level will be half way between those two noted levels.

 

[N80]

Park on the most level area you can find, front of tractor facing downhill. Note fluid level. Turn tractor 180 degrees, front of tractor facing uphill. Note fluid level. Your true fluid level will be half way between those two noted levels.

You forgot to include the little winking smiley face after that reply:

Of course, for true accuracy I'd face the tractor in all 4 directions, maybe even 8 and take an average of all those. And to make sure to avoid measurements outside a certain standard eviation I could obtain a p-value for statistical significance.

Edit: Come to think of it, this won't work if there is no line to measure (too low when facing downhill, too high when facing uphill.

 

[Oldchuck]

I have a 4400, N80, and I share your annoyance with the sight glass. I can't even read the thing without a flashlight. I don't think there is any penalty for a little over filling. Just dump in a bit extra.

 

[jinman]

If your hydraulic pump is mounted on the engine, make sure your engine oil level is not increasing due to a leak through the pump internally to the engine.

+1. . . The shaft seal on hydraulic pumps is often a source of leaks and people don't recognize it until oil starts coming out of the engine dipstick tube. If you have a slow leak, you may even pump a quart or so into the engine between changes and not realize it when changing oil. Any overage on the engine dipstick should be suspect if the hydraulic reservoir is losing oil.

George, this is an easy check and one you should do right away. If you are leaking hyd fluid into the engine, you may want to hold off filling the reservoir until you get your tractor back from the shop. If you think SUDT is expensive, wait until you pay for a new hydraulic pump.:shocked:

 

[N80]

I'll definitely check the oil level. Anything else to check besides looking at the dipstick level? I don't think I'm due for an oil change but that's cheap and easy if I should do it again. If I do change the oil, would you be able to see the SUDT in the engine oil? In other words, will it separate? Also, would SUDT in the engine oil cause any noticeable performance issues now? What type of long term effects would it cause other than running with the oil pressure too high.

The tractor is 5 years old and only has 250 hours on it so I'm hoping this isn't a hydraulic pump issue. Hope its just incremental loss from changing FEL and venting.

 

[jinman]

George, I think the UDT would mix perfectly with the engine oil and there would be no visual indication except the level might be very high on the dipstick. If you had a lot of UDT, there would be a distinctive odor, especially when hot. With one or two quarts mixed with 6 quarts of engine oil, the smell would be a lot less.

As far as damage goes, I think some UDT in the crankcase will probably not have any long-term effect, but the biggest problem is if the oil pan gets too much fluid, you will start to splash and wash the bottoms of the pistons and may even blow engine seals. Frankly, you'd probably have oil squirting out of the dipstick before you reached that point. ...all speculation on my part.

 

[Patches]

I've noticed that my hydraulic fluid might be a little low on my Kubota L4400.

Start Rant The reason I say "might be" is that the only way to check it is through one of those stupid site windows on the back. There is not a level spot on my property so checking it can be hard. If the tractor is sloping even a tiny bit forward you can't see a fluid line at all. Slope a little to the rear and the fluid covers the window! What the heck is wrong with a good old dipstick!?! End Rant

In any case, when I get it as level as possible I can barely see a fluid line. Before it was about half way up. Now, I've inspected every inch of the tractor and there is nothing leaking anywhere. I sometimes remove the FEL but otherwise the system stays closed. I always lose a few drops when I change the FEL but not much.

So where has it gone? What else do I need to check. It is running fine and I'm just inclined to add a little (its nowhere near time for a change). Should I do anything else?

You've got a tractor; build yourself a level area to perform lube level checks :confused2:

 

[N80]

You've got a tractor; build yourself a level area to perform lube level checks :confused2:

Another innovative solution to the site window problem!