Kubota KX-030(KX 71-1) V1505 engine Radiator removal

[Lussac]

I have the above Kubota (1993) and there is a bad leak from under the water pump which is either the pump seals have gone or the small hose that goes from the pump to the rad is split. Because of the position of the pump I can't see which it is and the only way to get at these parts is to remove the radiator but access is limited by the body of the digger and the fact that the rad appears to be in a steel frame. Here's the thing - I can't see how the raditor comes out!! I don't have a workshop manual and the only one I can find on-line that's downloadable does not include anything about the engine/cooling system, only the hydraulic systems. Can anybody give me any pointers (step-by-step guide?) on how to do this. I'm in the middle of rural France so getting any technical help like this is nigh on impossible, I'm fairly technically competent and can do the necessary repairs if only I can find out about removing the rad without first removing the engine??

Thanks in anticipation.....

Lawrence

[Muz]

Sadly .. the manufacturers never built these with the intention of anything having to be repaired !! and Kubota are not the worst either !! .. I used to own a few 71's .. so remember the machine, but dont remember that particular problem ? .. anyhow .. we had plenty KX41's that the Rad had to come out as the cores got damaged from failed engine mounts where the fan hit the rad and burst the core.... IIRC.

They were a pig, and meant some blind bolts had to be undone, round the back where you could only 'feel' and not see. On other crappy products like Volvo EC15's you had to slacken the engine mounts and move it back just enough to allow access to rad hoses etc, it was the only way. So the advice from Muz central is .. keep all options on the table before you throw a stick of dynamite at it and keep your cool . You will win one way or another, but be prepared for a lot more work shop time than at first thought. Go at it methodically , man made it, so man can fix it Good luck and post some pics if you need some more help, oooh and welcome also

[v8druid]

Sounds like you may need some gynecological qualifications Lawrence ...... Mine's 15+ ton and there are still some ****ing awkward bar steward bits to get at on it ..... goes with the territory .. good luck and as Muz says ..... cool head ... anything is do-able ... eventually

Just need to grow fingers Like these guys ......


And welcome to the forum Boyo

[Lussac]

Thanks for the welcome and info. Well, I got the machine back in the barn at last, had the wife walk behind pouring water into the rad as we went and luckily it wasn't too far and only took about 45 mins so at least it's not sitting out in the open until it's fixed. Will be taking my time with this as the job that we were doing can wait until I've figured it all out. Don't know whether or not just to buy the three hoses and a new water pump even though it might be just a split hose as while it's accessible it might as well be replaced. I did find a workshop manual for a KX-91 and in the section on engine removal it says:

1 Remove the three hoses between the radiator and engine

2 Unbolt and remove the radiator

That's it!! Nothing about the fan cowl, nothing about the battery being in the way, nothing about removing the oil cooler that's also attached to the radiator frame and no indication at all as to where the bolts for the radiator are, in other words useless. Who writes this stuff, have they ever looked at the item in situ or are they just going by what's on an exploded parts diagram!! Jeeeeez.

[Lussac]

Just to add to my last post I've found a picture of the type of machine (but mines in better condition):

http://duyanhcorp.com/product/kubota-kx-030-2/?lang=ja

[Muz]

Yep .. I did a rad on its bigger brother .. the 101 ... and she a bit of a bitch ... but I tamed her alright .. and running well years after .. never had a pump go faulty on any kubota Ive had though ? .. and I'm talking 26 years of owning them, mostly from new but also second handers .. best get some light shining in there and see if you can see where its coming from. Pumps dont leak a lot when they do, and if youve had to top it up with a hosepipe as you ran it, hopefully its just a split hose

*edit* top tip .. if you cant get ya screw driver on the jubilee clip its usually got a hex head that will be 7mm .. so you can put a 1/4 drive socket on it with a variety of flexy adapters to get the clip undone

[v8druid]

Yep .. I did a rad on its bigger brother .. the 101 ... and she a bit of a bitch ... but I tamed her alright .. and running well years after .. never had a pump go faulty on any kubota Ive had though ? .. and I'm talking 26 years of owning them, mostly from new but also second handers .. best get some light shining in there and see if you can see where its coming from. Pumps dont leak a lot when they do, and if youve had to top it up with a hosepipe as you ran it, hopefully its just a split hose

*edit* top tip .. if you cant get ya screw driver on the jubilee clip its usually got a hex head that will be 7mm .. so you can put a 1/4 drive socket on it with a variety of flexy adapters to get the clip undone

Or use a 7mm flexi jubliee clip driver ....... great tools

[Lussac]

My first thought that it was the hose, so hopefully that will be it. I'll try and get a lead lamp with a bright light to try and see what's going on in there. Thanks for the tip about the hex head and will get hold of a flexi drive to help me out.

[Lussac]

Small update:

Well, I've made a start...

Removed the twin barred fan guard

Removed the alternator

Remove the fan belt

All that gave me room to get at the jubilee clip of the lower hose from the water pump and access to the small metal extension pipe that the jubilee clip clamps to. Even so there was very little room to be able to move the ring spanner, just a quarter turn at a time but at least I've managed to free the hose from that. Now comes the bigger problem of getting to the jubilee clip on the bottom of the water pump, I can just about see it behind what I assume is the drive to the rev counter. The hex nuts are 10mm by the way and I've ordered a flexi drive as I think that is going to be the only way to get it undone and that's going to take a week or so to get to me.

Fingers still crossed that it is this hose that's at fault as when I was moving it back and forth water was coming out, I think, from the very top of the hose (or worst case theres a crack in the pump where the hose attaches!!).

[Muz]

Well, I've made a start...

Removed the twin barred fan guard

Removed the alternator

Remove the fan belt

All that gave me room to get at the jubilee clip of the lower hose from the water pump and access to the small metal extension pipe that the jubilee clip clamps to. Even so there was very little room to be able to move the ring spanner, just a quarter turn at a time but at least I've managed to free the hose from that. Now comes the bigger problem of getting to the jubilee clip on the bottom of the water pump, I can just about see it behind what I assume is the drive to the rev counter. The hex nuts are 10mm by the way and I've ordered a flexi drive as I think that is going to be the only way to get it undone and that's going to take a week or so to get to me.

Fingers still crossed that it is this hose that's at fault as when I was moving it back and forth water was coming out, I think, from the very top of the hose (or worst case theres a crack in the pump where the hose attaches!!).

Cant you see where its coming from without taking stuff off ?

[Lussac]

Unfortunately no, I've tried a bright light etc. but where the leak is from is completely obscured. All I can see is that it's either at the very top back-side of the lower pump hose or the water pump where the hose joins it is broken in some way, at least I'm now sure that it's not at the top of the pump at the fan pulley. The bearings in the pump seem OK as there is no movement (in/out) and the fan spins smoothly. I can't do any more now as I can't get to the other hose clip without a flexi-drive (on order), mirror and light.

It's a shame that I can't remove the fan cowling though as it would be lot easier with that out of the way, I removed the six bolts along the top frame and down the front and can move the cowling out slightly but it's still held in down the back of the rad somehow but there's no way to get to the fixings there. It's also a bit of a Catch-22 as to get the cowling out it needs the fan out (the fan is effectively inside the cowling) but you can't get the fan off with the cowling on if you see what I mean. It looks as though the fan and cowling have to come out as one unit.

[Muz]

Unfortunately no, I've tried a bright light etc. but where the leak is from is completely obscured. All I can see is that it's either at the very top back-side of the lower pump hose or the water pump where the hose joins it is broken in some way, at least I'm now sure that it's not at the top of the pump at the fan pulley. The bearings in the pump seem OK as there is no movement (in/out) and the fan spins smoothly. I can't do any more now as I can't get to the other hose clip without a flexi-drive (on order), mirror and light.

It's a shame that I can't remove the fan cowling though as it would be lot easier with that out of the way, I removed the six bolts along the top frame and down the front and can move the cowling out slightly but it's still held in down the back of the rad somehow but there's no way to get to the fixings there. It's also a bit of a Catch-22 as to get the cowling out it needs the fan out (the fan is effectively inside the cowling) but you can't get the fan off with the cowling on if you see what I mean. It looks as though the fan and cowling have to come out as one unit.

Pix would be good to save you some work .. but yes .. some times work needs to be done. even if you remove a cowl or two then you can remove the fan blades themselves so you can get the cowls off and makes everything more visable

[Lussac]

Here's some pics that I took today.2016-11-11 14.40.50.jpg2016-11-11 14.44.52.jpg2016-11-11 14.45.59.jpg

The one with the cowl, you can see I've moved it forward slightly as I'd taken out the two bolts on that edge but I can't move it any more because there are two more down the back that aren't accessible with the rad in place.

Hopefully it won't be needed but I think I've sussed how the radiator comes out. I crawled underneath and could see that there are two bolts that hold the radiator to a subframe, the front one is easy to get to but the back one not so. The other major issue for me is that it also requires the counterweight to come off (a big bolt at each end) and that I imagine literally weighs a ton!!

[Muz]

You should be able to get a 1/4 drive ratchet down the back of the cowl, or a ratchet ring spanner even better just push the foam out of the way. Then you can get the four bolts off that hold on the fan blade, which will give you access to the pump ,... which I take it you are certain now is the fault ? I think the counter weight did need to come off if you want the rad out, but not if its just hoses or the pump. On that machine it will probably weigh about 150-190 kgs .. not too bad, it serves as a fender as much as a ballast

[Lussac]

The Hose is off....

OK, some progress at last. I spent 2 hours this morning with a 10mm ring, open ender and right angle box spanners and managed to get the bl**dy hose off. Yep, it's the hose that's split and by the brown stains down it it's been weeping for a long time. The split is just under the ridge in the rubber that's caused by the tightening of the clamp just above the lip on the end of the water pump outlet pipe. I think that when assembled the clamp was overtightened and caused the lip of the pump outlet to bite into the hose causing a crack that's opened up over time.

I'll go out tomorrow and try and get a replacement hose and clamps at the Kubota agent in Limoges, I'm not hopeful as they were a bit dismissive last time I went in to get some filters because it's a grey import and not recognised on their parts system. I've got the exact engine type and year though and it's identical to the KX71 and from what I've seen that pump and hoses are common across a whole range of Kubota engines.

When refitting the hose what can I use to lubricate the hose so that it slips over the lip of the water pump a bit easier (it was a right pig to pull off even with the clip out of the way!!).

In the picture the metal hair clip is in the spilt so the above will make more sense.

Boy, am I relieved that it's not the water pump!!!!

2016-11-14 11.25.29.jpg