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

[v8druid]

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!!).

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

Good news then Boyo ..... washing up liquid's as good as anything for lubing rubber or a soft bar of soap ... try to keep it where it's needed, or it's a bugger to get a hold of the outside, once it's like a greased eel

[2414.ginger]

Good news then Boyo ..... washing up liquid's as good as anything for lubing rubber or a soft bar of soap ... try to keep it where it's needed, or it's a bugger to get a hold of the outside, once it's like a greased eel

Glad to hear you have got it off, take note of the above, that sounds like the voice of experience to me.

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[Lussac]

OK, went to the Kubota dealer in Lmoges yesterday and ordered the parts with no problem (hose + clips) and can pick them up this afternoon, so it's another 70km round trip. The bloke behind the counter worked out that the pump is the type that's used on a lot of Kubota equipment so just had to find the equivalents for my engine.

[Lussac]

OK, nearly there now. Got the new hose on and in the process of re-assembling. BUT, I've hit a problem with the tacho cable that I had to remove to get at one of the clips, it came off easily enough but now i can't get it back on as the thread won't start, I don't know how but I must have wrecked the thread when I undid it, I've been trying all morning and got nowhere! Both the knurled nut on the end of the cable and the thread on drive housing look OK, it's a fine thread so it's not as though I can get a nut on the housing to clean up the thread and see if it's OK or not, I don't have anything that fine anywhere and have no idea of the thread type and size. Genuinely don't what to do now?

[Lussac]

Just had another look at the cable and it's the thread in the knurled nut that's knackered, I must have stripped it on my first attempt at getting it started. I really don't want to have to replace the tacho cable as that does look like a difficult job as it goes over the top of the engine and disappears down the back somewhere and where it goes through the bulkhead is hidden, there's no way to see where it goes.

What can I do now?

Is there any way to re-cut the start of the thread? Obviously can't use a bolt as the cable-end is there and the nut is fixed to the cable, likewise a tap from a tap & die set can't be used for the same reason. It needs somethig like one of those male/male water pipe unions that has a nut in the centre and a thread at each end but I guess finding something like that in the correct size/thread is going to be impossible.

[Muz]

Hmm thats a shame re the tacho cable .. most likely the insert wasnt aligned up when you tried to refit it ?

For sure the block is iron into which it screws .. and the outer ring on the cable is alloy or aluminium, so .. take a careful look at it and examine any swarf or damaged threads on it, re cut them with a sharp blade if you can and you should be good to go

[v8druid]

'fraid i have no first hand knowledge of the m/c in question .

so can't really 'advise' on your tacho cable 'per se' ...... but ... and without seeing it ..... I'd guess the nut is an alloy nut .... [any chance of some pix?] and may well be a fairly standard metric thread .. there are pipe fittings with metric threads boyo. you're going to have to wing it on finding which one, unless you have a thread gauge .....

how much thread is damaged? can a few mm be cut off the nut revealing decent thread ..... and it still work???

[Lussac]

OK, a couple of pics. Sorry the one of the cable is slightly out of focus and the second one shows the male part of the drive on the block (above/left of the alternator).

2016-11-18 13.03.43.jpg2016-11-18 13.03.53.jpg

[Muz]

standard Ally fitment

Nice pix BTW I miss my old KX 101/ 71 ... got my first big jobs with those tools

[Lussac]

Apart from the tacho cable it's all back together. Tried all sorts to get the tacho thread started but no luck so I've secured it up out of the way for the time being and capped the drive hole in the block so muck can't get in.

Started her up and there are no leaks so the new hose fixed the problem but now there is a low water level warning on the dash although the level is OK, it's a problem with the actual sensor in the bottom of the water bottle as when putting it all back togther there was a loose grey wire on the sensor plug which I re-connected and that's what caused the warning, disconnecting that wire and the warning goes away. I think that somebody disconnected that wire in the past to get rid of the warning.

[v8druid]

OK, a couple of pics. Sorry the one of the cable is slightly out of focus and the second one shows the male part of the drive on the block (above/left of the alternator).

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3382[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]3383[/ATTACH]

If you disconnect the other end of the tacho cable, you should be able to withdraw the inner from the outer and give you better access to the threads to maybe effect some sort of thread recovery with a suitably sharpened implement .... or even a tap if you can suss the dia and pitch (with a thread gauge for the pitch and a caliper on the male for the diameter).