First oil change on B2601 and questions...

[Talenel]

Just did the first half service at 10.9 hrs.: engine oil, filter, air filter, hst filter.

Didn't do the hydraulic because I think it drops all the fluid and I didn't wasn't to do that just yet. Hydraulic filter/oil and fuel filter will be changed before the 50 hr mark.

Got everything done and went to start it up again...preheat 10 seconds because it is still 44 degrees here. It started like a 2 stroke complete with a huge cloud of whitish smoke and high revs (throttle was at minimum) for a few seconds then it idled normally, but with whiteish smoke.

I shut it down to check levels etc. all good. started back up normal, but the white smoke stayed for a while then turned to more of a blue smoke when I revved it a bit.

Is this any sort of normal? First diesel I have owned, but not the first time servicing one.

Everything was bought at the Kubota dealer filters, 10-30 oil and sudt2.

 

[RCW]

Wow, I'm a service fanatic, and you did your first services long before I would have! Trust me - - not being critical at all - - I did everything at 38 - - HST and front axles included.

Betting you learned some things about your tractor doing that stuff, and that's a great thing!

You didn't replace the fuel filter?

If not, I would chalk it up as pure coincidence...some of the symptoms make one think the fuel system was messed with.

I have a BX. At 44 degrees, I only pre-heat about 3-5 seconds. Just wondering if 10 is too much...might be worth a look in the owner's manual.

I would document what you saw and when, and keep an eye on it since it is new and under warranty.

 

[AllDodge]

The oil and HST filters at 50 hours is good, doing at 10.9 hrs while all good, I do think you need to do the HST filter again at 50 hours. The first 50 is to give it time to catch any small particales that may not have been cleaned out in manufacturing.

The fuel and air filter in no way needed to be changed, more so with the air. Don't reuse the fuel, but I would keep the air filters to re-install

Air cleaner check every 100 hours and will probably last for 1000, fuel filter change every 100 hours.

Your owners manual has it all

 

[Talenel]

Just to be clear it will get a full 50hr service, I just do the first engine oil change on everything I get new way early to get the manufacturing particulates out of the equation early. Since this is a hst I figured I'd change that filter too.

Didn't do fuel filter because I'm not too read up on the bleeding process yet to get the air out, and the fuel in the bowl looks fine.

I've only had to put 3.5 gallons of fuel in the tractor so far all treated with Howes, and never had a problem with starting even -30 degrees.

Still wondering about the huge cloud of whitish smoke and the high revs....

 

[AllDodge]

Still wondering about the huge cloud of whitish smoke and the high revs....

The whitish cloud would concern me, and I would contact the dealer for their opinion. In most cases, white smoke is unburnt fuel, but at high revs, there can be that of coolant leak

 

[ItBmine]

Nothing you did should have caused that. Especially if you didn't touch the fuel filter or add any fuel.

I run Howes all the time also. I swear by that stuff.

 

[Tire Biter]

Did you wash the air filter housing or get moisture/water in it somehow? H2O in the combustion will cause white smoke. 10 seconds on the glow plugs is kinda long at only 44F. But that didn’t cause white smoke.
BTW, if you attach a shop vac to the hyd. fill port and choke it down a little, it’ll pull a slight vacuum on the trans and you can spin the HST filter off and get the new one on without draining it all. Worked great for me. Only lost a few oz. of oil.

 

[Talenel]

No I didn't wash anything out I just replaced filters and oil in engine, toped off the Sudt2.

HST filter didn't drain much but that's because the dealer only filled everything to the add line... everything....engine trans/hyd and front end.

The Hydraulic filter would drop the fluid since it looks to be on the low side of the system.

Coolant looks good, and it started w/o anything like it since cold or hot.

 

[ItBmine]

See any water in the fuel bowl?

 

[Talenel]

No water in the bowl.

 

[RCW]

No water in the bowl.

Again, good for you for doing a partial service at 10 hours.

You didn't cause the issue, if there really is one. Keep an eye on it. Like others said, the white smoke can be a concern.

I may have missed it, but has the engine ever appeared to run hot?

While running at idle and cold, take the radiator cap off. If the coolant in the top of the radiator bubbles, it could be a sign of blown head gasket, or a cracked head. Of course at this juncture both should be a warranty issue. Again, changing engine oil does not blow a head gasket, and I'm thinking the chances are quite small for either problem.

You will learn more when you get to 50. Do the front axle too. Mine was low, but still wouldn't take the advertised amount...it doesn't drain completely.

 

[Talenel]

It's never been past halfway on the temp gauge.

It's started up w/o any white smoke since then.

 

[Muzzy]

Good stuff on the 10 hour service, sounds like all is fine now.
Interesting, my temp gauge has never gone over the one-third mark.

 

[JeepinMaxx]

Wow - good for you on a 10hr service! at that rate I'd be doing it every month! As others recommended - still do the full service at 50hrs

 

[troverman]

The 2601 is still a non-emissions engine, and I believe it is still a mechanically-controlled engine. When you say "white smoke" are you talking about normal vapor you might see from an automobile on a cold day? That is normal.

Since it is manually controlled, if the throttle is at idle than it shouldn't rev up since fuel is set to idle. My newer, electronic-throttle Kubota will sometimes idle up on a cold day automatically.

It sounds like it has since been fine, though.

I think you're throwing money away doing that service at 10 hours though. There are lots of these types of discussions on various other forums, and some people are of the mindset to get the factory fill out of the engine ASAP. But others have pointed out some manufacturers use a specific break-in oil, or oil with special additives, to help break in the engine. Prematurely draining is not beneficial in this case.

I bought a brand new Kubota MX tractor last year, and I didn't have time to change the engine oil and filter until 70 hours. I don't expect the slightest bit of issue from doing this, and the dealer agreed.

Don't change the trans / hydraulic fluid until 400 hours. With a B-series, drive the tractor on to a side hill to the filter you are about to change leans uphill. Spillage will be minimal. Do one side, then turn the tractor around and do the other.

Air filters do last quite awhile - but if you are mowing a lot of grass, especially filed grass, they get plugged up but can be blown clean from the inside out.

Check your radiator screen if you are mowing fields.

This also seems like an obvious point, but there are two oil fills under the hood. Make sure you put the Super UDT2 in the fill at the rear of the tractor by the 3 point hitch. One of my employees thought you filled it under the hood.

 

[ItBmine]

The way my hydraulic oil looked at 50 hours, no way I'd leave it 400 hours, LOL.

And it never gets as dark now at my seasonal change as it did at 50 hours.

But if you don't want to spend the money don't worry about I guess. But to me a $100 worth of oil is worth it to my $20,000 investment.

 

[troverman]

The way my hydraulic oil looked at 50 hours, no way I'd leave it 400 hours, LOL.

And it never gets as dark now at my seasonal change as it did at 50 hours.

But if you don't want to spend the money don't worry about I guess. But to me a $100 worth of oil is worth it to my $20,000 investment.

To each their own. Kubota has a 6-year, 3000 hour warranty. Waiting until their published change interval is hardly going to cause a problem. SUDT2 is not cheap - I'm surely not going to change it early. No reason to.

 

[SidecarFlip]

The one important aspect that always seems to get lost in a conversation about oil whether it's UDT or SUDT or motor oil or 80-90 gear oil or whatever is depletion of the additive package and how that impacts the life of mechanical components.

Just because motor is dark and appears to be used up, is it really?

The hydraulic fluid might appear clear and fine but is the additive package depleted.

Only one way I know of o find out for sure and that is an lubricant analysis by a testing lab and that is what I do.

A fluid change on each of my M's is an expensive deal, almost 5 gallons per tractor, not including the filters (mine take 2 large filters per unit, filter cost alone is 60 bucks per), so when the hours of service are approaching the service interval, I pull a sample and send it off for analysis. Costs me 25 bucks but I know everything about the lubricant, the additive package and if there is anything going on inside the tractor that I need to know about and plan for repairs.

Anything else is just a guess.

 

[ItBmine]

That's why I use Cat's SOS service. Everything is right there in black and white.

Gives me good resale on stuff too when I go to sell and they see I have everything documented.